“‘THERE’S THE CERVIX,’ DR. KUBIAK SAYS, POINTING TO A SWOOP OF GRAY ON THE SCREEN.”


candidates to ultrasound mares, both for liability reasons and to protect the livelihoods of veterinarians performing reproductive ultrasounds. For me, buying an ultrasound machine was a matter of survival. Our farm is located in west-central South Dakota where vets don’t make farm calls, and managing my own emergency vet care and breeding work has always been the norm. Unfortunately, multiple 72-mile round trips to the vet each week for ultrasounds during breeding season were also the norm, especially when using shipped or frozen semen. Then there’s the cost. $45 per


mare adds up when you consider the mileage as well. Add loading, unloading and reloading anxious mares and babies all summer long, plus an hour and a half swimming upstream against thousands of motorcyclists heading for the Sturgis Motorcycle rally, and you can see the incentive. I think even my vet was cheering when I finally made the decision to learn to ultrasound my own mares.


With Dr. Kubiak looking on, students take their turns at untrasounding for the first time.


HANDS-ON TRAINING So it started as a good idea for me and my breeding business. And now here I am with Dr. Kubiak, two other breeders and a gallon jug of lube, staring at the nether regions of an enormous black mare. “Pregnancies are easy; ovaries are hard,” Dr. Kubiak says as he positions the ultrasound cart, trash can, and package of shoulder-length gloves. He snakes his arm into a glove and pumps lubricant up and down his arm. After the three-hour lecture and orientation session, now it’s show time. In a series of practiced movements Dr. Kubiak gently maneuvers his hand into the mare’s rectum and starts


pulling out manure. He turns to look at us. “This is where you slow down and think,” he says.


“There’s no hurry, no pointed pressure. You go with the mare, not against her.” We look at each other. First lesson from the morning: Rectal Tear = Death. Rarely happens, but still be aware. Now he removes his arm from the mare and starts squeezing gel onto the ultrasound probe. Cupping his hand around the probe, he goes back in. Now we crowd up around the machine watching the waves of black and gray coalesce into the images we saw on the charts this morning. “See that?” Dr. Kubiak asks while pointing to a cluster


Warmbloods Today 49


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68