roughly what percentage of your breeding business is shipping semen versus breeding mares brought to your facility?

• Josiane says that roughly 70% of Sunny Pines' business involves shipping semen, versus 30% being bred at their North Carolina facility.

• Natalie Martus says, "In 2005, we shipped semen to 42% of the mares we had contracts on.  The 2005 breeding season was our first year of being a full service reproductive facility encompassing  a resident stallion station.  I anticipate a tremendous increase in our on farm and shipped semen mare numbers for the 2006 breeding season."

what percentage of mares brought to you for breeding are managed there year round? 

• Josiane says about half of the mares brought to Sunny Pines to be bred remain there for year round management.

• "In 2005 we did not offer year round mare management simply because we didn't have the accommodations for those mares," Natalie explains.  "However, this year we are in the process of building turn out paddocks and larger acreage pastures to allow for mares that will be staying with us for an extended period of time.  In the past, we have recommended area facilities that specialize in year round mare care and that we have confidence in."

what is the average cost per year per mare for year round care?

• Sunny Pines offers a discount to mares staying year round.  Their normal board fee is $12 a day dry and $14 a day wet, but the year round rate is dropped to a flat $8 per day.  This amounts to about $240 per month, excluding farrier and vet charges.

• See Above

how often do you communicate with the owner of a mare or mare and foal in year round care?

• Josiane says in the case of a healthy mare in year round care whose pregnancy appears normal, she does not make routine contact with the owner until the mare gets close to foaling.  At foaling time, she notifies the owner of the new arrival and will send a photo.  At that point, she will also confirm plans for how and when to rebreed the mare.

• Natalie says, "I try to keep the mare owners informed regarding the status of their mares that are managed at our facility.  For mares that are foaling, I try to let the owner know on at least a weekly basis the status of their mare (i.e. we put a Foal Alert in your mare today, she is producing smoky grey milk, she is placid behind, we have moved her into our maternity ward and are expecting impending foaling at any time, etc.)  For mares that are being bred here I try to keep the mare owner in the loop of where their mare is in that mare's heat cycle (she is building a follicle, she is scheduled to be bred tomorrow, she has been bred, she has ovulated, we are awaiting an embryo flush/pregnancy check)."

who does the initial handling and training of the foal whose mother is kept year round? 

• The handling of the newborn foal is done patiently and softly at Sunny Pines.  Josiane feels it is very important that the foals' first lessons are handled correctly.  She and her staff believe in avoiding conflicts, especially at this early stage of life.  She says the foal will be introduced to the halter as early as 2 days old.  Then every time the mare is taken from her stall, the baby is led alongside her.  This not only teaches him to lead and to give to pressure within the comforting proximity of his mother, but is also safest for the foal.  Josiane says, "it can be very frustrating when you're trying to bring the mare into the breeding shed and her loose baby is running around outside saying HI to everyone!".  Not to mention, it is stressful for the mare and dangerous for the baby.

• Not applicable to Equine Sports reproduction at this time.

at what age is the foal shipped home or to a trainer?

• At Sunny Pines, a foal can stay as long as the owners chooses.  Foals there are usually weaned around 4 months of age.  If the foal remains at their facility, he may begin training as a 2 year old and can stay throughout his show career.  Or, upon weaning or at any point thereafter, the foal may be picked up or transported to a trainer of the owner's choice.

• Not applicable to Equine Sports reproduction at this time.

what is the average time frame from a mare's arrival to your facility to her departure safely in foal?

• Ideally, the mare will arrive about a week before she'll actually be ready to breed.  If things go normally, she'll be bred the week following her arrival.  After breeding, the first pregnancy check is done at 14 days.  If all seems well, Josiane recommends another ultrasound at day 25 to ensure a heartbeat.  If a solid heartbeat is detected, Josiane feels it is OK to let the mare go home at that point.  She recommends the owner do one more ultrasound at 45 to 60 days just to make sure the pregnancy is proceeding normally.  Overall, owners can figure an average of 5 weeks if all goes well.

