Frequent Questions

When can the stallions be viewed?

They can be viewed anytime by appointment as they do compete a lot & are not always here.

What does NFFR mean?

This means No Foal Free Return which means that we keep serving your mare until we get her in foal even if she has to come back the next year. If for any reason she cannot breed you can transfer the nomination to another mare. We are also one of the few studs who offer NFFR terms on chilled semen so you can have as many doses as you need to get her in foal (most studs limit you to 3 doses)

What does the BQM mean ?

This means we are regularly inspected, our facilities are up to standard & we have qualified staff to look after your mare. It also ensures that all health procedures are met to ensure that your mare remains free from disease & is kept in good condition. If you are ordering chilled semen it ensures we have the facilities & qualifications to collect & prepare this correctly making sure it reaches you in the best possible condition to aid conception. It ensures all the necessary records are kept so that your resulting foal can be fully registered with a verified breeding passport.

Is there a difference between registered and graded? Why should I use a graded stallion?

All horses are now registered with a society as they all have to have a passport but this is entirely different from graded. At a grading, conformation & paces are checked for hereditary problems, their temperament for workability & no aggressive signs. Also they have to undergo a full stallion vetting which as well as soundness checks for hereditary problems which cannot always be seen. A stallion which is not graded has not been vetted & therefore could be passing on all sorts of hereditary ailments. As we all know horses are more than capable of injuring themselves without starting off with a problem! The other major problem with using a stallion that is not graded is that only graded stallions can issue breed society service certificates & without one of these you cannot get a verified breeding passport for your foal. Not only does this make it worth about £3,000 less than one with a passport it also limits what competitions it can do later in life, as many disciplines now require verified breeding passports in order to compete. So why would anyone use an ungraded stallion with all the risk involved!

Which stallion should I use?

This depends mainly on your mare & what you are trying to breed. For example Country Marksman would produce a sports horse if used on a TB mare but he would produce a show cob if used on a cob or full Irish Draught mare! You should choose the stallion that will iron out any imperfections on your mare. For example on a long backed mare use Top Gun or Marksman as they are good at shortening a long back. We have bred so much stock from our stallions we are more than happy to advise you & show you what your mare will produce to each stallion. As we have 5 very different coloureds we have nothing to lose advising you which one would be best, of course when studs only have one it will be ‘ perfect’ on everything! Either email us a picture of your mare or bring one with you when you come & view & we will advise you if you are not sure.

What is the best time to send my mare?

This depends on when you want your foal. Mares are seasonal breeders & are most fertile April to July. We start taking mares from the last week in Febuary but these need to live in. The latest we take them is the last week in August, but the later you send you mare the less chance we have of getting her in foal. If you are breeding to show the foal you need an early foal so start in March, if not April is usually a good time to start as they can live out then. If you know you have a problem breeder then the sooner you send her the more time we will have to sort out any problems & get her in foal.

How long will my mare be with you ?

All mares have a base scan when they arrive to see where they are in their cycle. This enables us to get on with serving them as quickly as possible therefore reducing the time they are here. If all goes according to plan & the mare cycles correctly she will be with us approximately three & a half weeks to her 17 days pregnancy scan & a further 3 weeks if you wish her to have her 40 day scan before she comes home.

Do you arrange transport?

We have a list of good transport people that we use regularly in our brochure or contact the stud for telephone numbers. On return home journeys we try to arrange shared loads with other mares going to the same area to keep your costs down

I’ve never done this before and I’m confused?

Don’t worry, everyone who breeds has to do it for a first time at some point. We will talk you through every step of the way, advise you on stallion selection, livery etc & even send her home with a full list of instructions on how to look after her right up to foaling. If you want she can come back here to foal.

What will happen if she won’t stand for the stallion?

As we are an A.I centre this is not a problem, we can just collect the semen from the stallion & A.I your mare. This is often the best option for nervous mares.

Which is the best natural service or A.I ?

For nervous mare, mares with foal at foot, over small or over large mares (in relation to the stallion ) or injured mares we would always recommend A.I. Also for mares with a history of pooling fluid, uterine infections or any other un-diagnosed fertility problems A.I is the best. A.I on site is as high fertility as natural service as we are simply collecting the semen with one hand & putting it in with the other! A.I decreases the risk of infection to the mare dramatically as when the mare is A.I’d everything is sterile, the same cannot be said for the stallions penis! There is also less risk involved with A.I , although all our stallions are very good & gentle to serve you are still putting 2 horses together so there is a risk although small of injury. The old fashion view that natural is best is very out dated, A.I is just as good.

