Embryonix - Leading the Way with Equine Breeding Technology

The first frozen embryo foal as a new born (Hydrive Cat x Lady Sings the Blues - a cutting bred Quarter Horse owned by Vince Bonnello)

The gorgeous Hydrive Cat foal at one month of age.

A beautiful embryo transfer foal (Furst Love x Neversfelde Kudu - a dressage bred Warmblood owned by Gill Rickard)

Breeding season is upon us and gorgeous foals will soon be gracing paddocks across the country, however, producing these adorable little bundles of joy can be a lot of hard work!  Each foal is the result of 11 long months of pregnancy and prior to that, often many months dedicated to ensuring the mare actually falls pregnant. 

Of course, once a foal is safely delivered, the next task facing breeders is successfully getting the mare back in foal and starting the cycle over again.

Many mares go in foal easily and have no problem carrying their foals to full term, however, there are also numerous well bred mares, with impressive performance records - perfect examples of mares whose genes should be carried on - who have problems going in foal or may go in foal, but then have trouble carrying the foal to full term.

There are also those wonderful performance mares who are still competing and have no time in their schedule for time off to carry a foal and raise it to weaning age.  In some instances top mares could still be out there winning, but are getting on in age and you simply don't want to risk them to the possible trauma involved with breeding.

The most perfect situation for a successful mating and resulting healthy foal is a young mare being naturally bred by a young stallion, however, this is often not possible so other options need to be explored for other mares, with highly desirable genes, who may be reproductively challenged.

Luckily, there are now more options open to sport, show, western or stock horse breeders when it comes to successfully producing a healthy live foal.

If you're in possession of a mare that you would dearly love to breed from, however, due to any of the reasons above it's looking doubtful that she will ever produce a foal, the dedicated team at Illawarra Equine Centre are the people you need to see!

We live in competitive times - particularly for horse breeders and change has come to equine reproduction.  The Illawarra Equine Centre believes the future of equine breeding lies with Embryonix - a revolutionary embryo freezing, transfer and storage service.

For more than 20 years veterinarians have been able to inseminate mares, flush their embryos, and transfer them immediately into a recipient mare. However, embryo transfer suffers from several setbacks. The birthday for horses has been artificially set for 1 August, however many mares in Australia do not start to ovulate regularly until October, which means foals are being born later each year - not good if you are aiming for weanling or yearling halter classes and/or two year old futurities.

Now, using state of the art, human cryogenic equipment Embryonix are able to flush and then carefully freeze an equine embryo. It is then preserved in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees celsius where it can be kept indefinitely or until the owner chooses to have it implanted.

Another advantage of frozen embryos is that performance mares that are in work can be flushed at a time that is suitable to their training and competition schedule, not based around the breeding season.

Embryo freezing lets you take advantage of your mares’ most fertile periods from October through to May. This allows Embryonix to breed and freeze multiple embryos which can be implanted the following season in September thus having August born foals. Embryonix’s surrogate mares are rugged and placed under lights in July to ensure they will be ready to be implanted in September.  Embryonix uses mainly Standardbred mares under the age of ten - they are found to be ideal surrogates as they are generally quiet and great mothers.  They are also happy if clients supply their own surrogates.

Another new service that Embryonix is experimenting with is the collection of eggs from mares.  The egg can then be placed into the surrogate mare and inseminated (like a natural pregnancy) or the egg can be injected with the sperm outside the body so the embryo is literally grown in a dish and then implanted into the surrogate mare when it is mature enough.

So with these options available, what method will best suit different situations?

Embryo Transfer:

This is especially suitable for mares who can fall pregnant, however, then have trouble carrying the foal to full term or older mares who you do not want to put through the trauma of carrying and giving birth to a foal.  It is also useful for performance mares who cannot interrupt their competition schedule to carry and raise a foal.

Embryo Freezing:

Embryo freezing would be suitable for all mares, as mentioned above and has the added benefit of enabling you to choose when the embryo will be placed in the recipient mare - especially beneficial if you have mares that do not cycle early and are keen for an August foal.

Previously it was only stallions’ genetic material that could be easily stored indefinitely but now Embryonix’s commercialisation of embryo freezing opens up the option of being able to store the mare’s genetic material. There are numerous advantages such as being able to sell an embryo from elite mares without having to place it into a recipient mare.

It also allows you to retain a mare’s genetics prior to her sale. Storing her genetics as an insurance policy as the mare ages or freezing a second embryo when multiples are obtained during a single flush. Embryo freezing also protects your mare’s genetics in case she becomes infertile or dies. No amount of insurance can replace the loss of your mare but embryo freezing and storage means you will be able to preserve your female’s genetics indefinitely.

Oocyte Transfer and ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection):

This new and exciting technology - virtually IVF for horses - is perfect for mares who have trouble falling pregnant.  Often with older mares they may have trouble going in foal, however, many mares still produce eggs up to 24 years of age, so with this method you may still be able to get a foal from valued older mares.

As the process involves literally injecting one sperm into the one egg, it is also excellent for stallions with bad semen - where in a natural breeding the sperm may have trouble getting into the egg.  It is also a fantastic option in a case where there is limited semen (eg: frozen semen from a greatly in demand deceased stallion or semen from an old stallion) as only a very small amount is required to extract the one sperm to fertilise the egg.  

So you've decided to go ahead with one of the methods above to produce a foal - basically, what is the process?

1. Talk to to Embryonix first to discuss the best method and cost of the procedures and discuss what is best for you.
2. Organise transporting of your mare to Embryonix.
3. Liaise with the stallion owner to organise shipment of the chilled or frozen semen to the vet.
4. The mare is then artificially inseminated or an egg extracted (oocyte flushed out) for insemination (into recipient mare or by ICSI - if you go with that method).
5. If going with embryo transfer the mare is flushed after eight days and all going well there will be at least one embryo.
6. The embryo is transferred into the recipient mare (when mature if cultivated in laboratory).
7. The recipient mare is preg tested at 14, 28 and 45 days and if she is in foal at 45 days you are able to take her home with you and await the birth of your foal. You can also take your mare home with you at this time.  You treat the surrogate mare as your own until after the foal is weaned and she can then be returned to the vet clinic in the following July.

This is obviously a very simplified indication of what will take place if everything goes smoothly.

Best of luck to all those expecting foals this year and to everyone who is looking to breed their mares - from the team at Horsezone.

Quick Links

• Find out more details on all of the above processes and the costs involved at www.embryonix.com.au
• Looking for the perfect match for your mare? Check out all the fantastic Stallions at Stud listed on Horsezone!