Salernitano Horse breeding program: first report

The Salernitano is a warmblood type of horse native of Southern Italy in Campania Region, a very ancient breed currently considered as endangered. At present only about 200 heads are registered in the Official Record Book with some small groups of mares living in the Campania Region, still not registered. In 2010 the Administrative Committee of Campania Region sponsored a breeding plane to increase the Salernitano horse population, involving 4 stallions of the Regional Center of Equine Improvement in S. Maria Capua Vetere (CE). The artificial insemination (AI) program started from April to July on Salernitano mares of private owners of the Region. The aim of the project was to increase the number of the Salernitano horse registered in the RA by optimizing the employment of stallions during the breeding season and monitoring their fertility. Nineteen farms, located in the different provinces of the Region, signed on to the plane with 39 mares in total. Forty-five ejaculates were collected from 4 Salernitano stallions and gel-free semen was evaluated for gross appearance, volume, concentration, visual motility and viability. The followed up mares for more than one cycle, requiring on average 1.25 inseminations for cycle and 1.7 inseminations for pregnancy. The mean fertility rate for oestrus cycle was 44.6%, with no differences among stallions and months; the overall pregnancy rate was 64.7%. Twenty-one mares foaled (18 fillies and 3 colts), 2 mares aborted and two fillies dead. The projects ended with an active of 13 mares identified as belonging to Salernitano breed and 16 new fillies that could be enrolled in the main section of Official Record Book, while the 3 colts could be inserted in the secondary part of the same Book with a potential increase of the actual official data on Salernitano horse breed of about 20%.