Breeding season has quickly come upon us and, as we all know, that means the next few months are going to be filled with hard work and long nights. Breeding season poses many challenges from coordinating breeding and handling horses, to collection and maintaining semen quality. As you develop your breeding program and work to hone it into a well oiled machine, you may want to consider easy to implement strategies that may make the difference you need to have a successful breeding season with your stud.

Adding a feed through supplement can help maintain your stud’s reproductive health without losing ground with your training program during breeding season. Products high in DHA, like Releira, help to support healthy sperm production and sperm motility but also can enhance cognitive function in horses which can enhance performance and trainability. One side benefit of DHA rich products is that they support an amazing hair coat as well.

DHA, or Docosahexnoic acid, is a crucial long chain, polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid that is necessary for proper eye and brain development. DHA has also been shown to be essential for proper sperm formation and consequently, fertility. During development, a pointy cap is formed on the head of the sperm called an acrosome. Acrosomes are extremely important to fertility as it contains enzymes that help the sperm break through the egg’s outer layers. When the sperm meets the egg, the acrosome bursts and releases the enzymes which, break down the egg’s outer layers allowing the sperm to penetrate the egg and fertilize it.

During development, the sperm’s acrosome is formed by many tiny vesicles of membrane which, eventually fuse together inside the sperm. These vesicles contain the enzymes needed for penetrating the egg. When the vesicles fuse together, they form one large membrane on the top of the sperm, the acrosome. However, if DHA isn’t available, these vesicles never fuse and the acrosome never fully forms, essentially halting sperm maturation.

DHA has also been shown to play a role in regulating sperm motility. It is thought that DHA is involved in regulating free fatty acid utilization by sperm or it can be metabolized to other lipid-like compounds. However, it is most commonly believed that the biophysical properties of DHA contribute to the membrane fluidity and flexibility needed for motility including the tail of the sperm.

Still not convinced that DHA is all that important for your stud? Keep in mind that DHA is also vital for proper eye and brain development. That means that your stud’s cognitive function can be supported through supplementation of DHA and improve his trainability and consequently, his performance. You not only get a stud with proper sperm motility and fertility, but a willing and understanding partner during training.

DHA really isn’t that tricky and most equines have the ability to synthesize DHA properly. However, some equines don’t synthesize enough DHA or even are unable to synthesize their own DHA at all; that’s where a feed through supplement can come in. Dietary supplementation provides your stud the DHA he needs to ensure full development of the acrosome, and consequently high fertility rates, as well as the motility by the sperm. Releira is packed with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids as well as purified DHA and vitamins D3 and E. And Releira’s DHA is an all vegetarian, micro-algae source and never contains fish oil, which means it’s completely free of oceanic pollutants and toxins. The taste, toxins, and pollutants that can be contained in fish oil and fish derived DHA products can decrease the palatability of DHA making it difficult to feed. Talk to your veterinarian or an Arenus Team member about how to implement a DHA based product, like  Releira, into your breeding program.

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