The mare owner must perform at home some of the tasks that would ordinarily be done by the breeding farm. When using cooled semen, the success or failure of the breeding is largely the responsibility of the mare owner. The most fertile stallion cannot get a mare in foal if she has reproductive problems or is bred at the wrong time.

Good mare management tips:

• Make sure your mare has a thorough reproductive examination
• Make sure your mare is wormed every 2 months
• Plan the breeding for April, May or June.
• Be religious about teasing your mare (remember, mares don't usually cycle regularly in early spring!)
• Keep good records of the mare's heat cycles and teasing behavior. The first and last days of the heat cycle should be noted so that you will recognize when her heats begin to arrive on a regular 21 day cycle.
• Hormones may help your mare get in foal. Discuss this option with your veterinarian.
• Uterine cultures (collected during a heat cycle) are essential to identify uterine infection.
• Call both the veterinarian and the stallion farm on the first day of the heat cycle. Your veterinarian will determine the optimal time for insemination by palpating the ovarian follicles.
• As soon as your veterinarian selects the breeding dates, call the stallion farm to arrange for a shipment.