Given that many breeders in North America breed a small mare band and often have the mares at home, how do you feel as a breeder about Gerald Martinez’s article about why he is no longer doing embryo transfer? Have you noticed anything similar or have your embryo transfer mares seemed fine?
http://www.eurodressage.com/2019/03/29/gerald-martinez-why-i-stop-embryo-transfer
I’ve always wondered about what he is saying in the article. Maybe it’s not as extreme as he’s making it out to be, I don’t know. I’ve always just thought about if the mare is effected by creating an embryo and then having it removed. Perhaps even the effect on the recipient mare because the embryo want created within the mares body.
I have only done superficial research on the matter, so I’m not incredibly well informed. I think if you want a single foal, your mare can probably take a one year or so break (riding and exercise is still possible to a certain extent) from serious work and it’s not going to be catastrophic. Unless you have a high dollar horse that’s out there making you money and competing.
However, we all have our reasons… as long as the best interest of the animal is at the heart of your reasoning.
Heck, in my breed of choice (P.R.E.) they never really rode the mares. They were exclusively for breeding. We see more mares now competing and being ridden. I’m not sure it’s the best approach as you don’t know the mares under saddle temperament or ability, but they’ve been producing nice, sensible, talented and high intelligent horses for a long time now, so they’re not exactly “doing it wrong.”
I’m sorry but this article is so ridiculous! Embryos in equines are flushed at approximately Day 7. As Carleigh Fedorka (equine repro researcher) points out in this post, mares at this stage don’t even have the hormone levels yet of a pregnant mare. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EquineRepro/permalink/1212315612279136/?comment_id=1212317602278937&comment_tracking={“tn”%3A"R"}
If you search enough, you will find enough experts who have refuted what has been stated in Martinez’ article. 
Anthropomorphising much??? Just about as silly as thinking getting a mare pregnant will “settle her down”. I have not done E.T. My one breeding adventure did not have that big a budget but if I had the money I would have done it. I do remember reading on this forum that some breeders were having decreased fertility after doing multiple flushes in a year’s time. Was my mare upset because she “miscarried”? No - she was mostly concerned about her next meal and when it was appearing.
I find the attention on this particular opinion piece odd. It seems much more relevant/of breeding interest to study the personality impact on a foal out of a certain recipient.
I am definitely guilty of anthropomorphizing my favorite mare… but my major breeding concern when considering an embryo transfer from this particular mare would be that an embryo from her, but implanted in a recipient, would have different personality influences that came from the recipient because of the first few months on life at the recipient’s side.
We do hundreds of ETs each year. I would say a vast majority of the time, the foal takes of the personality traits of its biological mother.
This article caught my attention as I am getting ready to do my first ever ET but Carleigh’s explanation was good enough for me to dismiss that part of the equation. I am still a little concerned about the foal taking after the recip’s temperament but was assured that the recips are chosen for their fertility and temperament so it should be ok. The mare I saw last week was a standardbred with a huge dressage bred foal at her side.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing 
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