Vie CONG. INTERN. REPROD. ANIM. INSEM. ARTIF.,, PARIS, 1968, VOL. II

Chairman's speech at the opening of the Panel on artificial insemination
of horses,

W. BIELANSKI
Coll. Agricul., Dept. of Reprod. and Hyg., Krakow, Poland.

I have the honour and pleasure to open the Panel on reproduction
and artificial insemination of horses.,

Today in our era of motorization and mechanization little is spoken
about the importance of horses in agriculture, except in some countries
having special conditions which necessitate the use of horses and mules
for farm work.

The horse is significant today because of the increasing popularity
of horse-back riding, both as a sport and an entertainment. It is an
excellent antidote for the feeling of fatigue which contemporary civili-
zation imposes on man,

| am aware that our common task is to discuss how to improve the
fertility of the best selected animals, and in this way enable horse
breeders to make progress in their work.

On the other hand, | should like to call your attention to the fact
that the artificial insemination of horses stimulated research on repro-
duction in all animals,

It is just 80 years ago that A, BENOIT and REPIQUET, the French
veterinarian from Firminy, started insemination as a method of dealing
with infertility in mares (Bulletin et Memoires de la Société Centrale
de Médecine Véterinaire Nouvelle Série, Tome Sixieme: 365-367,
Paris, 1888).

Also, GALLIEN and ROUX in their book "L'insémination artificielle
chez les animaux domestiques, " (Paris, 1948), mention that artificial
insemination was used in thoroughbreds in France about 60 years ago
"s...au début du siecle, en Normandie, naissaient par ce procédé,

2 chevaux de pur sang, le "Miracle, " et la "Merveille" dont les noms
sont évocateurs, |ls eurent une brillante carriére de course."

| hope that the French "esprit" will continue to be a stimulus to
present-day research, and on behalf of all participants | would like to
express my sincere thanks to the organizers of the Congress for giving us
the opportunity to discuss the problems of horses at a separate session.

The program of our Panel includes three items:

1. Methods of deep-freezing semen

2. Induction of oestrus and ovulation

3. Artificial insemination in thoroughbreds

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