Breeding Contracts

You decided to have your mare inseminated? Congratulations, it's a very exciting project! There are many steps to take before the foal arrives and one of them is picking the stallion! When your choice is made, you will, in the vast majority of cases, sign a breeding contract with the owner of the stallion. Here is some information and advice on these famous contracts to avoid a number of foreseeable problems.

The breeding contract is the contract by which the owner of the stallion agrees to reserve one or more doses of semen at a fixed price. It is signed by the owner of the stallion and the breeder. The contract entails an obligation of means, and not of results, for the stallion manager, meaning that he can not guarantee to the breeder that his mare will become pregnant.

1. The basis of a breeding contract

In any breeding contract, the following information should be written :

Name of stallion owner and/or official stallion manager with the legal authority to perform the contract
Contact information of stallion owner/manager (address, phone, email)
Name of stallion and his description (race, registration number, etc.)
Name of breeder (mare owner or leaser)
Contact information of mare owner/leaser (address, phone, email)
Name of mare and her descrition (race, registration number, etc.)
Breeding fee (plus tax/taxes included) and payment terms
General conditions (reservation, number of doses, availability of stallion, live foal guarantee, etc.)

It goes without saying that you should always make sure that the person with whom you sign the contract has the authority to execute it.

2. Stallion availability

Knowing the availability of the stallion during the breeding season is essential so you do not find yourself in a dead end situation when the time comes. The length of the breeding season is not necessarily the same for all stallion stations: Quarter Horses are generally available from February to June while other breeds are available from March/April/May to September . In addition, if your contract is for fresh semen or natural breeding, you must know the collection days: either Monday/Wednesday/Friday or every day or odd/even days. Also remember that some stallions continue to compete during the summer, which can shake up their collection schedules.

3. Breeding price and terms of payment

To prevent nasty surprises, check the price of the contract and the various associated costs. The distribution of the different costs is generally done as follows:

Breeding fee
Booking fee
Collection fee or Chute fee
Shipping fee
Deposit for the shipping box (Equine Express or Equitainer)
Taxes, customs clearance fees, etc

In some contracts, each fee is separate, while in others there is only one total fee. In terms of collection fees, if they are not included in the breeding fee and your mare does not catch the first time, this could lead to a significant increase in the price. Similarly, shipping costs may vary enormously depending on where the stallion is situated, especially since semen is usually sent by FedEx Priority Overnight.

The majority of stallion managers require the payment of the booking fee at the signing of the contract and full payment of the balance before the first shipment of semen.

4. Live foal guarantee

More and more breeding contracts offer a live foal guarantee (LFG). This can be defined as a foal who stands and nurses unassisted or as a foal who survives 24 hours after birth (some contracts extend up to 72h). In these cases, if the foal does not survive, the breeder must usually send a certificate signed by his veterinarian within 5 to 7 days after the foal's death to the stallion manager. The breeder will then have the right to re-inseminate his mare with the semen of the same stallion at no cost or at a reduced price.

5. Other general conditions

Several other information can be found in the breeding contract:

Stallion health: carrier of certain diseases such as equine viral arteritis, HERDA, HYPP, WFFS, etc.
Specification for embryo transfers, such as additional costs when obtaining multiple embryos, etc.
Cancellation policies and indemnities : sale/death of the stallion or the mare, payment failure from the breeder, disputes between the two parties, etc.
Procedure for obtaining breeding certificate from stallion manager for the future registration of the foal.