With there being options when it comes to horse breeding, the breeders want to look at the pros and cons of each of them. One of the methods that can be used is artificial insemination using frozen semen. But there are pros and cons to this.
The Advantages of Using Frozen Semen
There are some distinct advantages to using frozen semen.
Timing
Breeding is usually done in the spring. This is when many of the competitions take place, and both the mares and the stallions are being trained and groomed for the show circuit and cannot afford to have time off for breeding purposes. With the ability to be able to artificially inseminate the mares, this time frame is not such a big issue.
Less Risk of Injury
With natural breeding methods, there is always a risk of injury. If the mare is not quite ready, she could kick the stud and gravely injure him. The stud could be overzealous with a young horse and could hurt her internally.
Less Waste
During natural breeding, much of the semen produced through ejaculation can be wasted. With AI, none of it gets lost. A good quality stud can produce six to eight doses of sperm during one ejaculation that can be collected for use with AI. What is not going to be shipped can be frozen for future use. This can be most valuable in the event something were to happen to the stud before the next breeding session.
The Disadvantages
Some disadvantages have to be considered when deciding on AI with frozen sperm.
The Cost
It is more expensive than traditional breeding.
Lower Conception Rate
At one time, there was a strong belief that using frozen sperm meant less chance of conception. This may be true to some degree but not nearly as much as what was initially thought.