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 Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
    
Location: TEXAS | Can anyone give me a ballpark figure of what it cost? |
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 Brains Behind the Operation...
Posts: 4543
Location: Arizona | The cheapest I've ever seen at the clinic I worked for was in the $600 range. That was a case where everything went perfectly; mare was within a couple days of being ready when she was first checked so didn't have to stay at the clinic long, stud farm was fantastic to work with and shipped 7 days a week (Highpoint, btw), mare took on the first shipment. More often, costs were in the $1,200 to $1,500 range. If you get into multiple shipments, hormone testing & medications, and long term mare care costs increase rapidly. You can get to $2k+ pretty quick if there are timing or fertility issues on either end.
Edited to add: I'm referring to cooled shipped semen with these costs. Local and/or on-site AI can be much cheaper, under $200.
Edited by Whinny19 2019-02-08 9:27 AM
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| $500-$1000. |
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Veteran
Posts: 136
| I just had my mare AIed this year. She's due mid April. Any how, I have done more than I needed to as this is her first foal. I have been getting her checked very regularly. With that being said without the stud fees, shipment and all that jazz, the vet fees have been about $1,200-$1,500. It will vary by location. I got lucky and she took first try to Dashin Dynamo And yes Christi with High Point Performance Horses is great to work with 
Edited by AmericanJelly1 2019-02-08 10:51 AM
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Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
Location: TEXAS | Thanks y'all!! I would like to have my mare bred. She's 6, never been bred before. Could I be so lucky she would take the first time?  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| slacy09 - 2019-02-08 10:01 AM
Thanks y'all!! I would like to have my mare bred. She's 6, never been bred before. Could I be so lucky she would take the first time?
It happens, but it's not something that I would 100% bank on.
As far as the cost, the vet we use is an $800 chute fee. That includes everything needed to get her in foal, up to 2 attempts. Every attempt after is an additional $350. |
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Brains Behind the Operation...
Posts: 4543
Location: Arizona | That 4 to 6 year range is usually a good age fertility-wise for a first foal. But it also depends on the stallion's motility and how well he ships, and how well your vet can pinpoint your mare's cycle, too. Be thankful if it happens on the first try, but like the other poster said, don't count on it. My bf was discussing AIing his mare with me last year, and I told him to budget $2k for the vet costs just in case. Most of the time it won't be that much, but at least you're prepared if you run into problems. And yes, most clinics that do a lot of repro work will have an AI package deal. Ask around among your local breeders to find out who the best repro vets are, and then call and ask for prices. They can usually give you a ballpark figure. |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Our repro vet won't even try to breed a mare on foal heat if she comes in prior to day 6. So we teased here at home and sure enough about day 6 she came in. So we hauled her and the mare to the vet. She had fluid so required oxi several times throughout and she ovulated about day 10. I think I picked her up roughly 2-3 days later after she was confirmed to have ovulated, they also gave her whatever the drug is to ensure ovulatation. No caslick and no regumate etc needed. Stud was also collected on site that she was bred to. So for 6 or 7 days, oxi, all the ultrasounds and AI with fresh semen and drug to ovulate, it was around $550. To me she had a picture perfect breeding other than the excess fluid (that might be normal in a foal heat for all I know). |
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Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
Location: TEXAS | wyoming barrel racer - 2019-02-08 2:08 PM Our repro vet won't even try to breed a mare on foal heat if she comes in prior to day 6. So we teased here at home and sure enough about day 6 she came in. So we hauled her and the mare to the vet. She had fluid so required oxi several times throughout and she ovulated about day 10. I think I picked her up roughly 2-3 days later after she was confirmed to have ovulated, they also gave her whatever the drug is to ensure ovulatation. No caslick and no regumate etc needed. Stud was also collected on site that she was bred to. So for 6 or 7 days, oxi, all the ultrasounds and AI with fresh semen and drug to ovulate, it was around $550. To me she had a picture perfect breeding other than the excess fluid (that might be normal in a foal heat for all I know).
Wow, that really sounds like a great price for all that. |
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Zeal Queen
Posts: 3826
Location: TEXAS | Whinny19 - 2019-02-08 12:15 PM That 4 to 6 year range is usually a good age fertility-wise for a first foal. But it also depends on the stallion's motility and how well he ships, and how well your vet can pinpoint your mare's cycle, too. Be thankful if it happens on the first try, but like the other poster said, don't count on it. My bf was discussing AIing his mare with me last year, and I told him to budget $2k for the vet costs just in case. Most of the time it won't be that much, but at least you're prepared if you run into problems. And yes, most clinics that do a lot of repro work will have an AI package deal. Ask around among your local breeders to find out who the best repro vets are, and then call and ask for prices. They can usually give you a ballpark figure.
