*We provide Multiple Embryo Programs. Please contact the Office for more information.
| | On-Site Embryo Donor* | Transported Embryos* |
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Embryo
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Recovered by LACER |
Owner’s veterinarian recovers embryo(s) from Donor Mare, ships to LACER |
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Recipient Mare
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Owned and Prepared by LACER |
LACER evaluates embryo, implant into Recipient Mare prepared and owned by LACER. |
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Donor Mare
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Stabled at LACER |
Stabled by Owner |
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LACER Services
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Palpation, ultrasound examination, artificial insemination (not
including stallion fees and semen transport fees), and embryo flushes,
evaluation, and embryo transfer. |
Recipient Mare preparation; embryo evaluation and transfer;
ultrasound pregnancy detection; maintenance and veterinary care of the
Recipient Mare through the first thirty (30) days of gestation. |
Equine embryo transfers provide new opportunities for horse owners
and mares. The procedure involves removing a very young (7-8 day) embryo
from a valuable donor mare and transferring it into the uterus of a
recipient mare to complete development. Although the foal is born and nursed by the recipient mare, it is the genetic offspring of the donor mare.
- Mares to continue performance careers,
- Outstanding mares to have more than one offspring per year,
- Obtain foals from problem and aged mares, and
- Immature two year olds to produce offspring.
- Production of foals from late foaling mares
Freezing of the embryo allows
- Time to select the perfect recipient mare
- Banking genetic information of the mare for future use
- Shipment of embryos worldwide
The Procedure Donor Mare
Initially, we treat the donor mare in a similar manner to any other
breeding mare. Her cycle is monitored by a rectal/ultrasound
examination and breeding is timed according to these findings. Seven or
eight days after ovulation is detected, we place a catheter into her
uterus and the embryo is removed by a flushing technique that utilizes a
special fluid. The microscopic embryo is then located in the flush
fluid and is prepared for transfer.
Recipient Mare
The recipient mare is the mare into which the embryo will be placed
for complete development, birth and nursing. The recipient mare, which
should be young and reproductively healthy, must ovulate in a 48 hr.
window following the donor mare. Should you own a suitable recipient
mare, her cycle can be medically manipulated to encourage her to ovulate
in this time frame. If your proposed recipient mare does not ovulate
in the appropriate window, a mare provided by LACER, will be available
as an alternative. If you do not own a suitable recipient mare, a LACER
mare can be your primary option. Once the pregnancy is established,
you will lease this mare for the duration of pregnancy through weaning
of the foal.
Success Rates
Collection rates of equine embryos vary greatly according to the
reproductive health of the donor mare. Young, healthy mares with no
history of reproductive problems typically provide embryo recovery rates
near 80%. Successful embryo recovery from older, sub-fertile mares
varies with the individual, but is near 30% as a group. Once the embryo is successfully recovered, transfer rates are
approximately 80% for high quality (grade I & II) embryos. A 10%
pregnancy loss during the first 50 days of pregnancy corresponds to the
average pregnancy loss due to naturally occurring maternal and/or fetal
problems.