Our AI and breeding services include:
We have a depth of experience and interest in this area within the practice. Alastair Nelson gained a post graduate qualification in Equine Stud Medicine in 1994.
We deal both with natural cover and artificial insemination and are fully equipped to carry out reproductive ultrasonography and insemination as well as semen collection and preparation. We are on the BEVA list of approved veterinary centres for chilled and frozen insemination.
Most mares (and their foals) will be resident at Rainbow Equine Clinic during the oestrus cycle around the time of insemination. We have several post and rail fenced paddocks for turn out and plenty of large boxes suitable for mares and foals.
Chilled semen will normally be ordered 36-48 hours prior to the anticipated time of ovulation.
We have frozen semen storage facilities at Rainbow Equine Clinic so the semen from the stallion of you choice can be stored here prior to insemination. Due to the reduced fertility of frozen semen it is necessary to inseminate within 6 hours of ovulation. This means we need to perform multiple examinations at all times of the day and night. We have found it makes more sense for both the practice and client to charge a fixed fee for frozen semen insemination. Please contact us for more details.
We carry out pregnancy examinations using ultrasonography from 15 days post ovulation. This allows us to carry out twin reduction if required as the twins will still be mobile within the uterus at this stage. We normally will rescan all mares at around 28 days to check for an embryo and heart beat.
If your mare is having problems conceiving we will be able to help by monitoring the mare around the time of ovulation and assessing if the mare has any problems with uterine infections or accummulation of fluid post covering. These can often be corrected by appropriate treatment such as flushing the uterus post covering.
Once your foal is born we are on hand to check all is in order and to advise regarding any limb abnormalities. We can perform routine blood testing in our in-house lab.For further details about our facilities and services please contact us.