• Natalie explains, "If the mare is in foal, we recommend the owner bring the mare to us at least two weeks prior to her expected foaling date.  If it is a maiden mare, some owners feel more comfortable bringing the mare a month or more prior to her actual due date.  And, for some mares that routinely foal early, we recommend to bring them two weeks prior to when the owner thinks they might foal.  Once a mare foals, they can be bred back on foal heat which is approximately seven days post-foaling.  We only recommend breeding on foal heat if the foaling went smoothly with no complications and the mare is being bred back to carry a foal.  We prefer to let the mare cycle through their foal heat and perform a uterine culture if that mare is slated to be an embryo donor.  So to answer the question, there are many variables going into the equation of the length of stay for a mare at our facility: Is the mare foaling out with us? Is she going to be bred back on foal heat? Is she an embryo donor? Will she carry the baby?  We will try to release the mares from our facility as soon as possible because we realize a mare is much more comfortable and less stressed in her usual environment as opposed to a breeding facility, and the less stressed the mare is, the greater our odds are of a successful pregnancy."

what are the pros and cons of shipping semen versus shipping the mare to a breeding facility?  which is most successful in your opinion?

• Josiane says, "I think that both shipping and on farm breeding can be very successful, but from past experience, I would have to say that on-farm breeding has a higher success rate in my book."  She says it is standard practice that on-farm mares are given priority for semen.  This being the case, if a stallion has a heavy demand, there are bound to be occasions when there is simply no semen to ship when an owner needs it.  The owner will have no choice but to wait until next cycle.  She notes how potentially expensive and frustrating this scenario can be.  She suggests considering a stallion's demand when making the decision to either ship the mare to be bred or ship the semen to the mare.

• Natalie's opinion is, "The benefit of shipping semen is that your mare can stay close to home or at home if you have a qualified veterinarian who can come to your stable.  There is less stress on the mare who can stay at home since she is in familiar surroundings and doesn't have to be hauled across the country to breed to the desired stallion.  However, the quality of the semen after shipping can be reduced somewhat.  Some stallions ship great and others have a very poor motility after 24 hours of cooling.  These are questions that should be discussed with the stallion station you are requesting semen from. Another consideration is that mares at the stallion location ("on farm mares") are given first priority over mares receiving semen via shipment.  So for example, if you are breeding to a stallion that stands to a full book of mares on any given day during the breeding season that stallion may already be committed to a full list of mares and semen may not be available for shipment.  So any time and money you had invested in that mare's particular cycle will be for naught.  Here again there are many factors to consider when deciding to have semen shipped to your mare: Does the stallion ship semen? (not all stallions will allow shipped semen contracts, all mares have to come to the location of that particular stallion);  If the stallion ships semen, what is the quality of that semen after shipment?  The mare owner needs to determine the cost of setting the mare up at home to breed versus the cost of bringing the mare to the stallion's location and is that cost worth risk of not always being able to get semen on a fully booked stallion?  Another factor to closely look at is the success rate of your local veterinarian using shipped semen to achieve a pregnancy.  Managing a mare for a shipped semen contract can be a tricky event because you need to time that mare's cycle with the shipment dates set forth by each stallion station.  Also, typically only one dose of semen is shipped per shipment and your shipment charges are in addition to the stud fee and chute fee.  So you can rack up several semen shipment charges if your mare doesn't cooperate with your veterinarian's plan."

what is the cost comparison of breeding expenses using shipped semen versus a mare brought to your facility (excluding the stud fee)?

• In the case of Sunny Pines, Josiane feels it is generally less expensive to bring the mare to the farm to be bred.  Collection and shipping fees vary greatly, but even with their flat rate collection fee of $150 per cycle, there are still shipping fees of $200/Fed Ex or $400/counter-to-counter.  In comparison, the only fees charged at the farm are the board and normal expenses of routine care, plus possibly the cost of hormone therapy or other medicines.   Josiane says that if a qualified local vet handles the breeding using shipped semen, owners face the cost of 4 to 8 farm calls, possibly more, plus the cost of ultrasounds, medicines, etc.  The only advantage she sees in keeping the mare at home, is in the case that the vet is able to pinpoint a mare's timing so precisely that farm visits and repeat breeding efforts are minimized.

