Advanced OPU for Mares
Embryo flushing is a well-established technique in equine reproduction that allows embryos to be collected from a donor mare after insemination and transferred to a recipient mare or cryopreserved for future use. It enables breeders to preserve valuable genetics while allowing the donor mare to continue her breeding or sporting career.
Whether you choose fresh embryo transfer or embryo freezing, our team manages the entire process, providing a reliable and personalised solution for modern horse breeding.
How Does Embryo Freezing Work?
Embryo cryopreservation allows valuable embryos to be safely preserved until the optimal time for transfer. Using advanced vitrification techniques, embryo viability is maintained while providing maximum flexibility for your breeding programme.
01 Embryo Recovery +
Following embryo flushing or ICSI, each embryo is carefully evaluated by experienced embryologists to determine its quality and suitability for cryopreservation.
02 Preparation for Vitrification +
The embryo is placed into a specialised cryoprotective solution that protects its cells during the freezing process and helps prevent freezing-related damage.
03 Ultra-Rapid Freezing +
Using the vitrification technique, the embryo is cooled extremely rapidly. This process prevents the formation of damaging ice crystals by transforming the embryo into a stable, glass-like state.
04 Long-Term Storage +
Each frozen embryo is individually identified and stored in liquid nitrogen under carefully controlled conditions, allowing safe long-term preservation for months or even years.
05 Ready When You Are +
When you decide to continue your breeding programme, the embryo is thawed and prepared for transfer into a synchronised recipient mare at the optimal stage of her reproductive cycle.
06 Fresh Transfer Is Also an Option +
If preferred, embryos can be transferred without freezing. Fresh embryo transfer requires the availability of 2–3 synchronised recipient mares at the appropriate stage of their reproductive cycle to ensure the highest chance of success.
Arrival Conditions +
We can welcome horses to our equine reproductive facility if we receive the horses:
with a valid equine passport of the animal
less than one year old NEGATIVE infectious anaemia (EIA) and glanders test results
less than 6-months-old equine influenza and tetanus virus vaccine
In order to send the retrieved oocytes for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), a TRACES document is required, the conditions for which are:*
2 negative CEM results, with a minimum of 7 days elapsed between the two samples, results valid for 1 year (or 1 negative CEM PCR result)
negative result of infectious anaemia (EIA) test within 90 days
*These requirements can also be fulfilled by our team at CLINICA SA.
We are able to receive mares Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Outside of these hours, as well as on weekends and holidays, we can receive mares by appointment only, with an additional fee of €50.
Pricing +
Choose the breeding programme that best suits your goals — from fresh embryo transfer to long-term embryo cryopreservation.
Embryo Flushing
from €518 + VAT
Embryo Flushing + Cryopreservation
from €1,063 + VAT
Excluding recipient mare services and additional veterinary examinations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Embryo flushing is a conventional equine embryo recovery technique used to collect an embryo from a donor mare after ovulation and fertilisation. A specialised flushing solution is introduced into the mare’s uterus and then recovered, allowing the embryo to be collected and examined under a microscope.
An embryo is typically flushed from the donor mare’s uterus around 7–8 days after ovulation. Timing is important because the embryo must have reached the appropriate developmental stage while still being recoverable from the uterus.
After flushing, the recovered fluid is examined to identify the embryo. If a suitable embryo is found, it is evaluated for quality and can either be transferred directly into a synchronised recipient mare or vitrified for future embryo transfer.