Our Way 1
BY CECILIA BILLGREN PHOTO SAMUEL UNÉUS BREEDING W
E WANT TO SEE AT LEAST 500 MILLION MOTILE SPERM IN A SINGLE DOSE In the lab, Inger Karlsson checks the quality of the sperm using the latest technology. O ut at Ekerö, the foaling season has just started. While a newborn foal takes its first steps on shaky legs in one of the fair-sized foaling boxes, it is time for one of the stallions at stud to begin the working day in an adjacent room. Three days a week, semen is collected by encouraging the stallion to mount a device known as a phantom mare. “They know what they are supposed to do; it is just another day on the job for them,” says Johan Hellander, veterinarian and general manager of the stud farm. THE SPERM IS quickly taken into the adjacent laboratory where its quality is determined by measuring sperm concentration and motility using the latest technology. “For optimal fertility we want to see at least 500 million motile sperm in a single dose, but every stallion is different; from some we may obtain up to 30 doses from a single mounting, while others might only provide a couple of doses,” says Inger Karlsson, who works in the laboratory. All sperm collected is registered in the stud farm’s own in-house developed database. The Menhammar system logs detailed information about every aspect of each collection: the number of mounts, size and quantity of ejaculate, how it is diluted and divided into doses and what happens to each dose. “We are completely unique in the world in describing the process in such an exhaustive and accurate manner. There are so many variables and it makes things much easier to have all of the facts gathered in this way. This is a further step in ensuring quality,” says Hellander. The sperm can then be utilised in one of three ways; it may be used immediately to inseminate one of the many mares on the stud farm, the fresh semen may be sent elsewhere for insemination or, the third alternative, it may be frozen, a course of action primarily reserved for outside the breeding season. Stored at -196°C (-321°F), the frozen semen has a theoretical lifespan of several thousand years. “When we freeze semen we conduct a quality control of every batch to ensure that no damage has occurred during the freezing process itself,” explains Inger. traditionally have their MENHAMMAR IS in a unique position when it comes to breeding trotters and many of the stud’s stallions are quickly fully booked. Each stallion is permitted to cover 150 mares in Sweden annually and much of the semen collected once this ceiling is reached is frozen for export. Italy is Menhammar’s largest export market but the stud has customers as far afield as Australia – and business is booming. “Right now, we are exactly where we STALLIONS & MARES • There are currently eight stallions at stud at Menhammar: Maharajah, Nuncio, From Above, Fourth Dimension, Panne de Moteur and Chocolatier, with Villiam and Readly Express joining them during the breeding season. • Menhammar has approximately 120 active broodmares, around 70 of which are stabled at stud farm with the rest on Menhammar’s other farms on Ekerö. The estimated crop for 2019 is in the region of 80 foals from their own breeding programme. The crew onboard TITUS share most meals together. birthday on 1 January each year, it is important to plan the breeding season so that no foals are born late in December. The best situation is if a foal is born some time before the summer so it will come out to pasture. want to be,” says Johan Hellander, “but every new crop of one-year-olds runs an average of one length faster than the last so it is important that we keep abreast of developments in breeding operations.” Thus far, the focus in terms of genetic material has been primarily on the stallion side; however, Johan Hellander is careful to point out that the mare is at least as important to the success of an offspring. As trotters “There are many parameters to consider, various physical attributes but also the horse’s psyche. I believe that characteristics like the will to win and fighting spirit, as well as curiosity and social competence, are things that the foal learns from its mother,” says Johan Hellander. THERE IS STILL a great deal left to learn about how best to match this genetic material and even about techniques and methods for ensuring an efficient, successful breeding programme. That said, Johan Hellander and the team at Menhammar are certain that the stud can continue at the forefront, above all through continuing to work with the successful concept that has been delivering fantastic results for 60 years now. “The thing we are most proud of is that we can go back six generations here at Menhammar. Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg has always been careful to build up her stock and her business based on her own mares and stallions. She has not bought success; she has really worked to put us in the successful position we find ourselves in today,” says Johan Hellander. OUR WAY MENHAMMAR 15