Reproduction:

+ Breeding Soundness Exams

We offer comprehensive evaluations to determine if your mare or stallion would be a good candidate for breeding. Mare breeding soundness examinations can include any or all of the following, depending on what your mare needs: physical examination, palpation and ultrasound examinations of the uterus and ovaries, vaginal speculum exams, uterine culture and cytology, uterine biopsy, and bloodwork as needed. A stallion breeding soundness exam may include physical examination, semen collection, and evaluation of semen motility, morphology, and concentration.

+ Breeding: Fresh and Cooled Semen

We pride ourselves on treating each mare as an individual and tailoring our breeding program to her needs. Fresh and cooled semen breeding can be performed on the farm or at our clinic. At the clinic, we offer a cooled semen breeding package that includes all palpations and ultrasounds (including overnights, weekends, and holidays), artificial insemination, board including feed and hay, and if needed a post-breeding uterine lavage and antibiotics both systemic or intrauterine. Also included are any cycle-manipulating drugs such as ovulatory agents, return of shipped semen container, and evaluation of semen quality and motility. This package also includes a 14 day pregnancy check at the clinic. We coordinate yearly with many stallion stations all over the United States to ship us cooled semen for our patients, as well as collecting local stallions to breed our mares.

+ Breeding: Frozen Semen

Frozen semen breeding is significantly more complex than fresh and cooled semen breeding as it requires special storage in liquid nitrogen tanks, specialized equipment, and a high level of expertise for your mare. Frozen semen breeding allows us to use cryopreserved semen from stallions who are dead, gelded, out of the state, or out of the country. Once your mare is ready to be bred she will come to the clinic and start ovulation checks (usually every 6 hours). The price includes all ultrasounds—it is important to note that for frozen semen breeding your mare’s cycle is tracked incredibly closely to time the insemination exactly with her ovulation. Also included is deep horn insemination (a special technique used for frozen semen), board including feed and hay, and if needed a post-breeding uterine lavage and antibiotics both systemic or intrauterine. Additionally included within the package are cycle-manipulating drugs such as ovulatory agents, short term storage of frozen semen in our liquid nitrogen tanks, evaluation of semen quality and motility, and completion of all frozen semen records required by the shipping stallion or stallion station. This package also includes a 14 day pregnancy check at the clinic.

+ Stallion Collection

Our reproductive veterinarians collect semen from both seasoned and inexperienced stallions using our phantom and our own tease mare here at the clinic. We can train your young stallion to mount the phantom properly and collect, as well as perform routine collections on your experienced stallion. After semen collection, we perform all semen processing in-house which includes evaluating semen motility, morphology, and concentration.

+ Semen Shipping and Freezing

After semen collection and processing from your stallion, we have the ability to ship cooled semen anywhere within the United States via ground shipment or counter-to-counter (on an airplane). We offer courier services to the Augusta or Columbia airports to facilitate transport of your semen as quickly as possible. We also offer semen cryopreservation (freezing). This involves a complex process that can preserve freshly collected semen from your stallion for years in small doses in our frozen semen tanks. The frozen semen can be used at a later date or shipped out to breed your clients’ mares.

+ Embryo Transfer

Southern Equine is now excited to offer embryo transfer as a service for our clients. This involves synchronizing your mare’s cycle with a recipient mare, inseminating your mare, flushing an embryo out of the mare at day 6-7, and implanting the embryo into a recipient mare. We have a limited supply of our own embryo transfer mares, and also can use client mares as well as work with reproductive centers such as Peterson and Smith in Ocala, FL, and Equine Medical Services in Columbia, MO, to provide embryo recipients.

+ Subfertile Mares

Sometimes a mare has trouble cycling normally, conceiving a foal, or maintaining a pregnancy. There are a host of possible problems in the mare’s ovaries, uterus, cervix, or systemic health that can preclude her from carrying a foal to term. We come alongside you to aid in diagnosis and treatment of these problems. Possible diagnostic tools may include uterine cultures, cytologies, hormone panels, bloodwork, uterine biopsies, or hysteroscopy where we actually place our small camera mounted on a scope directly into the mare’s uterus to evaluate her for reproductive issues. Treatments are then tailored for the mare’s particular problem and may include uterine lavages, antibiotic or antifungal infusions, ecbolic treatments to aid in fluid clearance, hormonal treatments, or a Caslick’s procedure where we sew the mare’s vulva partially closed to prevent contamination.

+ Foaling Services

We are pleased to offer full foaling services for mares that have had trouble foaling in the past such as hemorrhage (bleeding) around the time of birth or dystocia (difficult births), mares who are high-risk due to a condition developed during pregnancy such as placentitis, or mares that may require additional help for a variety of systemic health reasons. Your mare would arrive to the clinic usually at least 2 weeks prior to foaling and will reside in one of our spacious mare and foal stalls (turnout is also available). She is monitored daily for signs of impending birth, milk production, and overall wellness. As the mare gets close to birth, a Foal Alert system is sewed into her vulva which alerts everyone when the mare begins to foal. The birth of the foal will in all cases be attended by a licensed, accredited veterinarian who will be able to provide assistance immediately should the mare or foal need it. At the appropriate times after birth, we perform a post-partum mare exam, new foal exam, and placental exam. We also run an IgG on the new foal to ensure it has received all of the colostrum it needs from its dam, and any other bloodwork that may be warranted. When everyone is safe and healthy, your new mare and foal return home to your care.

Post-partum exams, new foal exams including IgG tests, and post-partum mare care can also be initiated on the farm.

+ Pregnancy Maintenance

At the conclusion of breeding, each mare will be provided with a customized report including important dates such as her breeding dates, predicted foaling date, pregnancy checks, and a schedule of her required vaccinations and treatments during pregnancy. These will consist of Pneumabort K vaccinations to prevent abortion during pregnancy, her pre-foaling vaccinations so that she can provide protective immunity to her foal through her colostrum, and any other treatments specific to your mare. Our pregnant mare care also encompasses diagnostics and treatments for any abnormality that may occur during your mare’s pregnancy including problems such as vaginal bleeding, discharge, placentitis, or any other medical conditions your mare may face. Our reproductive services do not conclude once your mare is confirmed to be in foal—we are here throughout your mare’s entire gestation with the goal of producing a successful outcome of a healthy mare and foal.