One of the most unique opportunities we offer is a chance to bring some of our mares’ genetics into your program through embryo transfer–into your own recipient mare with your selected stallion. This opportunity allows you to bring in exclusive, high-quality genetics to your program without the expense of purchasing, importing, or owning another mare. It also helps support our mission by dispersing quality genetics and further bolstering the Akhal-Teke breed in our region. The embryo can be used for producing a purebred or a rare Akhal-Teke dam line crossbred foal. Mare availability is limited in accordance with studbook rules.

Many larger breeds offer embryo sales on a mass scale, allowing mares of those breeds to produce and register multiple foals each year with surrogates of the same or different breeds. However, according to the governance of the Official Russian Akhal-Teke Studbook (VNIIK), only one Akhal-Teke foal is allowed to be registered per year for each mare. This restriction applies to purebred and partbred foals without exception, and with specific stipulations for each foal to qualify for registration.

For Purebred Considerations

For purebred considerations, an embryo from another purebred mare can help diversify your program’s gene pool. It introduces a new unrelated dam line and expands your future breeding options, without the cost of bringing in another breeding horse. It can also bring in new types and improve form to support your long-term breeding goals. Given that breed numbers are low and spread out in North America, this also allows increased accessibility of different genetics to breed at your home facility.

For Partbred Considerations

For partbred considerations, the Akhal-Teke is an exceptional improver breed which has historically been used to refine and add natural athleticism to a number of breeds. These include, most notably, warmbloods such as Trakehner or Hanoverian and the Thoroughbred as its foundational blood. The Akhal-Teke has also produced good sportive crosses with other breeds such as the Appaloosa, Arabian, and Quarter Horse. Due to the scarce population of the Akhal-Teke today and the consequential importance of purebred Akhal-Teke mares producing purebred foals, it is typically only Akhal-Teke stallions that are used in crossbreeding. Yet, stallions and mares pass on different genetics especially when it comes down to temperament and cellular energetic performance (ie the mitochondrial influence). For the Akhal-Teke, the “powerhouse” of a quality mare is undoubtedly an essential factor in the breed’s ancient prowess. The ability to use an embryo from a purebred Akhal-Teke mare is thus a rare opportunity to cross the breed’s dam line power with another breed.

General Expectations

Many larger breeds offer embryo sales on a mass scale, allowing mares of those breeds to produce and register multiple foals each year with surrogates of the same or different breeds. However, according to the governance of the Official Russian Akhal-Teke Studbook (VNIIK), only one Akhal-Teke foal is allowed to be registered per year for each mare. This restriction applies to purebred and partbred foals without exception, and with specific stipulations for each foal to qualify for registration.

For purebred foals:

• The mare the embryo is collected from must be a registered purebred Akhal-Teke
• The stallion used to fertilize the embryo must be a registered purebred Akhal-Teke
• The surrogate or recipient mare to carry the embryo to foal must be a registered purebred Akhal-Teke
• A breeding certificate must be made at the time of embryo fertilization
• The breeding plan must be proposed to and approved by VNIIK prior to breeding

For partbred foals:

• The mare the embryo is collected from must be a registered purebred Akhal-Teke
• The stallion used to fertilize the embryo can be of any breed but must be DNA tested
• The surrogate or recipient mare to carry the embryo to foal can be of any breed
• A breeding certificate must be made at the time of embryo fertilization

While we give priority of preference to the breeding of purebred foals, we celebrate the ways that partbred foals inherit admirable qualities of the Akhal-Teke–and often act as unique ambassadors for the breed’s value. Whatever your breeding goals, we are happy to help find a match that best supports them.