A. I. [Artificial Insemination] with Frozen Semen

Breeding horses has traditionally consisted of owning a stallion to breed your mares. It was traditionally done with live cover on the farm. Technology progressed to allow collection on the farm and to do AI on site or ship cooled semen. The semen, properly collected and prepared, can be shipped to any destination within 24 hours. Used on a properly cycling mare, you can expect excellent conception. This semen, when properly used, would have an approximately 36 to 48 hour effective life when placed in the mare.

The newest technology in breeding mares is frozen semen. When properly collected and stored, it has an indefinite life expectancy. The major difference is that the window of effective conception is approximately 6 to 12 hours. This narrow window forces exceptional knowledge and skill in reproduction to provide successful results. Developing the skills and following good sanitation will allow for excellent success and, at the same time, safeguard the stallion from getting injured by the mare.

Frozen semen technology is still young compared with cool shipped semen. There is a great demand on the collector of the stallion to do it correctly. There is an even greater demand on the mare owner to have a highly skilled reproduction veterinarian or technician to monitor the mare closely prior to and during ovulation. This is a precise operation that does not tolerate error.

In 1996 the first frozen Shire semen was shipped from Cornwall, England, to the USA. The first Shire to be collected and frozen in quantity for export to the United States to be used in a Shire improvement breeding program was from Trelow Father Abraham. Terry and Vicky Sandling, owners of Abraham, recognized the potential that this stallion had, and wanted to share him with breeders abroad.

The negotiations for collecting, quarantining, testing, and obtaining import and export permits were started in 1996. Abraham’s first foal from this was born in the spring of 1998. His name is Jenson Abraham Excaliber. This stallion is presently co-owned with Des Surles of Stillwater, Minnesota.

For More Information Contact:

Jenson American Shires
9110 P-35, Blair, NE 68008
Tel: (402) 426-3198
FAX:
Internet: ClarkJenson@huntel.net

Copyright © 2007 Jenson American Shires
Last modified: 12/01/07