The purpose built facility at Belvoir Equine Hospital makes all mare treatments stress free – even with a foal at foot. If you are planning a breed this season or need some help with foaling your mare down, we invite you to come in for a tour of our reproductive facilities.

We are able to manage a broad spectrum of mares – from miniatures to shires and from routine to problem breeders. We also provide stallion services, from phantom training right up to freezing semen. We are happy to store your frozen semen on site, in our monitored tanks or assist you in transporting it if necessary. Please select the link below, to familiarise yourself with our frozen semen storage contract.

Summary of Mare Services:

• Pre-breeding examinations and uterine swabbing
• AI programs for fresh, chilled and frozen semen
• Manipulation of oestrus and ovulation
• Pregnancy ultrasound scans (early and late term)
• Twin ablation (early and late term)
• Investigation of infertility
• Foaling down
• Management of complicated foalings/dystocias
• Post foaling examination and management (mare and foal)
• Intensive foal care/hospitalisation

I’d like to breed my mare this season, where do I even start?

Your first breed can be quite confusing and intimidating. It’s best not to think too far ahead and let your repro vet guide you through the process – one step at a time. Your first job is to select a mare and a stallion. The stallion you choose will dictate the type of breed you will do, if he is AI only your breed will be fresh/chilled or frozen artificial insemination. If the stallion does natural cover, this is often performed on the stud where he lives.

The stallion I want to use lives on the east coast!!??

Don’t fret if your stallion does time sensitive – chilled AI and lives on the East Coast of Australia. We regularly fly chilled semen from the eastern states to Perth during the breeding season. We can even assist you by picking it up from the airport, if you are unable to due to other commitments. We book the semen on the flight for you and take care of all logistics, we let you know the where and the when.

I’ve chosen a mare and stallion – what now?

Then it’s time to book an appointment for your mare at BEC,for her first follicle test. Our repro specialist will scan your mare via rectal ultrasound (while she is restrained in our crush) to see where she is up to in her oestrus and how long until she ovulates. Your vet will then plan your breed forward from this point and advise you of when she would like to see the mare next. It is simply a matter of making future appointments with reception and following your vets advice. It’s a great idea to keep a diary for your mare during the repro season, so you can write down all appointments and times. Once inseminated, we like to see the mare for 14, 25 and 48 day pregnancy tests.

I’m from the country and would like to avoid multiple trips with the float to the clinic?

No problem. We are a large facility with many safe yards with shelters for your mare to stay the night whenever required.

When should I book my mare’s first appointment?

Breeding season is typically August through to December. Your mare will cycle normally on these longer days of the year. Aiming for an appointment in August or September is best.

Facilities:

A mare and foal crush, which is very useful for management of mares pre and post foaling and administration of foal treatments.