Embryo Transfer at Hambleton Equine
Embryo Transfer (ET) us an increasingly popular breeding method for mares that allows them to breed without it affecting their competitive careers
What are the benefits?
- ET has the potential to allow a mare to breed more than one foal each season – maximising their breeding line and without affecting their careers.
- It’s also a fantastic way to produce healthy foals from mares that are unable to maintain a pregnancy themselves.
How embryo transfer works
- Pre-breeding screening: The donor mare is scanned to check her ovaries and reproductive tract and is screened for any contagious diseases that could affect fertility.
- Synchronisation: The donor and recipient mares are scanned to check their cycles are synchronised and to confirm the recipient’s reproductive tract is ready to receive an embryo. We can manipulate the cycles as needed.
- Insemination: The donor mare is inseminated with fresh, chilled or frozen semen.
- Flushing: 6-8 days after ovulation, we gently flush the donor mare’s uterus with sterile solution to recover the embryo. (success rate: up to 70%, depending on the mare and stallion’s fertility).
- Transfer: The embryo is then carefully transferred into the recipient mare. (success rate: 50-70%).
- Ultrasound scans: The recipient mare is scanned 7 days later to confirm transfer success – then as necessary to monitor the progression of the pregnancy.
How we maximise the success rate
At Hambleton Equine Clinic, we do everything we can to ensure your mare has a successful embryo flush and transfer:
- Our experienced reproduction team works alongside you throughout the whole process, giving you the best opportunity of a successful ET.
- We have our own herd of carefully selected recipient mares and you have the option of hiring one to carry your foal if you don’t have your own mares to use.
Our leaflet about this service can be found here : EMBRYO LEAFLET