How does this work? If your vet does everything right, and she doesn’t get pregnant, are you totally out of luck? Or do you get another chance? Or maybe a discount?
A typical breeding contract includes a “live foal guarantee” which includes at least one re-breeding, sometimes more.
Congrats StGermain. He seems like a doll. How great that he was Adult Amateur Hunter Res Champ in 1994. That says a lot.
Oh, good. It’s just I know a lot of women who haven’t gotten pregnant after many months of unprotected sex. It just seemed strange that you could be that positive that one shot will do it for a horse.
The chances with artificial insemination, correctly timed to the day and hour of maximum chance of fertilization, with a prior evaluation for breeding fitness, is quite a lot greater than the human “hit that and hope” method. 
Human doctors won’t even evaluate your fertility till you’ve been trying for a year. It’s the reverse with horses – a breeder wouldn’t bother trying without evaluating mare fertility first, and of course, the Stallion’s semen is previously established to be fertile and healthy.
StarvingButStrong - In the case of my mare, I’ve already talked to the vet. Since I’ll be using frozen semen, once she starts ovulating, the vet will have her at her (the vet’s) barn. She’ll be ultrasounded every fours hours until they see that a follicle is mature and breeding will be the most successful. If she doesn’t catch the first time, the stud fee is waived for another try, however collection and shipping fees will be due again.
StG
Sort of a breakthrough today. I fed the horses tonight and was cleaning in the barn. They’d finished their grain, finished checking out the bucket and were done. As I left to walk back up to the house. I got to the gate and I saw the Nakota followed me for the first time. I petted her and turned to go. She nickered at me and followed me on the other side of the fence as I walked away. She’s really beginning to like me.
Tomorrow, since the weather is finally turning around and the ground is firming back up, I hope to ride her. Hopefully there won’t be a trip to the ER in my future.
StG
Awwwww, that’s GREAT! It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?
I wanna hear all about your first ride! I hardly think there will be an ER visit in your future- the training she has had in her distant past should make her something like driving a BMW.
Wow, am I ever late to this party. Congrats on the new girl, and congrats on the breeding. It’s sweet to read she’s already connecting with you. Those affectionate nickers are just music, aren’t they? Mares can certainly be mare-ish, but when they give you their heart, you can’t help but give a little of yours in return.
22yro Ferrana sends Nakota greetings…which, mare to mare, involves pinned ears, stomping hooves, and squealing. No worries, though; Ana is a complete weenie and thinks everyone wants to beat her up after school.
Well, first ride. Just a short few turns around the yard, but she was very good. Then my pony got loose and the buckle came undone on her bridle. I’d adjusted the bit and I must not have gotten it all the way in the hole. Her bit was hanging out of her mouth, but she was still good.
StG
They say a race horse is a million dollar animal on ten cent legs.
Wow… sounds like she was better than good! Congrats on the ride. Was she as smooth as she has the promise to be? (You do know I’m living vicariously through you, right?)
PapSett - I’m not sure about a Mercedes, not yet. I didn’t try the engine, so to speak. But golly, she’s big! Usually I climb on a 5 gal bucket to be able to reach the stirrups to mount. I could just barely get my foot in, even on a bucket. Of course, I’m only 5’1", with a 26" inseam, so there’s not much leg to work with. But she was very patient, and I think really well trained (no surprise). A halt required little more than stiffening my back and tightening my fingers.
StG
Well, Nakota’s not in foal. We’ll try rebreeding this weekend.sigh But at least the vet’s fees are very reasonable. So far she’s done the initial exam, at least 5 ultrasounds (the last couple with some sedative), hormone injection, breeding and has only charged me $160 so far. This next breeding shouldn’t be close to that expensive, since we have a baseline for her repro cycle.
StG
Bummer. That would make a foal from the rebreeding due in what, May or so?
ETF - Yep, I’d be looking at probably a mid-May baby. Still better than no baby.
The vet also floated Irish and Peanut’s teeth. I’m so please at how Peanut is doing, from a Mini in pretty bad shape when I got him, he’s at a good weight (not too fat, which is the issue with most of them), good feet after two years of hard work by my farrier, and a nice boy, instead of spoiled rotten. Irish is great, of course.
StG
Oh man… just saw this. I am so sorry! Fingers & toes crossed that this one takes! Give the critters a hug from me.