I have never known when my mare was in heat....does that have any effect on taking the first try or not? |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | A 6 YO maiden I would feel good about getting in foal on the first cycle. Way easier than getting a 16 year old maiden in foal on the first try LOL. |
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Veteran
Posts: 136
| If you take your mare to the vet prior to breeding they can tell where they are at in their cycle. Yes this will be adding to the cost but you will have a better chance of catching on the first try. With shipment fees being so high, I would recommend talking with your vet on the best approach and they can give you a ball park estimate. All the extra I did made sure my mare was bred. Yes added to the expense but was well worth it!
Edited by AmericanJelly1 2019-02-08 3:18 PM
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Brains Behind the Operation...
Posts: 4543
Location: Arizona | AmericanJelly1 - 2019-02-09 2:16 PM
If you take your mare to the vet prior to breeding they can tell where they are at in their cycle. Yes this will be adding to the cost but you will have a better chance of catching on the first try. With shipment fees being so high, I would recommend talking with your vet on the best approach and they can give you a ball park estimate. All the extra I did made sure my mare was bred. Yes added to the expense but was well worth it!
This is great advice, and will give your vet a nice leg up for breeding season. Plus ultrasounding is at the lower end of costs (usually $40 or less), and is often included in the vet's AI packages (up to a certain number). Just tell your vet you want to breed your mare this year, but she doesn't show you any obvious signs of being in heat. So you'd like to get her scanned to find out where she's at in her cycle and start monitoring her. |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | slacy09 - 2019-02-08 1:25 PM
Whinny19 - 2019-02-08 12:15 PM That 4 to 6 year range is usually a good age fertility-wise for a first foal. But it also depends on the stallion's motility and how well he ships, and how well your vet can pinpoint your mare's cycle, too. Be thankful if it happens on the first try, but like the other poster said, don't count on it. My bf was discussing AIing his mare with me last year, and I told him to budget $2k for the vet costs just in case. Most of the time it won't be that much, but at least you're prepared if you run into problems. And yes, most clinics that do a lot of repro work will have an AI package deal. Ask around among your local breeders to find out who the best repro vets are, and then call and ask for prices. They can usually give you a ballpark figure.
I have never known when my mare was in heat....does that have any effect on taking the first try or not?
you just never know. I bred a 4 yr maiden mare of ours and she had a really short cycle and didn't settle. We live cover, bred her next heat and she's due this May. |
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Veteran
Posts: 136
| IDK how true it is but I have heard a lot of maiden mares don't take AI the first time. Just what I have heard. People tend to live cover the mare the first time she is bred. Anyone have any truths to this? My mare was a maiden but I had no issues get her bred first dose. |
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 Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2411
Location: Wisconsin | It was 60 visit, 50 to check her, and 75 to inceminate..good grief I’ve never heard of such costs as above. Now mind you I own the stallion. We took over to collect and went into next bldg to inceminate....14 days later they stopped at my house ..another 50 ultrasound and wala!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I think the advice to get your mare checked ahead of time is a good idea. A big part of getting a mare settled with shipped semen is understanding how HER cycle works. Some mares read the books - they grow that follicle and release it just like the reproductive books say. Other mares do their own thing. They may release it kinda early or grow it monster big. But, they tend to do the same thing every cycle. Your vet having a basic understanding of how your mare cycles will help immensely with timing the call for semen - especially if it is from a stud that only collects on certain days. Spending some money early on the first time, can save you money and time down the road.
I use a vet in Evansville, Indiana. My mares all read the books, are consistent in their cycles, and I know when to take them. Unless I have one that needs extra flushing, it usually runs me around $500. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 795
Location: GODS country | Last year I paid around $400-450 per mare. |
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 Scorpions R Us
Posts: 9586
Location: So. Cali. | I got super lucky the first time I bred my maiden mare. She took the first try. I paid $ 460 for her to be left at the vet hospital for 7 days for them to check on her regularly, handle the shipment, AI, etc. $400 for the stud fee. $ 349 for shipment of semen (ouch). And $ 115 for my local vet to come after she returned home to ultrasound and confirm pregnancy. = $ 1,324.00 Last year I tried to breed two mares and was not lucky at all. I had retained breedings to a stallion I had sold so I did not have to pay for any stud fees, just collection & Shipment Mare 1 is the one mentioned before who had already taken easy peasy as a maiden. This time around she was at the vet hospital for almost 3 weeks. She was only developing a size 20 follicle (I probably worded that wrong) and then ovulating. They kept bringing her in, and she kept repeating this so they finally just tried breeding her on the small follicle. Vet care - $562. Collection - $ 250. Shipment - $ 93. Vet ultrasound upon her returning home - $ 90 (must felt bad for me when she didnt show pregnant). And before all of this she had been cultured - $ 200. So = $ 1,195.00 and no foal. Mare 2 was older but not maiden. She was at the vets a week and even tho she cultured clean prior ( $ 200) she kept producing fluid that they had to remove. Her week at the vet cost - $ 1,015.00. Collection ($ 250) Shipment ( $94). Vet ultrasound upon returning home - $ 93. So $ 1,652.00 and no foal. So well over $3,000 (after gas for hauling, insurance coverage, shots prior to breeding, etc) to breed 2 mares to a stallion I had retained breedings to and got no foals due this year. :( Defiantly made me realize how fortunate I was the first time around. This year I plan to haul mare 1 back to the vet and the stallion himself to be collected on and fresh AI'd inhopes that does the trick.  Best of Luck! |
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Brains Behind the Operation...
