Embryo transfer is an excellent tool that enables us to produce more foals from busy mares. Mares in professional work at high competition levels will produce the embryos, which are harvested/flushed at exactly 7 days post-ovulation and then transferred into one of our recipient mares, whilst the donor can continue competition. Many clients use embryo transfer as a way of getting more foals out of their brood stock per season but different breed registries will have a limit as to the number of foals that can be registered out of a single brood mare per season. Commonly, embryo transfer is touted as a solution to producing foals from mares unable to carry their own foals. Whist this is true in some cases, clients need be aware that E.T. programs using infirm older or problem breeders may have lower success rates. Regardless of wether this lowered success is as a result of poorer quality embryos retrieved, it is also often due to the low rate of actual embryo retrieval in these mares. Often elderly mares need to be flushed a day or so later than a comparatively younger mare. So, as stated elsewhere, the best mare candidates for an embryo transfer program are those with a successful breeding history and those young, healthy competition mares with no reproductive pathology.

RECIPIENT MARE POOL

We have a small herd of healthy recipient mares on site, for use in the E.T. programme; clients can also provide their own mares to go into our group, or “pool”, of recipients. We will need to examine them upon arrival (or have a Veterinary health check report from your Vet) to ensure they are appropriate to go into the herd. If you do provide mares to our pool, we will have a greater chance of synchronising one or more of the recipients with your donor. However it must be understood that the recipient best synchronised with the donor will be used and this may not necessarily be the mare you provide. Each client would take their recipient/s back if not pregnant at the end of the season.

f you don’t provide any recipients, we charge you a fee to take any successful (pregnant) transfer recipients. The agistment fee will apply for both your donor and the pregnant recipient, while at the Hospital.

THE PROCESS

As well as examining all potential recipients, we will first need to thoroughly examine your donor to ensure that she (and in particular her reproductive system) is in good health. We will need to ensure that all are cycling.  If there is no follicular synchrony of any of the recipients with the donor occurring by chance, we will then need to treat both the donor and recipient mares for several days to synchronise their follicular cycles. When one (or more) of the recipients is found to be ovulating in the acceptable time window around the donor's ovulation, we will choose them for the surrogate position/s.

The donor is inseminated or covered close to ovulation, then at day 7 (post ovulation) she is flushed to collect whatever embryos have been produced. Embryo/s found by microscopic examination to be suitable are transferred into the uterus of the best available recipient/s.

All processes and treatments that we gauge to be necessary and advantageous to a successful outcome, will be carried out throughout the whole process.

PREGNANCY MONITORING

Recipients of embryos can be sent home as soon as we are confident that the pregnancy looks viable or have finished their immediate post transfer treatments. These mares will be pregnancy tested at 14 days (possibly also a day or two later, if twins are suspected), 28 days and 45 days. Further, more intensive monitoring of foetal and placental health can be provided if necessary, throughout pregnancy, if the mare appears to be having any trouble. Costs for such additional services would fall outside the contract fee.

INQUIRIES & COSTS

For all enquiries regarding costs and a break down of associated fees, or for bookings, please feel free to contact the clinic at any time.