The AI Procedure
- Your mare is brought to our Reproduction Centre on her first day in season or, if this cannot be determined, at any stage of her cycle.
- A thorough breeding soundness assessment is conducted to exam the ovaries, uterus, cervix and vulva. This is important to detect any potential breeding problems and is performed at the first scan.
- The mare will be regularly scanned to determine the size of the follicles on her ovaries, which is necessary to establish optimal time for breeding.
- We will liaise with the stallion owner and order the semen when it is determined to be needed. For chilled semen, we aim to inseminate the mare 12-24 hours prior to ovulation. Frozen semen does not survive as long as chilled semen following insemination, therefore frequent scanning is required to ensure insemination occurs at the time of ovulation.
- Following breeding, the mare is usually given drugs and treatments to maximise her chance of conceiving. Post-breeding scans are also performed to ensure ovulation has occurred and to monitor for abnormal fluid accumulations in the uterus. Most mares return home within one to two days after breeding.
- A pregnancy scan is performed 14 days after ovulation has occurred.
