The Cost of Horse Breeding

Breeding a horse can be an expensive endeavor, whether breeding a backyard competition horse or the next Olympic medalist.

Costs may include:
The stud and booking fee
Fees for collecting, handling, and transporting semen (if AI is used and semen is shipped)
Mare exams: to determine if she is healthy enough to breed, to determine when she ovulates, and (if AI is used) to inseminate her
Mare transport, care, and board: if the mare is bred live cover at the stallion's residence
Veterinary bills to keep the pregnant mare healthy while in foal
Possible veterinary bills during pregnancy or foaling should something go wrong
Veterinary bills for the foal for his first exam a few days following foaling

Stud and Booking Fees
Stud fees are determined by the quality of the stallion, his performance record, the performance record of his get (offspring), as well as the sport and general market that the animal is standing for.

The highest stud fees are generally for racing Thoroughbreds, which may charge from two to three thousand dollars for a breeding to a new or unproven stallion, to several hundred thousand dollars for a breeding to a stakes winner. Sport horse stallions generally range from $1000 to $3000, although the top stallions may reach $4000 for one breeding. The lowest stud fees may only be $100-$200, but there are trade-offs: the horse will probably be unproven, and probably much less athletic than a horse with a stud fee only $100-$200 more.

As a stallion's career, either performance or breeding, improves, his stud fee tends to increase in proportion. If one or two offspring are especially successful, winning several stakes races or an Olympic medal, the stud fee will generally greatly increase. Younger, unproven stallions will generally have a lower stud fee earlier on in their careers.

There is oftentimes a booking fee included in the stud fee, which is used to reserve a place in the stallion's upcoming breeding schedule. This generally ranges from $50 to several hundred dollars.

For mares that are not bred "live cover," there is also a collection fee and shipping fee for the semen. This may be a few hundred dollars, depending on the distance and the stud fee of the horse.

The Al Dunning Video Series

To help decrease the risk of financial loss should the mare die or abort the foal while pregnant, many studs have a live foal guarantee (LFG), allowing the owner to have a free breeding to their stallion the next year. However, this is not offered for every breeding.