How to Get a Foal Today? Agnese Upīte’s Experience with Live Cover, Artificial Insemination, and Embryo Auctions

The dream of having your own foal often begins with one simple question: how do you actually get one? In the podcast Jātnieku ceļš, Agnese Upīte shares her personal experience and explains the most common ways foals are bred today. She also reveals what embryo auctions look like in reality and explains the ICSI method (laboratory-produced embryos).

In Latvia, live cover is still the most common breeding method – the mare is brought to the stallion (or vice versa), and if successful, a foal is born after approximately 11 months. However, artificial insemination is becoming increasingly popular due to its lower risk of injury. It can be done using fresh or frozen semen, but frozen semen requires very precise timing of insemination. Agnese also highlights logistical challenges in Latvia: if a shipment arrives during a weekend, a breeding cycle may sometimes have to be skipped.

Many listeners were especially curious about embryo options. Embryo transfer means that after a few days the embryo is flushed and implanted into a surrogate mare (or frozen). The ICSI method allows an egg cell to be fertilized in a laboratory and the embryo to be developed under controlled conditions. These options are still not widely available in Latvia – the closest facilities are in countries such as Estonia or Poland.

Agnese chose an implanted ICSI embryo, but admits that although an embryo may appear “cheaper” than a foal with similar bloodlines, the risks are higher. Foaling, the health of the surrogate mare, and unexpected veterinary costs can ultimately make this path more expensive than purchasing a foal outright. Still, for those interested in elite bloodlines, world-class genetics, and modern breeding trends, embryo auctions are where these conversations are happening most actively.

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