• Natalie says, "In general, all stallion stations charge a chute fee regardless of whether the mare is bred on farm or via cooled shipped semen.  These charges are outlined in the stallion contract or in the breeding facility shipped semen agreement.  The chute fee is typically $600.00.  It is important for the mare owner to carefully read their stallion contract as it should outline what the chute fee price covers.  At our facility, the chute fee is $600.00 for mares receiving semen and that includes the first priority overnight shipment of semen.  At other facilities the chute fee does not include any shipments and they are done on a per service basis.  Each facility has their own chute fee structures and again, I would emphasize to read the contracts carefully and call the breeding facility with your specific questions.  The stallion station is there to do the mare owner a service, so don't hesitate to call with any and all questions."

do you have to use the stallion station where the stallion you are breeding to stands?  (or can you choose another facility to manage your mare's breeding?)

• Sunny Pines does not require using stallions at their facility to breed mares managed there.  They will breed a mare using shipped semen from the stallion of the owner's choice.  Josiane says, "Personally, I would much rather ship semen to a well organized breeding barn over a personal home or local vet.  Breeding farms are used to handling shipped semen and I feel the breeding has a much better chance of success - most times I only ship to big facilities a single time.  It all comes down to finding a great vet or staff to take care of your mare."

• Natalie explains, "It depends on whether the stallion you are breeding to ships semen or not. If the stallion ships semen, you can take your mare to any facility for management. However, if the stallion does not allow shipped semen then you must take your mare to that stallion's location.  This year, we have seen an increase in the number of mares we are managing that will be bred to outside stallions.  I think for each mare owner it is a question of comfort and trust in the facility you choose to manage your mare."

please list your basic fee schedule - per day wet, per day dry, foaling and foal care expenses, hoof care or other health expenses, etc?

• SUNNY PINES FARM:

• Wet mares:

  • Stall $14/day - Mare can be turned out daily with other mares or in a separate pasture

• Dry mare

  • Stall $12/day - Mare can be turned out daily with other mares or in a separate pasture

• Foaling fee

  • $300 + $50 Igg Test for the foal at 24 hours old

• Trim $25

• Worming (Ivermectin) $10

• EQUINE SPORTS REPRODUCTION:

• Chute Fee for Non-Embryo Donor Mares & Semen Shipment Contracts  $600.00

• Chute Fee for Embryo Donor Mares  $1200.00

• Our chute fees for on farm mares include all palpations, ultrasounds, mare management, insemination and record keeping.  For the embryo donor mares that chute fee also includes up to 3 embryo flushes per breeding cross.

  •             Dry Mare Care  $15.00/day

                Wet Mare Care  $17.00/day

                Foal Management Fee  $300.00

                Additional Semen Shipments sent via   

                Priority Overnight  $250.00

                Airline  $400.00

                Semen Picked up at ESR  $175.00

• Natalie says, "I would urge you to look at our Mare Management Contract and Semen Shipment Agreement for further details of our fees."

what about Embryo Transfers?  What does it cost? How does it work?  Who locates, keeps, and pays for the host mare?  What do you do when you're done with her?

• Josiane explains, "At Sunny Pines, we charge an embryo management fee of $300 per cycle.  The flush is $450 and the actual transfer to the recipient mare is $250.  The mare owner will have to also book a recipient mare from an embryo transfer facility.  I work with Peterson & Smith.  They charge a $600 booking fee and when the mare is 30 days in foal, there is a $2,600 annual lease fee for the recipient mare.  It is the lessee's responsibility to return the mare the following year."

• (SEE ABOVE)  Natalie says, "We are in a unique situation in regards to embryo transfer in that we do not have a recipient mare herd at our facility.  This year we are offering to do embryo flushes and transport that embryo to your desired receiving center.  The mare owner is responsible for fulfilling the contract needs of the receiving center in order to secure a recipient mare.  There are several exceptional embryo receiving centers in our area as well as across the country.  We provide the embryo flush service, will communicate closely with the embryo receiving center and will arrange the courier needs of the embryo to where ever the mare owner wishes.  For some larger ranches they would prefer to have their recipient mares closer to home so they don't have to come all the way to Texas to get their pregnant recipient mares.  This is especially a convenient arrangement if you are breeding your mare to a stallion that doesn't ship semen and your ranch is in Colorado, for example.  We can breed your mare on farm to that stallion, flush the embryo and ship the embryo to a receiving center closer to your home.  The specific contract arrangements for each receiving center vary greatly and again I would encourage each mare owner to carefully read the contract and ask any questions of the facility you are dealing with."

anything else people should know?

