Advantages:
* Minimizes exposure of mares to infectious diseases & breeding injuries.
* Eliminates the need to transport mares, many with foals at their side to and from the breeding farm.
* Cost savings - no chute fees or boarding fees.
* Semen is less contaminated.
* Safer for stallions and mares, especially mares with foals at their sides.

Requires a veterinarian knowledgeable and experienced with chilled equine semen and insemination
procedures. Veterinarian needs to be able to predict the mares time of ovulation two days in
advance.

Requires completion of all breeding contracts, receipt of stud fees, shipping costs, and deposits
BEFORE the shipment of semen is needed. Semen will be sent via FedEx Priority Overnight after
collection from stallion and arrive at your home or your Veterinarian's office (prearranged destination)
between 9am and 12 noon the next morning depending on your location. We use the highest quality
Equitainer available. The semen stays fresh for at least 72 hours. It is guaranteed to be alive and
adequate to impregnate mare. Your veterinarian should be pre scheduled to inseminate the semen to
your mare.

Semen Handling - Receiving End

1. Contact stallion's farm office on the first day of mares heat.

2. Requires serial palpation's, usually one or two, every other day, to establish the optimal time for
insemination (within two days prior to ovulation).

3. Have mare prepared for insemination before the Equitainer is ever opened.

4. Insemination by your veterinarian.

     a) Check certificates verifying identification of mare.

     b) Cooled semen is NOT pre-warmed prior to insemination- the best incubator is the mare.

     c) Semen motility is evaluated with the ejaculate remaining in the sample bag after insemination,
     only a small amount is needed.

5.An APHA Collection/Insemination Certificate for Transported Semen will be sent with Equitainer.
This certificate needs to be received by the APHA office within 15 days from the date of
insemination. This form simply notifies APHA that mare was bred, not that she was confirmed
pregnant. Any subsequent breeding in the same season will require another certificate. A copy will
need to be sent to Stallion Owner.

6. Pregnancy checks

     a) 18 - 21 days : transrectal palpation or ultrasonography . DO NOT POSTPONE - if your
     mare is not pregnant we do not want to waste any time - mare will need to be checked for
     breeding soundness and rebred hopefully by her next heat (usually 28 days).

     b) later pregnancy check recommended at around 40 days.

7. Moo-Lah Ranch will send APHA Breeders Certificates to register foal when notified of mare's
delivery of live foal.

How to determine the best time to inseminate mare?

     -keep good records
     -mare has to be in heat
     -teasing
     -rectal palpation: vet checks uterus, cervix and Follicles
     -insemination has to occur close to ovulation ( less than 48 hours )
     -HCG ( Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin ) can be used to induce ovulation after insemination
     -may use Regumate for 10 - 14 days, followed by 10mg Lutalyse to bring a mare into heat