Evaluation of semen quality of horses in Jeneponto South Sulawesi Indonesia
Muhammad Abdi Awal 1 , Bungsuhari Burhan 2 , Muhammad Yusuf 3 , Lucia Muslimin 1 , Fika Yuliza Purba 1,4*

(1) Veterinary Medicine Study Program, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
(2) Agriculture Service of Jeneponto Regency, Balang Toa, Binamu, Jeneponto Regency, South Sulawesi, 92315, Indonesia
(3) Faculty of Animal Science, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
(4) Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan

Abstract

Efforts to increase the population of high-quality horses in South Sulawesi is carried out through the application of artificial insemination (AI) technology. Currently, the AI in horses has been limited done using imported frozen semen. The production of local semen is encouraged to maintain the sustainability of AI practice. This study was carried out to elucidate the quality of fresh semen collected from racehorses and workhorses in Jeneponto. Twelve stallions were used in this study, consisted of 6 racehorses and workhorses, respectively. The quality of fresh semen was assessed by examining the semen characteristics and sperm quantity and quality. The results showed that the semen volume of racehorses and workhorses was 44.25 mL and 51.02 mL, respectively. Horses semen had white-milky color and watery consistency with pH 7. The microscopic observations revealed that the sperm motility of racehorses and workhorses was 51.02 and 49.9, the life sperm percentage was 53.5 and 57.43, the concentration of sperm was 151.66x106/mL and 190.83x106/mL, the sperm abnormalities percentage was 23.51 and 31.07, respectively. We conclude that the quality of racehorses and workhorses fresh semen were only different in sperm abnormalities percentage.

Keywords: horse, racehorse, semen evaluation, sperm

Topic: Veterinary Clinic, Reproduction, Pathology