"Friday brought the news that we have been waiting for: our 2010 legislation has been confirmed for semen eligible for EU export . We can go ahead and make plans for the client to bring his stallion.

The owner needs to decide if the stallion is to be available for natural covering, AI fresh or frozen semen before he commits to advertising for the coming stud season. If only frozen semen is available he needs to make it known when promoting the stallion for stud duties.

It is best to have the semen frozen the previous breeding season. Even the most experienced phantom trained stallion can need encouragement from a mare in season to encourage him to collect at the start of the breeding season, not to mention perform for the necessary pre-season swabs for the lab tests required by all stallions to use AI procedures. Given that the mare's cycle is largely governed by the change in seasons, January and February are not the easiest months to create the ideal environment for covering. Most collection centres will do everything possible to avoid disruption to your plans to have semen frozen, but some things are beyond even the most determined practitioners.

For semen eligible for international export the lab tests take longer and are more frequent. Once frozen, the semen then has to under go a 30 day post-collection quarantine at a DEFRA approved centre like ourselves before it can be used. More reasons why pre-planning is advisable.

We are currently freezing the semen of a stallion going to Germany in February. We have been very fortunate that this Romeo is happy to settle for little encouragement from a mare not currently in season, but this is not always the case. It is true that a mare can be encouraged to cycle by rugging up, leaving lights on and drugs, but all this would incur extra costs, take time and, at the end of the day, nature will have its way.

Sunday brought a wonderful surprise; the Oldenburger approved stallion Santana HFD performed a perfect line of 15 one times changes! During their training programmes, we like to know the stallions will accept training of the highest level and be able to perform the movements easily. This is hopefully a trait that will be continued down the gene pool to the offspring, plus it gives me a wonderful feeling of harmony and achievement.

Brian has been squeezing in some upgrades to the livery barn and has built them a lovely, rubber matted wash area over the weekend before the breeding season begins.

On Monday, I picked up a voicemail inviting us to take Mooiman HFD to the local stallion show at Myerscough International Arena in February. I will consult my diary but I hope we can go; it is nice for local breeders to get a chance to see the only fully approved KWPN dressage stallion competing at international Grand Prix with the first part of the qualification secure for the World Equestrian Games. Our local breeders are very important to us."