Advantages & Disadvantages
There are both advantages and disadvantages to using frozen semen.
Advantages:
- Cheaper to ship semen than horse
- Do not need to ship mare/foal, pay mare care
- Mare/foal injury and disease reduced
- Easier to order semen- semen on hand when the mare is ready to breed
- Stallion's breeding season can continue while he's at shows or unable to breed
- Can store semen from valuable males- May be able to use after death
- Reduce use of genetically inferior stallions
- Differences in northern and southern hemispheres no problem
Disadvantages:
- Pregnancy rates may be lower
- Potential for overuse of a stallion
- Income from mare boarding is reduced
- Decline in stud fees (but increase in collection/processing fees)
- On-the -farm freezing likely not good quality
- Errors in identity of foals
