ICSI: Understanding the Technique That Revolutionized Horse Reproduction

Elite livestock has increasingly turned to reproductive technologies to accelerate genetic improvement and multiply high-value animals. One of these techniques gaining ground — especially among horse breeders — is ICSI, an acronym for Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection. Widely used in equine veterinary medicine, ICSI represents a leap in terms of efficiency, genetic control, and reproductive material utilization. The technique consists of injecting a single sperm directly into the mare's egg in a laboratory environment. For this, oocytes (eggs) are collected from the female through a procedure called OPU (Ovum Pick-Up), along with sperm from the desired stallion. This fertilization occurs in vitro, and the resulting embryos are cultured for a few days until they are ready for transfer to a recipient mare. For racehorse, lasso, jumping, or gaited horse breeders, ICSI is a strategic tool. It allows responding to the demand for foals with champion pedigree, without compromising the ...