Preparation of Mare

Prior to the internal exam of the mare, the external genitalia should be carefully washed. This part of the exam will look at the vagina and cervix of the mare to look for damage from prior breeding or parturition, and for gross signs of infection.

A Quicktime movie and pictures below are provided to guide you in preparing a mare for a vaginal exam or breeding.

Wrap the tail to keep hairs from entering the vagina or rectum during the exam. Many methods can be used to secure tail hair. In this case, the tail is placed in a disposable AI glove, making sure to place all tail hair in the glove
Secure the glove at the base of the tail with disposable elastic wrap (VetWrap, Co-Flex etc.). The tail can then be secured up and out of the way.