If you live a long way from the stud we can send you the semen for your vet to inseminate. We have an enormous amount of success with this so distance is really no object. We are also one of the few studs who offer NFFR terms on chilled semen so you can have as many doses as you need to get her in foal ( most studs limit you to 3 doses)

What is the advantage of the vets package?

Our fertility rates have soared since we introduced the vets package as we are now able to throw all the veterinary & technical assistance at your mare to get her in foal as quickly & stress free as possible without running up large vets bills for you. Every mare has a base scan when they arrive to see where they are in their cycle. Once they are in season they are scanned every other day to measure the follicle as it grows. This enables us to serve or A.I her at the optimum time for conception without the need to over serve her. The old fashioned way of serving mares every other day of their season is now frowned upon. The main cause of infertility in mares is uterine infections & the main cause of uterine infections is over serving as everytime the stallion enters the mare there is a risk of infection. Therefore to extend the breeding life of your mare & to aid quick conception serving/ A.I at the optimum time is the best answer and the vets package enables us to do this with no extra cost to you. It also enables you to work out your budget as you know at the beginning how much the vets package is. Without the vets package if a mare does not take first time the vets bill can be more that the stud fee, & with a problem mare it is not unheared of for a vet bill to be £1,000 !

What is the procedure if I want the semen sending to A.I at home?

Firstly you need to find a good A.I vet. Check if your vet does A.I , if not can he recommend someone. We do have a list of A.I vets around the country if you are stuck. We ask that your vet contacts us as soon as the mare is in season to warn us you will be needing semen soon. After this as long as semen is ordered by 10.30 am one morning it can be with you by 9am the following morning. The exception to this is Sunday & Monday’s as there is no overnight delivery on these days. However the vets know this & are quite used to working around these days. As we can collect anytime, if you are stuck you can always jump in the car & come & pick it up ! Semen despatched by us is quality guaranteed, it is collected in our covered collection area & inspected & extended in our on site laboratory. It also very importantly sent out with the correct paperwork to ensure that you can get the verified breeding papers for your foal. The breed societies are very specific with A.I & will not issue passports if the paperwork for the A.I is not in place.

How many insemination doses do I get with chilled semen?

We ask that your vet contacts us as soon as the mare is in season to warn us you will be needing semen soon. After this as long as semen is ordered by 10.30 am one morning it can be with you by 9am the following morning. The exception to this is Sunday & Monday’s as there is no overnight delivery on these days. However the vets know this & are quite used to working around these days. As we can collect anytime, if you are stuck you can always jump in the car & come & pick it up !

Do you take mares for A.I to other stallions?

Yes we do an A.I package to outside stallions (see the relevant web site page)

What should I bring with my mare

She should come with the minimum of equipment, everything you leave with her must be clearly labelled with her name. You need to bring a good fitting headcollar that does not rub as she will wear it all the time, any rugs she needs to wear, her passport & swab certificate if she is already swabbed, payment for vets package & any stud fee balance

Can she keep her shoes on ?

Mares can keep their front shoes on but all mares even if they are here for A.I must have back shoes removed (this can be done here) as this is for safety in the field. Mares living in & not turned out can keep all shoes on if here for A.I Front shoes can be re done at the stud if required.

Can I come and visit my mare?

You are always welcome to come & see your mare whilst she is with us. For security reasons we ask that you phone first so that the staff know who they are letting in otherwise you may not get past the gates!

Can she live out in a rug?

Yes that is not a problem but we cannot be responsible for any rugs getting torn or damaged.

How many mares will she be turned out with?

We keep the mares in lots of small groups, of about 6 mares in which they stay during their time with us. We have found that this way it avoids the continual fighting every time new mares are introduced. If a mare is getting bullied or is not happy in a certain group we will move her to a quieter set.

Do you have a bare paddock for laminitic ponies?

Yes we always keep one field for laminitic ponies.

Are mare and foals in separate paddocks?

We have specific mare & foal paddocks where they are grouped according to the foals ages.

Her vaccinations are due soon. can they be done there?

Yes we can do any initial injections or boosters. These will be billed direct to you by our vets.

My mare is competing and I don’t want her to lose her fitness?

We can keep her on a lower level of fitness by putting her on the horse walker if you want or you can come & ride her in our schools.

How do I look after her when I get her home?

We will send her home with a full list of instructions on how to look after her right up to foaling.

Can she come back to the stud to foal?

Yes we take mares back for foaling but they need to be booked in by the end of January as we only have so many maternity beds! We will even video the event for you.

I have heard that I should put my coloured mare to a plain stallion to get a coloured?

This is one of the biggest old wives tales going, without going in depth into the coloured genetics ( which I will gladly do if you phone me ) you have twice the chance of breeding a coloured if you put a coloured mare to a coloured stallion than if you put if to a plain one!