[NeighNeigh]

I'm not a stallion owner, but here's my take.

Unless you've talked to him/her before, don't assume the vet will be uncooperative or on the defensive. You might be surprised--maybe s/he will welcome your suggestions given your vast experience. (I'm an optimist!)

The mare owner is clearly concerned that she is going to get the message mixed up in translation, which is why she'd like you to talk with her vet directly. I think for the sake of the mare owner's naivete you should make an attempt to contact the vet. (If the vet is rude, hey, at least you tried.)

What does your breeding contract stipulate in regards to any live foal guarantee? How does the mare not coming into foal this year as a result of her vet affect you monetarily? (That would be my concern here, if I were you.)

[Equine Repro]

<smile>...Well...as someone that gets called a LOT for advice not only from mare owners and stallion owners, but veterinarians as well. I never, EVER call and offer unsolicited advice. Period. If the mare owner wishes for her veterinarian to contact me, I'm more than happy to speak with him/her. But, I absolutely do not pick up the phone and initiate the conversation. When I'm working for the mare owner and am having issues with semen from the stallion owner, I "will" contact the stallion owner and try to trouble shoot, but that's because I am working for the mare owner and it's my job to try and get the mare pregnant. I can't do that if what I'm being sent is substandard. However, if I'm the stallion owner/manager and I'm contacted and asked to ship semen, I ship. I make sure that what I'm sending is the best quality that I'm able to get out of the particular stallion, but beyond that, it's truly not your place to initiate the call. And, FWIW, I have also found that there are times when the mare owner misunderstands what the vet is saying and it can put you in a really bad position to step into the middle of that. Better to just have the mare owner request that the vet contact you and if he/she chooses to, you can have a conversation at that point...

Hope that helps!

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
Equine Reproduction
Check out our spring enrollment special!

[Miss Neigh]

Sounds like someone who knows nothing about horses, but has too much money in her hands.
I think you have every right to discuss any issue with her as the stallion owner.

[littlecelticpony]

TCF - I just wanted to say that it's so nice to see a post where someone demonstrates such a firm grasp of knowledge on breeding. So many of my friends get dumb looks on their faces when I start talking about follicle size or the corpus luteum, etc etc.

[TrueColoursFarm]

SuZQ - your posts usually always bring a smile to my face ... they really do ... ... and all the best in your future vet endeavours!

and littlecelticpony - I hear you! And I mortify my 18 year old daughter when we get into " breeding discussions" especially if any of her friends are present as well!

Kathy and everyone else that contributed - thanks a bunch as always. I am beginning to realize by the majority of posts here that perhaps I am sticking my nose in where it quite honestly doesnt belong.

NeighNeigh - it doesnt affect me one iota. It may give GG a bad rap "out there" if people hear that 3 mares were bred to him and NONE of them took. Of course everyone will then assume that substandard semen was sent if ***3*** mares didnt conceive - right?!

I just feel sorry for the Mare Owners. I had the one client year before last whose vet didnt own an ultrasound because they were "a waste of money" and he could "tell more on a palpation that ANY vet could tell with an ultrasound!" Okay ... 4 inseminations over 4 breeding cycles later, the mare still wasnt in foal and he was the one that chastised me when I dared to question him and said that he had "gotten mares in foal off 14mm follicles in the past"

O-K-A-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y ...

It also - quite personally - irks me with a busy stallion to collect when there is beyond a miniscule chance of that mare ever getting in foal. a) we are then using him more than he really needs to be used and b) we always want to keep the semen quality as high as we possibly can by judiciously collecting and live covering him and at times, it is a real juggling act when you get a panicked call from a Mare Owner whose mare is sitting on a softening 45-50mm follicle with all other signs present that she is about to ovulate shortly. We then go into high gear to get him collected on a moments notice because we KNOW there is an excellent chance of that mare conceiving at that time

It really boils down to being a waste of GG's semen, our time and effort to collect and the Mare Owner's money

Now - if it was the MARE OWNER that called and said I dont care what you say *I* want him collected and shipped now - fine - done deal. It gets done and shipped. Its your money, if you chose to spend it this way - your call entirely.

But - when the Mare Owner says that she doesnt have the knowledge about breeding, and she relies on others to help her out with their knowledge and would you collect and ship today? Heck - then I will give my opinion and tell her that no - IMO - it is a waste of time and effort to do so ...

But it was her request for me to call her vet that then took this to another level ...

I think I will email her and call her and see what she wants to do ...

Thanks a bunch again everyone for your opinions and comments. A lot of things brought up that I hadnt considered before ...

[Haas Horse Farm]

How about this... Call the vet and say that you are having a heck of day and do not know what his demands are for semen and are trying to figure out where the mares are so you can be sure that there can be someone there to collect and ship on the right day. That then give the said vet the change to tell you where the mares are at... so you are getting the information from the vet not the mare owner. If the mares are that far appart I just cannot see how they expect to do it on one shipment and have the mares take. Then you might beg the vet to give you just one extra day if the "vet" thinks they could hold out since you are concerned that with all the mares you are breeding right then that he might have better semen for shipment in two days instead of one...