Breeding Reminders

Semen Shipping Guidelines

*WE DO NOT ACCEPT SHIPMENT REQUESTS BY FAX OR E-MAIL*

Call 410-658-9898 ext. 120 when the mare enters the heat you'd like to breed to give us a “head’s up”.
We are in the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
Cooled semen stallions may be collected any day except Saturday.
Our cooled semen season runs from March 1 to August 31 for most of our stallions. See your contract, our website, or call the office for exceptions.

Monday - Friday: Pick-up, Fed Ex Overnight, or Airline shipments:

Notify our office NO LATER than 9:00 P.M. (EST) the day prior to collection/shipping.
For example: If you want semen shipped Friday, we need to know by 9:00 P.M. (EST) on Thursday.

Sunday: Pick-up or Airline Shipments Only:

Notify our office by 5:00 P.M. (EST) on Saturday.

Frozen Semen Shipments:

Cannot be sent by Airline, so must be sent via Fed Ex, UPS, or picked up.

Stallions are not collected on Easter Sunday (March 31), Memorial Day (May 27) or July 4. (Please note that shipments scheduled the day before and after Holidays may be restricted to airlines only or picked up)

Mare Management Reminders

A Breeding Soundness Exam prior to breeding, including a uterine culture and cytology, is recommended for all mares. We expect you to follow your veterinarian's recommendations. If a mare fails to settle after two breeding cycles, the Breeder will be required to submit culture and cytology results to Hilltop prior to any additional shipments of semen.

In order to settle your mare as efficiently as possible, it is in your best interest to have frequent pregnancy checks done on your mare.
The following schedule is not required in its entirety, yet will help prevent cases of twins, misdiagnosed pregnancies (possibly due to
a retained corpus luteum) or lost time in the breeding season.

• 1st check (Required): 14-16 days post ovulation - optimum time for vet to pinch off a twin if more than a single ovulation is noted.
• 2nd check (Recommended): 29 days post ovulation - to confirm a viable pregnancy as the heartbeat normally appears by Day 25.
• 3rd check (Recommended): 35-40 days post ovulation - to confirm maintained pregnancy prior to endometrial cup formation. This is very important because mares that slip foals after an early pregnancy exam may not come back into heat.
• 4th check (Required): 55-60 days post ovulation - final confirmation of pregnancy in its critical first trimester.