Posts: 4543
Location: Arizona | nettieb3 - 2019-02-12 10:59 PM
It was 60 visit, 50 to check her, and 75 to inceminate..good grief I’ve never heard of such costs as above. Now mind you I own the stallion. We took over to collect and went into next bldg to inceminate....14 days later they stopped at my house ..another 50 ultrasound and wala!!
As mentioned above, on-site AI is much cheaper than cooled shipped semen. Often less than $200. |
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 boon
Posts: 4
| Vet shop, ask about pricing and their success rate. I priced vets on the eastern side of Colorado and they priced me at 1000 to 2000 a try. Priced one on the western side of Colorado who has had a 95% (because I made a decision against the vet's advice) success rate for me who has cost from 60 to 400 total. Best thing to do is call. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 747
| casualdust07 - 2019-02-08 12:51 PM A 6 YO maiden I would feel good about getting in foal on the first cycle. Way easier than getting a 16 year old maiden in foal on the first try LOL.
We got out 16 year old maiden mare in foal first try last year, she's due in a couple of weeks |
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 Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
Location: Oakdale, CA | I went to a vet with the most experience........caught on first try! I didn't check $$$ I was more concerned about repro experience |
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| Roughly $350-400 per cycle here. That includes all ultrasounds, drugs if needed, the actual insemination process and preg check. We also have stalls to board mares until they’re confirmed in foal, so my husband can ultrasound or AI whenever he needs to or if the semen arrives late at night (gotta love midnight breedings). ETA: just because someone has a high success rate doesn’t mean they should be allowed to charge an exorbitant amount. There’s a fine line between providing a successful service at a reasonable fee and gouging people because you know they’ll pay for it. Pretty soon they won’t keep coming back, even if their mares did get in foal.
Edited by madredepeanut 2019-03-10 8:49 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| I bred my 12 y/o maiden last year. I had a breeding soundness exam done in March. This included an ultrasound to determine where she was in her cycle. He recommended we put her on regumate so that I could be more in the ball park with her ovulating when I took her to be bred. If I am recalling correctly, I started the regumate about April 4th, April 25th or so I took her to the vet and he did an ultrasound. She had a large follicle on one side he said should ovulate in 3-5 days. She had another small one on the other side he said would likely go away. He sent me to the stud's farm with a couple shots of something to be given to her a few hours after she was covered to help push out any bacteria or excess fluid to try and prevent infection. Left those shots and the mare with the stud farm. They let her settle in that day and the next, and I think I took her on Wednesday. They teased and bred her Friday, she took him again Sunday. They wanted to keep her until she refused the stallion, so I left her there until Tuesday. She covered a 3rd time. After I got off the phone with the stud owner on Tuesday I called the vet. He said if she hadn't ovulated by now, something was up. Not necessarily bad, but just, up. He told me to go get her, so I did. I picked her up Tuesday afternoon (after her 3rd cover in 1 cycle) and took her straight to the vet. He US'd her and the follicle he thought would ovulate didn't, it had stopped growing, but the other one was like a 50 (going from memory - but it was huge.) He gave her a shot of oxytocin to cause ovulation and sent me home. 16 days later she was confirmed in foal with 1 baby, and she's due any day now. All that to say, I am the type of person who was SUPER grateful the route we went. Im glad we put her on regumate so I wasn't guessing at her cycle (she is a hussy in full fledged heat, but I had noticed she'd do it like every other week, so I wasn't ever confident where she was. I was MOST grateful he told me to bring her home and US'd her again and gave her the oxy to cycle. If I breed her again, whether it be A/I or whatever, I'd go the same route. I'd put her on regumate and US around day 20. The breeding soundness exam was maybe $150 (including farm call), the regumate was about $50. The US before I took her was $60 and I took her to him, and the US when I brought her back was $60 also. So, excluding stud fee, it took me around $300 to get her in foal with live cover. |
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Cost to AI a mare?