I’m wondering if there are any down-sides I may not be considering when looking at in-utero possibilities… If I don’t have a color or sex preference, is there anything else I would need to consider?
Make sure you have a solid contract and are comfortable with the breeder’s professionalism.
I attempted an in-utero purchase a few years ago, and the mare didn’t carry to term. We had a contract that included this possibility and gave me the option of rolling it over to the following year’s goal or getting my money back. I ended up taking the money and purchasing a weanling because I didn’t want to wait another year.
My list when I went this route:
- I wanted a warmblood and budget-wise was looking at a weanling/yearling, so I was taking some risk regardless
- I knew the breeder and had seen two full siblings locally ridden by AAs
- Slightly lower price than buying a live foal
I didn’t care about color, markings or gender and was fairly flexible on height. If any of those are important to you, in-utero may not be the right option.
You’ll be taking a chance on temperament, trainability and athletic ability for your discipline. You can improve your odds by seeing the parents and siblings, but are still taking more of a chance than with a live foal.
I think a lot depends on what you want. If you must have a 16+hh horse that can be competitive at X discipline and level, you may want to get something under saddle. If you’re flexible and willing to accept some risk, it could be a good way to get a high quality foal within your budget.
I would consider trying it again if I really liked the specific bloodlines and had good references on the breeder.
The first time I tried buying in utero, I did a “custom breeding”, and chose the stallion. Sir Donnerhall. . Aaaand the mare in question did not take…we tried again: Dancier, she did not take…we tried again… Did not take. All in all the breeder probably spent upwards of $10,000 on this very nice Hohenstein mare…Finally, she decided to try fresh cooled, from Liberty, and the mare took. To a huge stallion (that was not my choice, I’m tiny), but boy did I understand her situation! This breeder completely refunded my cash down payment, and she lost her shirt on that deal. I really felt for her.
Be very careful with your contract, and then be very very choosy with whom you do business. Make sure they have a fantastic reputation for standing behind their program.
A friend of mine leased a mare, bought frozen semen from a reputable, prominent stallion owner, The foal was born with a jaw deformity that caused it to die. It never stood. The stallion owner refused to offer a rebreed unless it was the same mare, and the lease on that mare was over. She could have offered to make an exception, even a just a collection fee… but she didn’t. I know this wasn’t an in-utero deal, but it illustrates that dealing with issues is to a degree at the discretion of the stallion/mare owner.
Last year I did an in-utero purchase, and I lost the foal when he was 10 days old, with huge hospital bills. The breeder offered another foal out of the same mare (these were ET foals) at a “different” price, because we were all so upset. This was not in a contract, it was because she is a good person.
So…make contingency plans. Make sure your deposit is refundable in full by a specific date. Make sure you thoroughly vet out the mare owner. Shit happens.
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As others have said, the professionalism/honesty of the breeder you choose is critical to these deals working out. I bought my 2018 filly in utero. I guess you could say it worked out; I adore her so much that this year I purchased her dam, bred back to the same stallion for 2021! 
My experience wasn’t wrinkle free - the mare injured herself very, very badly about 60 days before my filly was born. It was touch and go for a while and, ultimately, the medications she was given to save her life may or may not be the reason that my filly has juvenile osteoarthritis (discovered AFTER I had already purchased the mare naturally - but, honestly, I don’t regret the decision; my filly is THAT special). The breeder was really, really accommodating - my first payment/deposit wasn’t due until the mare checked 60 days in foal, and, had the mare or foal died due to the injury, she’d have given me first choice of any other foal born that year or a refund, whichever I preferred.
