Considering Serving Your Mare with one of the Astek Stallions?
- Our basic procedure and rates outlined.

At Astek Stud we place much importance on valuing our clients and do our very best to ensure your mare produces a quality foal for you. It is equally as important for us that your mare acheives a pregnancy and a healthy live foal as it is with our own mares. We aim to keep all of our rates as affordable as possible for breeders without compromising on quality or service.

We have written contracts for our stallion services which must be agreed to and signed by both the mare owner/lessee and Astek Stud before we begin. This is very important for both parties and keeps everbody clear on what is expected. It also provides us with important details on your mare to enable us to complete the necessary documentation required to prove your foals parentage so you can later register/brand your foal with the various associations available if you wish.
The booking fee is payable on the signing of the service contract, this ensures your place in the stallions service book for the season which may be limited.

At Astek Stud we do not serve any mares naturally (except for some pony mares served by Elenbee's R-Rated), instead preferring to do all services via Artificial Insemination (AI), increasing safety, ease and hygiene for all concerned.
(Note: we occasionally have people asking whether maiden mares will conceive via AI! There is absolutely no reason why a mare will not acheive her first positive pregnancy this way compared to natural serve, in fact, we feel AI is MUCH less stressful and easier on the mare than natural serve, and the chances of positive pregnancy with healthy maiden mares are just as high as other mares.)

Our stallions have all been fertility tested by specialised equine vets and are all proven to have excellent sperm quality. We also check sperm quality after every semen collection before it is inseminated or transported to your mare. We follow a careful hygiene regime and use proven semen extenders and shippers to help semen remain viable. We have a very high pregnancy success rate (from 2003 to 2006 we have constantly had 90 to 100% pregnancy success - and remember, not all negative pregnancies are due to the stallion!!). We have acheived successful pregnancies from our stallions' chilled semen sent right throughout New Zealand.

Before collection and transportation of the first shipment of semen, we require the remainder of the service fee to be paid. This payment confirms your booking to the stallion for the season. Included in the service fee is the first semen collection fee and first freight fee (with any additional collections / freight invoiced monthly).

We encourage mare owners to keep their mares at home if possible for insemination (to keep your mare relaxed in her own environment as well as to minimise your agistment/transportation costs). However, if you do not have the facilities for scanning and inseminating your mare (a crush for her to stand in, with power nearby for the scanner to plug into), then you will need to send your mare to your local vet for this. (Some Thoroughbred and Standarbred studs will take sporthorse mares for reproduction work, enquire in your area.)

Please note that we no longer take any visiting mares onto our property for agistment, scanning/inseminating or foaling down (except mares to be naturally served by Elenbee's R-Rated).

SCANNINNG/INSEMINATING:
If you cannot scan/inseminate your mare at home, then for local Canterbury based mare owners we recommend the following equine reproduction vets:
- Bridget Palmer (Christchurch) Phone: 03 329 6266 or Mobile: 027 281 4282
- Donna Williamson (Timaru) Phone: 03 614 7178 or Mobile: 021 339 555
- Bruce Taylor (Ohoka) Phone: 03 312 6615
- Steve Williams (Methvan) Phone: 03 302 8125 or Mobile: 0274 475 363
- We recommend Equibreed in the North Island. Phone: 07 827 9312 www.equibreed.co.nz

All of these vets are able to agist your mare at their properties and offer excellent services for reproduction work - ranging from chilled and frozen semen to embryo transfer etc.

FOALING DOWN:
- Donna and Steve also offer foaling down services, Bruce may do so on request.
- Tracy McIlraith from Doyleston, Christchurch, is an experienced breeder and is available to foal your mares at her property - Phone: 03 324 3342.
- As well as these options you can ask your local Thoroughbred and Standardbred studs as they may also offer foaling down services for sporthorse mares.

We are also happy to work in with any vet in any area you choose!
Be sure to contact your chosen vet well in advance as they may have limited space etc, and also so you can assess their costs. Remember, having an experienced equine vet is vital to the success of your mare achieving a positive pregnancy and makes the process much easier.

If your mare is staying at your home for insemination, scanning etc, ensure you have a knowledgable equine vet who can give you the best advice and help get your mare in foal for you. When you notice your mare coming into season (lifting her tail, squatting, interested in other horses especially geldings etc), tell your vet and they will usually scan her on about the 3rd day of her season to check the follicle size and inform you when she will need to be inseminated - insemination as close to ovulation is important to acheive a pregnancy. Contact us at this time and let us know when you will require the semen and where we should courier it to. Ideally at least 24 hours notice is required so we can ensure the semen arrives to you on time (however sometimes nature requires immediate action!). Good communication between you, your vet and our stud is vital!

Your mare should then be scanned at approx 15 days post service to check for pregnancy, this timing is very important as if twins are present they can often be best dealt with at this first early scan. The mare should then be scanned again at around 28 days post service to ensure the embryo is developing and a heartbeat is present, and then finally again at 42 days for the last scan.

Some time after your mares' 42 day positive pregnancy test, and once all outstanding invoices are paid, we will complete the Certificate of Service and send you an "Astek Stud Foaling Pack" with additional information to help you on your way.

We encourage you to keep in touch with us and let us know your progress. We are happy to offer our clients support at anytime - remember your success is also our success and your new foal is just as exciting as our own!

Astek Stud Rates for 2007 Season: 1st September 07 - 1st March 08
(Rates as of May 2007 - subject to change, please consult Astek Stud.)

Service Fees - Dependant on your stallion choice. All Astek stallion service fees are all inclusive of: GST, Booking fee, First Semen Collection and First Semen Freight NZ wide. The Booking Fee is payable in advance and is non-refundable.
All of our service fees include a Live Foal Guarantee. Remainder of the Service Fee is paid before first shipment of semen is collected - this confirms your booking to the stallion for the season.

Semen Collection Fees - $120 including GST per collection. This fee covers our time for serving the stallions, adding extenders/anitbiotics to assist the semen longevity, chilling and preparing the semen for transport, and delivering to the airport/courier if required for transport to you. (In young, healthy mares with well timed vet work at your end, usually only 1 or 2 semen collections are required, but this does vary with each individual and depends on factors including mares health, timing of insemination, the weather etc!)
NOTE: The first semen collection fee is already included in our stallion service fees. This secondary fee will only apply if further semen is required.

Semen Freight Fees - as chilled semen must travel as quickly as possible via courier or plane from our stud to your mare, this cost varies and of course depends on your location (as an example, in 2006 it was approx $90 to send a shipment of semen to Auckland). We require the semen shipper to be posted back to us within 48 hours at your cost.
NOTE: The first semen freight fee NZ wide is already included in our stallion service fees. This secondary fee will only apply if further semen is required.

Vet Fees - consult your equine vet for their charges for reproduction work. Note: Some vets will provide a "contract rate" for a set number of your mares cycles.... this is great option and gives your mare the best possible change of pregnancy for a set price that you can budget for.

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Please email us or phone us - 03 347 6613 - if you have any questions about any of the above.

We also have written an article called "Breeding Your First Foal - An Outline Of What's Involved", which you are welcome to look at. Click here to download now, or go to our Downloads page.

Please note - the above fees are all also outlined in our written Service Contracts. Please go to our Downloads page or contact us if you wish to receive one!