How does embryo transfer work?
The donor mare is bred and has her cycle monitored so that the precise day of ovulation is noted. It is also important to know whether there was a single or double ovulation, since a double ovulation may result in two embryos being produced in a single cycle. The fertilized egg is allowed to develop for 7 days, before it is flushed from the uterus. The resulting embryo is then transferred into a special embryo holding medium prior to being transferred to the waiting recipient mare. The recipient or surrogate mare has also had her cycle precisely monitored so that her ovulation date matches up with the donor mare. The embryo is inserted into the recipient mares uterus, where it will hopefully become a successful pregnancy.
