What is the Designer Foal Program?
You as the buyer will preview our purebred Knabstrupper mares and pick the one that best suits your needs and likes. It is then covered by one of our LaRen Stud stallions to produce an embryo (which is explained in the next section). In essence you are designing your foal. If you are interested, we can also use an outside stallion on our mares. This stallion, however, must be approved by us. We strive to do whatever it takes to create you the horse of your dreams. Our Designer Foal Program was established to allow you to purchase unparalleled genetics at a minimal cost. As the purchaser, you have all my best bloodlines available to you.
The conception and foaling risk is ours. You receive the best of everything at no risk to you. The sex and color of a foal is not guaranteed, but those are usually not guaranteed in any program. Our high end genetics however will make it easy for your horse to be sold or used as the foundation of your breeding program in the future. We would be happy to help you sell or trade your new foal. You also have a built-in partner when you purchase from us as we are actively promoting our mares, stallions and foals that are full siblings to your purchases. LaRen Stud will gladly finance the embryo of your choice. We expect a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 at the signing of the embryo contract and the balance due in monthly payments. The foal must be paid for in full the month before it is born. If the foal is not paid for in full by this time it is forfeited back to LaRen Stud. The foal must also be paid for in full in order for the recipient mare that is carrying it to leave LaRen Stud.
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How do you get an embryo? |
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LaRen Stud breeds one of its purebred Knabstrupper mares to one of its stallions. The next morning the mare is checked by ultrasound to see if she has ovulated. If not, the count starts from the day we see she has ovulated and then goes seven days. For example, if the donor mare (the mare in which the embryo comes from) is found to have ovulated on Tuesday, we wait seven days for the pregnancy to occur then flush the embryo using a mild solution through a microscopic sieve before the embryo has had a chance to attach itself to the lining of the uterus. The sieve containing the flushed liquid is then scrutinized under a microscope to locate the embryo. If one is found it is then placed vaginally into a recipient mare (the surrogate mother who carries the foal to term). The recipient mare has been checked and evaluated and it is determined to be in an acceptable stage of its heat cycle corresponding with the donor mare. Once the embryo is placed the recipient mare is checked the next week to determine if she is indeed in foal. If she is she will stay 30 days until rechecked once verified in foal again. The recipient mare carrying the resulting foal is then released to its temporary home where she will spend the rest of her gestation until it is time to foal. The mare is then taken to be professionally foaled so she can be monitored with a foal alert device and attendants. This needs to take place in order to receive your live foal guarantee from LaRen Stud. The other option is to board the recipient mare at LaRen Stud until the foal is weaned which is $350 per month. You are responsible for her vet fees such as vaccinations, worming, feet trimming and overall care. As you would be with any leased horse. This can all be arranged for you if she is boarded at LaRen Stud. If your foal is born here you will also be charged a professional foaling fee. If your foal is lost or does not stand and nurse you will be given another embryo at no cost to you. This is due to the live foal guarantee. The guarantee stipulates the mare must be professionally foaled with a foal alert device in place. In the event of death we would need a veterinary certificate of death within five days. |
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Embryo Transfer Benefits
- No stress on your mares uterus
- No foaling risks or complications for our prized Knabstrupper mares
- Live foal guarantee just like any other breeding when your embryo is produced by us
- You can achieve more than one possible match out of the same mare in the same season
- Embryo transfer programs save the lives of hundreds of good mares each year that are destined for slaughter houses
