Have questions? We have answers!

Practical Terms

  • Artificial Insemination (AI): The injection of semen into the vagina or uterus other than by natural reproduction.
  • Board: Monthly fee associated with keeping a horse at a facility.
  • Boarding Facility: Facility where horse owners can keep their horse in accordance with a monthly fee (board).
  • Booking fee: Deposit/fee for reserving a booking in the stallion’s breeding schedule. Usually non -refundable.
  • Breeder: Horse breeder
  • Broker: A professional who sells stud fees on behalf of stallion owners. Brokers occasionally have access to lower stud fees due to large quantities of orders.
  • Breed Registry: Organizations who monitor and track lineages of a specific breed.
  • Insemination Record: A signed document stating the veterinarian certified that the semen dosage was valid and used for the appropriate mare.
  • By Dose: Semen sold by single straws of frozen semen. Usually has no live-foal contract associated with the stallion’s by dose fee.
  • Collection fee: The cost of collecting a
  • stallion’s semen for breeding. If mares need multiple collections/bred multiple times, it is at the breeders’ discretion to indicate that the collection fee will be charged at a certain point. This fee is usually associated with fresh and cooled/shipped semen, but not frozen or by dose.
  • Cooled Semen/Shipped Semen: Fresh semen that has undergone a decrease in temperature (for a short duration of time) to be shipped and used for immediate breeding.
  • Embryo Transfer (ET): Process: A dam/ mare is bred to a stallion, once confirmed pregnant, the embryo is removed from the dam and transferred to a recipient mare, who carries the foal to term.
  • Foaling Out: Parturition. The process of delivering a foal from pregnancy.
  • Fresh Semen: Semen that is collected directly from the stallion for AI purposes.
  • Frozen Semen: Semen that has been preserved in liquid nitrogen to be used for AI purposes.
  • Gamete: A mature haploid male or female germ cell that is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote
  • Gelding: Castrated male horse
  • Live Foal Guarantee (LFG): A guarantee or warranty produced on the part of the stallion owner that a live foal will be attained through a breeding. If the pregnancy is lost, an LFG will stipulate for a second breeding at no cost if the first embryo/pregnancy is lost.
  • Live Cover: The process of breeding naturally
  • Mare: Female horse
  • Maiden Mare: A mare who has never achieved a full term pregnancy.
  • Oocyte: Female horse gamete
  • Proven Broodmare: A mare who has achieved a full term pregnancy.
  • Semen Shipping Deposits and Fees: A (refundable) deposit associated with artificial insemination techniques. Equitainers or specialized containers required to ship semen are expensive pieces of equipment and therefore, many stallion owners require a deposit before they will ship the container with the stallion semen to you. However, this fee is usually refundable if the container is returned in a timely manner and in the same condition it was sent to you. This fee may or may not also include courier services to and from you. *Price range $50-$500.
  • Stallion: Male intact horse
  • Stud: Stallion

Should I register my foal? And if so, why?

Registering your foal is always a good idea. It tells people that your foal’s conception was well thought out. It also gives potential buyers a reference or idea of what your foal may be like in the future. Registered foals and horses are easier to sell because you can market them through various avenues, and they can fetch a higher sale price because the price takes into account the planning that you put into your foal, as well as the previous breeders of that registry.
BreedChamp wants to see as many foals as possible registered because it increases the quality of stock that we are breeding on an everyday basis. Horses that are registered are easier to rehome and therefore are less likely to reach the “end of the line”. It’s a small thing, but it does make a difference.

Why can't I click on registered if I don't upload registered documents?

If your horse is registered, he or she should have papers. If not, contact your local and specific Breed Directory, who should be able to help you.
BreedChamp has a list of Breed Directories under the resources tab which should give you a start, or you can contact one of our advisors to help you on your way.

What is a broker?

A broker is someone who may register multiple horses on behalf of a breeder or multiple horse owners. They frequently have multiple stallions and can offer
discounts on certain stallions because they buy in bulk, and pass the savings along to you.

Are there any benefits to being listed as a broker?

If you are a broker, selecting to list as a broker may save you time. Fill in the horse’s name, their dam and sire, as well as the breed registry, and let BreedChamp search our database to see if that horse has already been listed.
If they have been previously listed, we create a separate tab on the listing for the broker pricing. You can choose to use the original descriptions or your own.

Food for Thought on Mare Pricing

When trying to appropriately price your recipient mare for the market, we suggest (and you don't have to follow this!) being very clear and considering these options.

Recipient Mare Pricing:

Consider the cost of board/keeping your mare for 1.5 years approximately (breeding period, 11 months gestation, plus weaning period), and specify whether this cost will include:

  • Board:
    • For the mare, or mare and foal
    • For how long
  • Vet care:
    • For the mare, or mare and foal
    • If something happens to the mare, who is responsible for her vet bills?
    • Specify if this contract is with the use of your vet only, or if they can use their vet.
  • Feed: for the mare, or mare and foal
  • Hoof health: for the mare, or mare and foal
  • An on-or-off property lease (trailering to and from for off property leases)

For example, I might say 1500$ to lease my recipient mare for 1.5 years and include her board, feed, all hoof care and care of the foal for the first 6 months on my property but does that not include any surplus vet bills associated to the foal or keeping the pregnancy. Or I might say that it's a 900$ lease for the next 18 months, and they have to cover all costs of the mare but she can go off-property. The clearer you are, the more likely you are to have better offers roll in on your services.

Embryo Transfer Pricing:

One method of pricing equine embryos currently is to estimate the cost of the mare and price the embryos at 10-20% of that estimate, depending on the mare. Example: a 25000$ mare might ask 2500$ per embryo.

Be prepared for a touch of time off for 1-2 weeks from competitions. Specifically, consider the cost of how much you think your mare's offspring will be worth. Specify whether this cost will include:

  • Vet care: included for the mare, or does the purchaser cover all costs of obtaining an embryo?
    • Travel: Will your mare need to go to the clinic for the embryo transfer?
    • Clinic Board: Will she need to stay there, or can your vet do it at your farm? Who will cover these costs?
    • Recipient Mares: Typically, the purchaser would obtain their own recipient mare, and pay all fees associated with them. If you have a lease mare and it's included, this is a good place to specify it.
    • Specify if this contract is with the use of your vet only, or if they can use their vet.
  • Typically, embryo transfer costs do not include the cost of a stud fee.

Breeding Leases and Custom Foal for Sale in Utero Pricing:

Consider the cost of board/keeping your mare for 1.5 years approximately (breeding period, 11 months gestation, plus weaning period), the future worth of her offspring (embryo fees), and whether this includes the stud fee or not. Specify whether this cost will include:

  • Stud Fees:
    • Does it include a certain amount of stud fee? Example up to 1500$ stallion included.
    • Who purchases the Stud Fee: if it's you, include it in the price of a custom foal. Otherwise, specify that they have to purchase their own stud fee and be very clear about it.
  • Board:
    • For the mare, or mare and foal
    • For how long
  • Vet care: included for the mare only or mare and foal?
    • Are all veterinary fees included or up to a certain amount?
    • If something happens to the mare, who is responsible for her vet bills?
    • Specify if this contract is with the use of your vet only, or if they can use their vet.
    • Training.
  • Feed: for the mare, or mare and foal
  • Hoof health: for the mare, or mare and foal
  • An on-or-off property lease (trailering to and from for off property leases)
  • Typically, custom foals for sale include the cost of your mare's embryo (technically, it's an oocyte), the length of gestation and weaning period of the foal, and basic vet bills (insemination, pregnancy check, mare check) however, this is your mare and it's up to you!