FAO Maggie.

[bellajack]

Hello Maggie. I wondered if you would be very kind and give me some info about artificial insemination with regards to a Dales mare.

Waterside Grace is at livery with us and her owner is seriously considering putting her in foal (this year so we are leaving it plenty late enough to start).

We have only once had a mare AI'd here (plenty of cows though), and that was 20 years ago, when AI in horses was in it's infancy, so I'm sure that things must have moved on a lot - although it was successful, and the mare was a 15yo maiden.

In those days it was fresh semen only, and timing and couriers were everything, so Regumate was the norm to regulate the timing.

Could you please tell me what the normal procedure is these days?

Are chilled and/or frozen semen available for Dales?

Which Dales stallions is semen available from?

I would be eternally grateful for any info as we the last foal to be born here is now 18, and I am very excited at the thought of another, especially a Dales!!!

[greydales]

I'd be interested in this too, Maggie.

Bellajack I think at present Peter Boy is the only Dales stallion to do AI, not sure if any others are in the pipeline.

[maggie]

Interesting questions, hope I can answer them properly. First of all stallions available by AI. Jo Ashby would be only person to know all the stallions approved by DPS Council for breeding by AI. Peter Boy is certainly and so are both my stallions, Raygill William and Colliery Bill II. I know that frozen semen is held for Peter Boy and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust hold straws for Kebroyd Tobago and some may be available either through the owner or the DPS - again, Jo will know. The handling of frozen semen is different from fresh/chilled and I'm not sure of the thawing process, but the insemination will be done in exactly the same way. Bill and Tommy (Raygill William) are both approved, but I would doubt that, given his age, Tommy's semen would be robust enough for anything other than fresh (ie the mad dash!), Bill is fresh and chilled (so fine for at least 24 hours and has survived for 72) and I am hoping to make collections for frozen straws over the summer.

The technology of AI has come a long way in recent years and there are a number of different 'extenders' available now to protect the semen while in transit, so conception rates are much better than previously. Some AI Centres are achieving 90% rates, pretty impressive when you consider that traditional covering methods achieve only 40-50%.

The best place for semen is still inside the mare, so the quicker it gets there the better. It is normal now for something like the following to be the timetable:
1. mare comes into season (or vet booked from date of last season)
2. vet scans mare and predicts date of ovulation
3. owner books the insemination, either vet or DEFRA recognised technician
4. owner lets stallion owner know and orders semen
5. semen collected from stallion the day before it is required
6. semen is prepared for transit, chilled, packed and sent by mail for next day delivery
7. delivery safely received ;D and mare inseminated
8. mare scanned within 42 days of insemination (my vet scans at 21 days, then you don't miss a season if not in foal)
9. if in foal, all paperwork completed for return to DPS,
10.otherwise start again at 2/3!

Does this make any sense? Please ask if unclear, or if you have any further questions

hope this helps.

[Deleted]

I think it is fantastic that there are breeders out there looking at this option. It will help to diversify bloodlines and will also help mare owners that do not like to transport their mares to put them in foal to stallions better chosen than just by distance.

Here in the US, it has been a very common practice for over 10 years for fresh cooled and frozen for the same amount of time, but more perfected these days. The conception rates are good if the semen is of good quality, and the receiving attending mare veterinarian is good with timing. Fresh cooled is not as "precise a matter, but as stated before, frozen has come a long way. The best thing is to ask about semen motility and conception rates before you enter into a contract. A good stallion owner can tell you these things.

[harveydales]

Thanks for this Maggie, interesting reading.

[bellajack]

Thank you very much Maggie - just what I wanted to know.

Could I ask a couple more question please?

How reliable is the availability of chilled semen at the required time? Presumably most studs would not have an in-season mare constantly available, partic. later in the season, so how are semen collections done at the right time? Do these stallions reliably jump a dummy? (Surely not electro-ejaculation, as in rams!!!!!!) How does this part of the process work?

Thank you so much for all this.

[maggie]

electro-ejaculation

Sorry, just had mind pictures.....................

The big studs (not Dales at this stage LOL, but the place I'm hoping to get Bill to in the summer) have vasectomised mares that appear always in season. (Got to say that these girls seem to have a lovely life and all have been rescued from slaughter). These are used to train the 'new boys' onto a dummy. Once trained, many stallions will just 'perform' with the dummy, so in-season mare not required. I should have all this in place for later this season or next season for certain - my dummy is in the process of fabrication right now, and I'm hoping that, as he's so tractable, I'll be able to train Bill myself, otherwise it will be part of his summer hols.

Anyway, trained stallions mean that semen can be collected at any time, so 'on demand' is possible. I've even seen one that is collected from on the ground, just the sight of his owner coming into the field with the AV (artificial vagina) is enough!

[Deleted]

It is easy to train the younger stallions to be ground collected. My old stallion learned it in a season, then we never needed the mare again. Much safer way of going, but not the most fun for either party I am afraid.

Wish there were more Dales stallions doing this. We need it here in the US>

[bellajack]

Thank you again Maggie. You have been a huge help, and good luck with Bill's training. He sounds lovely and if I can ever talk myself into taking the risk of putting Bella in foal, I will be knocking on your door to meet him!

I am now seeing pictures of an owner collecting semen from a stallion in a field. Hope it isn't near a road, goodness knows what passers by would make of it!!!!!

Electro- ejaculation is barbaric and horrible and I think it should be banned so I am very glad it isn't used with stallions (no comments about it being suitable for certain men, please!!!).

I would be very keen on Grace's owner using Raygill William as he features on both sides of Bella and Jack's pedigrees, and so must have had a big part to play in what lovely, easy ponies they are. However I know that she would like to try for a grey, so Peterboy would be ideal. Does anyone know if he is available for chilled semen this year, as presumably he is still on holiday in Wales?

[maggie]

I'm afraid I shouldn't have laughed, electro ejaculation is barbaric and horrible, the phrase just put some pictures in my head that were nothing to do with the real thing and made me laugh out loud - too many years dealing with bulls, tups, stallions etc induces an inappropriate sense of humour I'm afraid!

Vanda (Taffydales) is going to use Peter this season and I think she said he was still only available frozen.

[bellajack]

Thank you yet again Maggie - you have been brilliant!