Follicular development patterns of pregnant mares during the first half of gestation

Information gained by studying follicular wave and endocrinological patterns of pregnant mares, may be useful in understanding reproductive wastage, infertility, control of the estrous cycle and physiological function of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). Furthermore, supplementary follicular development, characteristic of the early equine pregnancy, may be used to harvest oocytes for gamete intrafallopian tube transfer and in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. The objectives of this study were to: characterize follicular wave patterns during the first half of the equine pregnancy; relate follicular development patterns to serum levels of estradiol-17...