• Natalie emphasizes about ESR is, "I wish to point out that our facility is unique in that we have a comprehensive reproductive center as well as an outstanding full service clinic and hospital with 24 hour veterinary care available.  During foaling, if something goes wrong, time is of the essence and with our resident veterinarians attending each foaling, they can cater to the needs of that foal within minutes.  Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery is our parent company and offers a state-of-the-art surgical suite as well as an intensive care unit for crisis situations.  With the hospital and reproductive facility within yards of each other we can respond quickly to any needs of the mares and/or foals; That is a unique situation we offer in this area."

for more information, please contact Josiane at jogauths@hotmail.com or (252)205-9945

OR visit www.equinesportsmedicine.com or (817)594-9232
 

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• who should consider standing their horse at a stallion station?  are stallion stations only for famous horses?

  • Natalie says, "Stallion Stations are not just for famous stallions, but every stallion owner needs to be realistic regarding the number of mares their stallion will breed.  We offer a resident stallion program for those stallions that breed more than 20 mares in a breeding season.  Generally, the stallions we stand here breed from 80 to 100 mares each.  For stallions that may be new to outside mares we recommend our non-resident stallion program.  After the initial breeding soundness exam, there is no charge to the stallion owner to have their stallion collected at our facility.  In general, the charge for collecting a stud is passed on to the mare owner who requests the semen either in the form of a chute fee for the mare or in a semen shipment charge.  The non-resident stallion arrangement allows that stallion to stay at his home and be hauled to our facility on an as needed basis."

• what advantages are there to standing a stallion at a commercial breeding facility?

  • "The advantage to standing your stallion at a commercial breeding facility is exposure," Natalie explains.  "We get quite a few visitors through our facility, especially when there are large shows in Ft. Worth.  Sometimes a visitor will come to see a big name stud and see another stud and ask questions and may even request a breeding contract.  Also, most of the major breeding facilities have their own advertising budget and stallions that stand with that facility are generally included in any advertising they do."

• what is the cost of standing a stallion at your stallion station?  how is the fee determined?

  • "The cost for resident stallions to stand with us is minimal; $150.00/month during the breeding season and $300.00/month during the off-season.  These fees are low since our resident stallions bring us a minimum of 20 mares each that are paying a chute fee to us.  The non-resident stallions are charged a day board rate for any nights they need to spend with us in order to complete their semen collection needs."

• who pays to advertise the stallions at your facility?

  • "Any advertising we do pertaining to our facility is paid for by us," explains Natalie.  Stallions standing at their facility are included in most ad campaigns.

• does the stallion stay at the facility year round or just for breeding season?

  • Natalie says, "Some stallions stay with us for the entire year, others go home to frolic and play at home.  The stallions that stay with us year round continue their exercise program so as to stay in 'show shape' for visitors."

• what is the average stallion's life consist of on a daily basis? 

  • "In our case, the stallions are typically exercised in the morning followed by a thorough grooming," Natalie says.  "Each stud is handled individually, exercised in our sand round pen and then groomed or bathed as needed.  On our semen collection days (M, W, F & Sat) they are collected.  We generally collect all our stallions on those collection days so as to keep the stallions up to their daily sperm output."

• how often do you communicate with the stallion owner?

  • Natalie says she is in constant communication with the stallion owners during the breeding season.  "I have to check with each stallion owner to be sure all mare contract information is up-to-date and that stud fees are paid prior to the departure of the mare.  I also try to send out weekly e-mails to give updates regarding mares we are breeding on and semen that has shipped out.  I pretty much have the office of each stallion on speed dial!!  An open line of communication is a necessary step toward a successful breeding season."

for more information, please visit www.equinesportsmedicine.com