A.I ???

[lancslass]

im sure maggie will be able to give you full info on the AI evie, but one thing i disagree with is the fact that a stallion has not been approved on those grounds.
if a mare owner chooses to use a certain stallion because they actually like what they see infront of them and think he will compliment their mare...aswell as having the bloodline they are looking for......BUT, the mare owner has maybe a problem getting her mare infoal via natural covering, which can happen for various reasons.....then AI is a good option for that mare owner.
i don't see why that mare owner cannot use the stallion of his/her choice?
AI is not just about having the advantage of being able to send frozen semen abroad. as maggie will explain, a stallion can be collected off and the mare present at the same yard and be AI'd there and then with fresh semen.

im just adding, that my thoughts above are on AI in general....not about freezing and storeing semen for future use.

[cadeby]

Sorry, no idea how the system works but I'd be curious to know how many people, and who, make the decision as to which stallions are acceptable?

In a simplified world, surely the more stallions available, the merrier? Does it come down to cost issues?

[greydales]

So does that mean then, any person who wanted their stallion available for AI, would not be able to do so if that stallion's sire was already used??

[lancslass]

i want to be able to use dave via AI if i can gill, aswell as natural coverings. i will get intouch with jo next week and find out the facts.

[tinkerdorisalison]

"I heard that one stallion wasn't approved because his sire was already available for A.I ...which I fully understand but his dam's bloodline is very uncommon and he was the major line in which it's continued... "

Not sure about that but I do know that not all stallions semen is suitable for freezing. We started looking into it for Jack but never got any further yet..

[lancslass]

yes, i believe thats true alison.
my vet will be handling all that side of things for us.

[maggie]

Very straightforward, if you want your stallion to be available by AI, just send a simple letter to the Council stating that.

Jo then gave let me know that the boys had been given the ok at the next meeting. I've never heard of a stallion being refused and Council don't make any distinction between fresh, chilled or frozen semen.

Karen's right, sometimes AI is the right choice even if the mare's on the same yard. That's the only way we got Leia in foal. She's such a flirt, loved all the smooching and foreplay, but that was as far as it went! She would not stand at all. She was very happy to stand in the stocks and have a snack and a fuss while I was at the business end though. As a result, we have a very beautiful filly and another babe on the way.

When looking at freezing semen, tests are done both to determine the number of progressively motile sperm and to determine how robust they are. Horses are very fragile compared to cattle, so the rate of good sperm after freezing and thawing is always less than when fresh. I think that to make the process worth while, there needs to be not less than 35% of the thawed sperm progressively motile (ie alive, kicking and swimming in the right direction!)

[lancslass]

thanks so much for the explanation maggie, really appreciate your input