Our breeding choice

Every breeding program, when it begins, makes choices, whether related to bloodlines, the horses' living environment and facilities, foal training, or horse management (herd, weaning, etc.). These topics may seem far removed from the question of "life cover or artificial insemination," but in fact, they're not so far removed. Indeed, the entire equation must be analyzed, taking into account its constraints and values, to make choices that will allow the breeding operation to be sustainable and add value to the breed. At Silver Oak Farm, we have decided to promote artificial insemination using frozen semen for several reasons detailed below. This in no way excludes life cover, which we still use, particularly for first-time mothers or mares not yet at foot.

It's easy to understand that artificial insemination (AI) allows for a wider selection of stallions and therefore greater variety in breeding from year to year. This contributes to enriching the breed and promoting bloodline diversity. A promising stallion can be bred, raised, certified, and semen collected, then gelded, and this process repeated every 4-5 years to enrich our semen pool. Instead of being limited to a single stallion used for 20 years, over the same period, we have four stallions available, which can still be used long afterward.

We are a small, family-run stud farm, with only one or two foals per year. Therefore, we only have a few mares. An important point for us is to be consistent with our values ​​regarding the well-being of our horses, which means ensuring that all of them, without restriction, have a horse's life. This means never being alone and being outside 24/7 with free access to food in all seasons. With only 3-4 mares, not always pregnant at the same time, this would mean maintaining at least two small herds (too small to be representative of a herd in the wild) so that the stallion is never alone, in addition to the "distraction" of living next to mares in heat but "inaccessible" during the warmer months. Being based in Belgium, access to land is expensive and complicated, so it is impossible for us to acquire a large enough area to provide what we would want if we were to keep a stallion. Choosing artificial insemination also means giving the stallions we collect a life as horses once they are gelded. Not all stallions are unhappy, far from it, but too many are... It's also a moral choice we've made.

The Rocky Mountain Horse is a "small breed," meaning there are few individuals and breeders in Europe, making it difficult to find a suitable stallion within a reasonable distance of our stud farm. Indeed, the selection criteria are numerous: bloodlines, inbreeding, conformation, color, tolt, size, etc. Family and physical constraints also come into play; long journeys of more than a day round trip are out of the question (in addition to the discomfort for the mare being transported, especially if she is with a foal at foot). Fortunately, we live less than 5 hours' drive from three stud farms with some excellent stallions. Our first-time mothers and some non-foaling mares are taken there to benefit from outside bloodlines. However, for a mare with a foal at foot, it is very convenient to be 45 minutes from the insemination center, where we can leave her for about a week while she comes into heat. In conclusion, artificial insemination presents a lower risk for the mare (and the stallion) compared to natural mating: no mounting, no slipping, no biting, no blows, etc.

We have revised our pricing policy since 2025 to make the cost of artificial insemination (AI) more affordable for other breeders or individuals wishing to breed with our stallions. The cost of a natural insemination often includes a week's board and covers the breeder's services for the service, as well as the stallion's upkeep and ownership costs. This also includes health tests for the mare, travel to the stallion, and ultrasound monitoring to confirm pregnancy. On the other hand, artificial insemination involves paying for the semen (listed as the "sewing fee") plus transportation costs proportional to the location of the insemination center, transporting the mare to the center, preparation fees at the center, and boarding at the center (often paid separately from the advertised package).

Example for a natural mating:

- Stud fee: €850 to €1000 (typical price in the RMH region)

- Transport of the mare: possible rental of a van/truck + travel time (fuel, weather, etc.)

- Equine metritis test (vet, shipping, lab): between €50 and €200 (depending on the vet and lab)

- If the mare is far away, she is kept at the stud until her next heat to confirm pregnancy, so boarding fees are €15 x €15 = €225

- Ultrasound at home (if you have a job) or transporting the mare to a center: between €30 and €100

Example for an AI (artificial insemination):

- Stud fee: €350 to €500 (straws to cover 3 heats)

- Transport of the semen + rental of the transport tank + health certificate if changing countries: €200 to €300

- Transport of the mare, including possible van/truck rental + travel time (fuel, time, etc.)

- Insemination package for the season using deep insemination: €300 to €350 (includes follow-up and pregnancy confirmation ultrasounds, valid for the entire season) or €150 to €200 per heat

- On-site boarding: €15 x 7 = €105 + additional charge if the mare is kept on-site until pregnancy is confirmed

- Confirmation ultrasound at home (if you have a horse) or transporting the mare back to the center (ultrasound included in the price) with a second transport

The cost is therefore similar between the two methods; the reduced price of frozen doses offsets the cost of transporting the semen and the insemination fees.

While the pregnancy rate achieved after life cover depends primarily on the fertility of the horses present, the AI ​​(artificial insemination) rate is highly dependent on semen quality (freezing technique, progressive motility after thawing) but especially on the inseminator's skill. The success rate with artificial insemination is slightly lower than with life cover, but it is important to ask for information about the semen AND to take info about the insemination center. A larger center specializing in reproduction is preferable to your general veterinarian. For example, online, you can find pregnancy rates at the end of the season of 79% for fresh semen (natural equivalent) versus 73% for frozen semen, from major companies like Select Breeders.

This is why we require deep horn artificial insemination in our contracts. This method demands very precise ovulation monitoring (regular ultrasounds to pinpoint ovulation as closely as possible), and therefore requires that the mare be taken to a reputable center, as they are the only ones to offer this type of service. Traditional (non-deep) AI is no longer even performed in some centers due to its inferior success rate. In Belgium, for example, only deep horn insemination is available, while in France it is only just becoming common practice. Deep horn insemination also has the significant advantage of reducing the number of straws required, as only 80 million progressive sperm are needed, compared to 200 million for traditional AI. Therefore, don't be surprised if our contracts mention 2 or 3 straws per heat. This number is tailored to each stallion, depending on the quality of his semen during the thawing test. We never offer just one straw per cycle, in case one straw in the batch is of lower quality for some unknown reason. This reduced number of straws per mare also allows us to offer a lower price.