EQUINE EMBRYO TRANSFER SERVICES - EQUIVET AUSTRALIA

The following information is compiled by Equine Veterinarian Robyn Woodward. All information regarding the fees deposits and booking your mare in to the Equine Breeding Centre should be directed to the office staff on 07 4691 0322. For updated information regarding costs and developments please contact the office staff.

Embryo transfer is becoming increasingly popular as a tool in equine reproduction The technique is now an established service offered at our Equine Breeding Centre at Southbrook.

ADVANTAGES OF EMBRYO TRANSFER ARE:

1. Embryo Transfer allows young performance mares to produce foals from as young as two (2) years of age while continuing to perform.
2. Embryo Transfer allows production of foals from older sub-fertile or unsound mares or mares with a history of pregnancy loss (resorption or abortion). In reality these mares are not ideal donors, as embryo recovery can be as low as 20% per cycle.
3. Embryo Transfer allows production of more than one foal per mare per year. It is feasible for mares to produce up to six (6) foals in a season although most breed societies have restricted registered off spring to one per mare per season.

THE EMBRYO TRANSFER PROCEDURE

The donor mare must be synchronised with a suitable recipient mare. The recipient should be a maiden or a highly fertile proven foal producer of less than ten (10) years of age. The recipient must be synchronised to almost ovulate at the same time as the donor. In practice, we follow three (3) potential recipients that are in oestrus at the same time as the donor. The Breeding Centre keeps a group of recipient mares (normally standardbreds) for this purpose.

The donor mare is palpated to determine the optimum time of service and can be served naturally or inseminated with chilled or frozen semen. If fertilization occurs, fertilized ovum will remain in the oviduct for six (6) days before descending into the uterus. It will then be flushed from the uterus (usually around day seven) and either be transferred immediately into the recipient non-surgically (similar to A.I.) or frozen and stored for future transfer

Schematic diagram of ET procedure

Filtering the Embryo

Searching for the embryo

The Embryo

Preparing to Transfer

Unfortunately, at the time of printing, it is still impractical to superovulate mares because the U.S. produced product, an equine pituitary extract, is not permitted in Australia because of quarantine rules. In any case its use is limited to particular donors & it is not always successful.

The embryo transfer recipient mare can be examined by ultrasound for pregnancy on day fourteen (six days after transfer).

Please note:
A separate fee schedule will be required detailing artificial insemination charges for chilled and frozen semen. Bookings must be made early for each season. A substantial deposit is required on arrival.

Agistment charges must also be paid on the recipient mare/s (Yours or the Equine Breeding Centres')

Medical preparations and treatments may be required for both Donor and Recipient.

For example: Prostaglandins CIDR's Ovuplant Antibiotic Infusions Oxytocin injections.

EMBRYO TRANSFER SUCCESS DEPENDS ON:

• Quality of the reproductive tract of the donor .
• The donor and recipient are easily and quickly synchronized with minimal use of hormones.
• Quality of the semen.
• For practical reasons, embryo transfers are only done at the Equine Breeding Center. The recipient should remain at the center until at least twenty eight (28) days in foal. ( Preferably forty five (45) days).

If the donor mare is reasonably fertile; the semen from the stallion is strong; the donor and recipient are synchronised correctly and management is good you can expect a success rate of: -

75% of donor mares with normal reproductive tracts should conceive. Assuming conception occurs, you can expect embryo recovery to be successful in approximately 75% of cases. Assuming an embryo is recovered, transfer to the recipient should be successful in approximately 80% of cases. You should budget on an approximate success rate of 60% per cycle (80% of 75%) if everything goes to plan.

EMBRYO TRANSFER RECIPIENTS

The Equine Breeding Centre does have recipients available for your use or you can use your own recipients if they are suitable. If you choose our recipients, you will be charged agistment on that recipient from the time the donor mare arrives at the centre. Should a transfer be successful into one of our recipients, you will be charged a "usage fee" for the recipient. This entitles you to take her home and keep her until the foal is weaned. You are expected to return the mare once the foal is weaned in the same condition that she left the EBC. Alternatively you may choose to purchase the recipient for a fee to be determined at the time.

Columbia:
The Warm blood show jumper purchased for $ 3.2 million (AUD)
from whom Robyn transferred 2 embryos in the UK in 2006.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Quotes are subject to change at any time and are purely estimations of expected cost. Account payments must be made in full, upon collection of your mare/s from the Equine Breeding Centre. Your bill will be finalised and ready for collection when you collect your mare/s.

For more information on our fees please contact our office.

Payment by Visa, MasterCard and Bankcard is also available over the telephone and in the office for your convenience. Personal cheques will only be accepted after prior arrangement with office staff. All owners are required to complete an admission form for each patient and sign a Veterinary Authorisation Clause before treatment will commence.

Bookings For Embryo Transfer will only be accepted between September and March of each year. No new breeding patients will be admitted to the Equine Breeding Centre after March of each year.