The PSAFC has maintained one of the largest recipient mare herds in the eastern United States since 1999. There is a tremendous amount of work and cost involved in acquiring, maintaining, and managing the reproductive status of a large recipient herd. However, we believe it is the core to a successful embryo transfer program. The time spent in the initial selection process of these mares and then their almost daily reproductive evaluations is extremely time consuming but pays off many fold. This approach is also a way to make embryo transfer possible and affordable to many of our clients in that they don’t have to maintain them or pay for the numerous reproductive exams necessary for success.

Our embryo freezing program offers breeders many different opportunities and benefits. For example, frozen embryos have an indefinite storage period which provides an option for breeders who desire the flexibility to transfer earlier in the season or transfer to their own recipient mares at a future date. It also provides the option to preserve embryos from ICSI procedures that result in multiple transferable embryos, as well as collect and freeze during the off season. We also have the ability to import and export frozen embryos worldwide. Although the preferred size embryo for freezing is a 6½ day embryo due to its small size, we are now able to freeze 7-8-day embryos by collapsing them via micro-manipulation prior to vitrification.