[Apanac]

I've had two foals born at my house in previous years, but I bought the one mare pregnant and the other foal was sort of a surprise. I, therefore, have never dealt with foal registration, breeding, or some of the other hassels of breeding your mare.
During the next year I plan to find a nice stallion to breed my arabian mare to, only problem is I have no idea how to go about it. Since I've never dealt with breeding I have no idea where to even start from. I'd ask my vet, only I'd like to know what I'd be getting myself into beforehand.
So basically I'm wondering what are the basic [and possibly not-so-basic] steps I'll have to take to breed my mare via AI.
Thanks.

[Goonhorse]

First of all you'll need to find the perfect stallion for your mare. Of course you knew that, but don't be afraid to ask tons of questions and if they don't have good confo pictures of the stallion on their website, ASK for them. Also, don't be afraid to ask if they'll give you any kind of a discount on the stud fee. Once you've decided on one, you can ask the stallion owner for a breeding contract.

Meanwhile talk to your vet about what needs to be done. If the mare has already been bred, it's wise to get a culture done (some stallion owners require it, even if your mare is maiden) on her.

Typically mares start to cycle around March, I believe and at that point you can start having your vet come out and check her to see where she is in her cycle. Make sure you know how much time in advance the stallion owner needs to know when you need the semen shipped so that you can let your vet know.

Once your mare is ready, you can call the stallion owner and have him/her send the semen.

Hope this helps. I did this last year and was pretty clueless about the whole thing, too. I learned a lot. Even though my mare didn't get pregnant, I'm glad that I did it, just for the learning experience.

[Apanac]

Thanks! Oh I'm not afraid to ask for more pictures. It's usually my first request on any horse ad.

Could you tell me roughly about how much you spent on the whole thing minus the stud and shipment fees?

[Lindsayanne]

Shipment fees can add up- don't totally throw them out. I used a stud in Ontario last year and every shipment costs $125 coming and $100 to return. Even half that, shipping domestically, can add up quick.


Check http://www.equine-reproduction.com/services/index.shtml for sample rates on the procedures involved.

Typically stallion owners will set collection fees in addition to their stud fees. While you only pay a stud fee once per live foal, you usually have to pay the collection fee for each shipment you need.

On the mare's end, your vet will probably tell you to culture and/or flush the uterus before trying AI. I foget hoe much that runs but under $100.

Then the vet will need to ultrasound several times over several days, so they know when to order semen. That runs $40 a pop. Usually 2-4 ultrasounds per attempt.

Then when (and IF!) your semen comes in on time, they'll probably want to ultrasound again, then inseminate. Insemination itself is pretty cheap. I think I paid $40 last year.

Some vets, depending on a lot of factors including quality of semen, will want to inseminate twice with the same shipment. So you could double the above.

Then you'll want to ultrasound again at 2-3 weeks to see if the mare is bred.

If not, you get to repeat indefinitely, so all of the above gets doubled.... or tripled. Sometimes hormone shots will be in order, too- whicha ren't terribly expensive but can add up.

And of course that's all assuming your semen actually gets there on time.... My first try at AI ever my equitainer got lost on an airfield in Indiana heat while my mare ovulated....




One other thing worth mentioning... you can save a lot of money by hauling your mare back and forth to the vet or having your vet come out and do all the procedures at your place BUT hauling them back and forth is stressful, and having them come to your place means doing it in a less sterile environment. So while it's cheaper, the success rates are higher if the mare is boarded at a facility that does it, so can turn out to be more expensive. Personally I take the mare to a repro clinic and let her stay until she confirms in foal. It's less time off work for me and I feel increases chances of success.

[ponypotion]

i spent well over 2k. About 1k for the vet fees.