AI costs and success rates - any experiences?

[Santi]

Hi, what does it usually cost to have a mare artifically inseminated?

I have found a really nice spanish stallion i would love to breed to my welsh mare but he is 8 hours away (and my other horse would be distraught if i took her away as her primary job is as his companion!).

The stud estimate the total cost will be between £900 - £1100 (ouch!) for their technitian to come and do my mare. Do vets charge less than stud staff and what is the success rate? They are saying they have a 95% success rate.

I am a bit suprised it is so much, this stallion's fee is usually £450 + livery etc for natural covering - so i know he isn't the cheapest stallion around (but i'm developing a bit of a thing for spanish horses and thought breeding my own cross would be really nice and i would probably be riding it by the time my horse would be wanting a quieter life...) My mare has papers so i figure it's not like i'm trying to invent a nice foal just by getting a good stallion if you know what i mean.

I am new to the breeding thing so any info or advice would be appreciated!

- Caroline.

[pengapenga]

I am not in the UK so will have no idea of the costs. How about contacting your vet and asking the question.

Some mares don't accept AI so it is something to be aware of, I know of a couple of Friesian mares that are maiden and have rejected the AI. I would also have her swabbed before any breeding to insure there is no bacteria that could jeopordise (sp:o ) her health and that of the foal. Monitor her cycles so you have a record of when she is cycling and her behaviour.

Good luck with your possible venture into breeding:)

[chev]

What's included in that price? Cost varies considerably according to whether the semen used is fresh, chilled or frozen, what else is done (scans, breeding exam and so on) and who actually does the insemination. Be very wary of using a vet who has little experience of AI - the best results are got from using technicians who do this all the time.

You probably won't need to have her swabbed since she won't be covered naturally, so there's no chance of infection being passed to the stallion; but you would need to have her scanned to make sure she's actually ready for insemination and it's always a good idea to have a breeding exam done (just to check she's healthy and has a good chance of carrying a foal to term). Studs usually include this in the price of AI but if this is to be done at home I'd find out exactly what you're paying for.

AI is expensive; there's more involved than with a natural covering (the collection, storage and transport of the semen for a start) and success rates do vary. AI does have a fairly high success rate where it's done properly (scan mare, PG if neccessary, insemination by qualified technician etc) but be aware rates can be slightly lower if there's no stallion around. Mares not kept in the company of stallions are sometimes slightly more difficult to get in foal. There are also mares who won't show in season unless there's a stallion around (I have one!!) and others who do have difficulty conceiving this way.

[Santi]

Hi, thanks for the info.

I was going to get her checked by my vet anyway to make sure she is ok, she was used as a broodmare and had 4(?) foals but was sold when she 'stole another mare's foal' - i contacted her previous owner to find out her history. But I can't know for sure if this was the reason she was sold. Is that common?

She got quite flirty in season last summer and likes me rubbing her rump (quite innocently above her tail!) so i hope she will come into season this summer.

I'll contact the stud for more details.

-Caroline.

[blackhorses]

I'm not sure of the exact costs but I know there is alot involved. Once it is established she is in season and all is well and there is a suitable folicle, the mare then has to be scanned every 12 hours to make sure the insemination is done at the exact time!:eek: , it can take 2-3 attempts(one attempt per season) before the mare takes.
If you use fresh semen it has higher sucess rates but it has to be used very quickly after collection so whoever does the insemination has to be really accurate as to the exact moment she is ready, and sods law it's usually over the weekend!
As for success rates generally it varies and depends on who's doing it, I think they now have a new technique where the semen is inserted directly into the uterine horn, which means the sperm doesn't have to swim very far so more reach the egg increasing the chance of one hitting the target! Great for stallions with lazy sperm!!
Breeding from your horse is never going to be cheap which ever way you do it the stud fee is only the beginning! :eek:
I did try and AI one of my TB's a couple of years ago and she never produced a suitable folicle, ie a good enough egg, we had to send her away to a veterinary run insemination centre as they have to be scanned so frequently, so try asking your local vet if they know of anyone who does AI near you.
There is a company called The Stallion AI Services that have excellent fertility rates and would be able to give you some advice, there is also a load of info. about AI on thier website: www.stallionai.com
Some mares can steal other mares foals, I think it's just hormonal and once they have thier own baby they are usually happy!
You will also need to keep a record of exactly when she comes into season, this will help the vet know when to expect her and also give you the maximum number of chances of getting her in foal.
I hope this helps!:) :)

[Santi]

Any clues on how i tell she is in season?

She isn't especially moody, and the only thing i could see was a tiny amount of blood some days last summer. I wasn't keeping a really good eye on it and writing it down though.

How long is each cycle and are they firtile the week before the bleed like us?

Sorry this is a bit basic and i'm sure i should know this!

Thanks - Caroline.

[chev]

Loads of really good links on both mare and stallion's reproductive systems, breeding, foals, AI - just about everything you could want to know here (http://www.horseit.com/en/students2001/referencesection/referenceGENETICSANDBREEDING.htm) :)

[blackhorses]

There's a good book on breeding called From Foal To Full Grown by Janet Lorch, it explains everything about breeding horses and the things that go on at a stud, it has good pictures as well and goes into foaling itself and what can go wrong. It's quite usefull.
Do not worry if you can't tell if your mare is in season as the vet can induce a mare with hormones if it is impossible to tell. Some mares just don't show or will only show when there is a stallion around or a gelding. If you read the book above it shows you the signs to look for and how often the mare cycles - but it can vary from mare to mare. They don't bleed like we do, humans are the only animal that shed the lining of the uterus and bleed, every other animal reabsorbs all of it, so the only thing you might notice is a clear mucus like disharge when she is in season.

[Lgd]

I can give you general up-to-date costs as my mare was covered using AI this year.

Pre-breeding exam and swabs came out at around £60
Stud fee was £600
I took out the vet package that the stud offered and sent her down to the stud for the AI (the stallion I used doesn't cover naturally as he is too valuable to risk). The vet package was £334 (incl vat) and that covered all scans, the AI procedure and any drugs needed up to 3 cycles of AI. Even with her taking at the first cycle that was a bargain as, due to transport problems, we missed her ovulation and she was short cycled. She had around 10 scans which are £25 each at my local vet, plus drugs plus the AI. If you factor in what it would have cost me for transport to and from the vet (or call outs) that worked out very cheap. Also factor in £15 a night livery at the vets (supply your own feed) v. £33 a week full livery at the stud and it was way cheaper to send her down to the stallion.

The stud where she went is also a defra approved breeding station. They got 100% in foal with fresh, chilled and frozen semen in 2005 and have had a similar success rate for three of the last four years.

So far it has cost me almost £1500 up to 8 months preggers.

If you are going to breed sending the mare to the stud is by far the better option, and as far as separating the companion from her, remember that you will have to remove it anyway come foaling time. If necessary, find another pal to keep company while she is away.

[Santi]

Thanks for all the advice. Those sites were very helpful. I didn't realise the timing of the insemination was so precise.

I have managed to find a stallion i like that we can get to... and he can do natural covering so i'm going to take this route this year.
I feel I don't know enough about the mare (or about breeding!) because i've only had her 8 months so we'll try the natural route and maybe go for an AI next year!

Caroline.