Foals that are produced using ovum pick-up (OPU) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) will no longer be eligible for registration with the Swedish Warmblood Association in Sweden beginning March of 2025.
The country’s Animal Welfare Act prohibits the use of these reproduction modalities in an effort to alleviate the pain a mare endures during the harvesting of unfertilized eggs.
The rule does not affect foals born via embryo transfer (ET).
Laws surrounding assisted reproduction vary by country; regulations in Sweden and Germany are more stringent than those in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.
Foals born in 2024 using ICSI may still be registered with the breed association’s studbook.
Read more at EuroDressage.
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