Stallion Exam
In the breeding soundness exam of the stallion, the objective is to determine if the stallion will be a successful breeder. This will include mental and physical faculties as well as being sure the stallion is not a carrier of a venereal disease.
History - Begin the exam with positive identification of the stallion including name, age, bred, registration number, identifying marks, tattoos, brands and hair whorls. Next a full history of the stallion should be taken. This should involve:
- present usage
- lineage
- previous breeding performance
- results of prior fertility exams
- illnesses
- injuries
- injury
- medications
- vaccinations
- current and previous reproductive management
- health management programs
General Physical - A general physical is always part of a breeding soundness exam. This should include body condition score, presence of any defective traits or injuries that affect mating success (back or leg injuries), and heritable abnormalities (cryptorchidism, parrot mouth, wobbler syndrome). The exam should carefully exam all major body systems (heart, lung, urinary, etc.) as well as include normal laboratory tests (Coggins, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, fecal egg count).
