1.     Equine pregnancy via shipped semen requires intensive mare management. Consistent teasing and ultra sounding of mares is necessary to accurately predict time of ovulation which dictates time of shipped semen request. Your veterinarian should be familiar with the many aspects of equine reproduction including ultrasound of mare and motility evaluation of semen.

2.     Return a signed contract to JG Appaloosa Sport Horses. Include the $250 booking fee. This reserves a shipped semen breeding to the stallion.

3.     Prior to shipment the mare owner must pay the booking fee and balance of the stud fee. These fees may be paid by check or wire transfer.

4.     Once your veterinarian detects your mares first day of heat contact JG Appaloosa Sport Horses for a tentative shipment date. Stallions are collected Monday through Friday.

5.     While in estrus the mare should be examined daily by ultrasound or palpation to follow follicular development. HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is extremely useful in a shipped semen program. When the mare has a dominant follicle (35 mm or larger), estrus folds (as determined by ultrasound), and is in at least her third day of behavioral heat HCG (3300 IU given IV) can be administered and will predictably induce ovulation in approximately 36 hours (14_43 hour range). Ideally, HCG should be given after the veterinarian has ordered semen and prior to expected time of mare insemination. Some veterinarians may prefer to administer HCG at time of insemination. HCG should not be utilized more than two or three times per season as mares become less responsive and there is an increased risk for allergic reaction.

6.     When the mare is ready for the semen shipment contact JG Appaloosa Sport Horses before 5:00 pm. of the day prior to the day of collection/shipment to make an order. Orders may be canceled by 9:00 am. collection day with no penalties. For example, if your mare is to be bred on a Wednesday you must order semen prior to 5:00 pm. Monday. We will collect and ship on Tuesday for Wednesday delivery.

7.     We ship semen via Federal Express Priority Overnight under most conditions. Some areas of the country do not have Priority Overnight service, Therefore, the shipment will be standard overnight. Priority arrives by next day 10:00 am. and Standard arrives by next day 3:00 p.m. Most areas have Saturday delivery. However, some areas do not. Before requesting a Saturday shipment make sure Saturday delivery is an option for your area. Federal Express is not open on Sundays or holidays.

8.     When you receive the semen shipment, DO NOT OPEN THE container UNTIL THE VETERINARIAN IS PRESENT AND READY TO INSEMINATE. Use one entire breeding dose when first received. The dose should be directly inseminated (cold) into the mare. A 1_2 ml sample should be warmed to 37 degrees C for 1_3 minutes and evaluated for motility. Generally two breeding doses of semen, each containing 1 billion motile sperm will be sent per shipment. A second dose is shipped to allow for a second insemination or to provide backup. If a second dose is necessary, use it within 48 hours of collection. Time of collection is noted on the insemination certificate. Discard all unused semen.

9.     The mare should be checked for ovulation 24 - 36 hours after insemination by ultrasound or palpation. If the mare did not ovulate as expected, follicular development has stalled; a second shipment can be ordered following the time guidelines in #6.

10.     Return the shipping container within 48 hours of last insemination.

11.     It is strongly recommended that mares be checked for pregnancy at 16 - 18 days post ovulation by ultrasound. This will greatly reduce pregnancy losses from twins. We also encourage the mare be ultra sounded again at 30 days for a heart beat and to insure development is progressing normally. When the mare has been checked in foal, please notify us that your mare is indeed in foal.

12.     Please call with questions and/or discussion. With good communication and an effort to work together we hope to get all your mares in foal. Our phone number is(717) 677-4252.