Traditionally speaking, you’ve heard that a mare can only have one foal at a time. Maybe two if you’re lucky. But SIX?! With advancements in breeding, it’s now possible for a mare to have up to six foals in a year’s time. How? An embryo transfer.

An embryo transfer occurs after a mare has been bred to a stallion or artificially inseminated. Approximately nine days after the conception, the fertilized egg is then removed either surgically or flushed out and then placed in a “carrier mare”. A carrier mare is basically another horse that carries the embryo to term; a surrogate mother.

The benefits of this procedure are it allows a mare to produce up to six foals a year. If she’s still competing, she can continue doing so without pregnancy interfering. The downside to this is it is quiet costly and does not always work. Some people also discuss the morals and ethics of it.

If you are considering this procedure, there are some ways of making it more successful. Try use a live cover. Frozen semen can sometimes be a little more “lazy” then fresh semen. Also, when picking a carrier mare, choose a strong, healthy and younger mare since she’s more likely to bring the foal to term. It also helps if she’s a reputable “blue hen”; a mare that often produces sound and healthy foals.

For more information or to look into doing this with one of your horses, contact your vet and ask if either they can do it or recommend you to a breeder and/or vet who can.