I read that even if Barbaro survives, he's very unlikely to be a successful stud because his rear legs won't be able to support his weight when he mounts the mare. Jockey Club rules require that only natural insemination is used for thoroughbreeds bred to race.
Anyone know why that is? I don't see why they wouldn't allow artificial insemination. DNA tracing can protect against fraud. What could be the reason?
The arguments against AI are prevention of fraud, prevention of unintended defects in the ability breed naturally, and the importance to diversity in the gene pool of limiting any one horse's impact to that which he can do naturally.
Some breeds to allow it, but I'm not sure they are smarter.
The sport of kings is very strict when it comes to reproduction. AI is a "bad word" and is strictly forbidden in order to register and race horses.Stallion owners are extremely selective with bloodlines when a mare owner requests to breed. Doesn't matter how much the stud fee is, if the stallion owner doesn't see it as a potential good match, no dice.
On artificial insemination within the equine breed, a stallion mounts a mare in heat just like she was the recipient, however, the stallions, shall we say, "investment" is steered into an artificial receptacle for collection. My dad was in the industry most of his life so I got to watch and assist in many couplings. Made for an interesting childhood!
The breed book on Thoroughbreds goes back to the start of the breed. DNA tracing was not available 200 years ago. The only way to verify the breeding was live cover that is witnessed by the stallion handler and mare handler. These documents go to the Jockey Club for registration. AI is not allowed for a variety reasons .1) Breeding is supposed to improve the breed. When one stallion predominant the TB breed book then weaknesses come into the breed. 2) Live requires the mare come to the stalion and that keeps breeding more local.
3)DNA testing is not done on horses too expensive for normal registration.
On another thread someone said that a champion Labroador was bred via AI to most of the show dogs and then a weekness cropped up and affected a large portion of the breed.
Not allowing the bred to become too inbred helps the health. Also many sires that were not that great such a Dynaformer, Bararo's sire were not that great as a race horse but has been very sucessful in his offsrping.