Stallion owners: Disposible shippers vs Equitainers?

[Dressage_Diva333]

What are your preferences?

Do you find that Mare Owner's prefer on to the other? It just seems like the semen would be safer in an Equitainer, but maybe not. I am new to this shipping thing.lol.

[not again]

The advice I have been given is to use disposables when the temperature is moderate and the distance/time is short. We have used them for local pick-up. For long distance, airline, commercial shipping especially when things can get very hot or very cold the heavy duty equitainer is better at keeping those precious swimmers alive. Nothing like having a shipping company leave your parcel on the loading dock in the 105 degree sun all day to make for an unhappy mare owner at the other end.

[erinwillow]

Hi,

Well, upon reccomendation from our Vet, we have gone with "The Clipper" from Hamilton Research (same folks who brought you the Equitainer). The clipper is their disposable verison and is a nice and tidy version for those breeders on a budget or wishing for a bit of ease of use :cool: for a mere 29.99 you can purchase the clipper and we've had great success with its ability to keep semes fresh and cool, 100% conception rate!! :winkgrin:

[showjumpers66]

We use Equitainers except for shipping to Canada and then use the Equine Express disposables. The advantages to the disposables is that they are cheaper to ship and don't have to be returned, but they also struggle to cool in very hot temps and don't stay as cool as long.

[rideagoldenpony]

We use Equitainers.

I like the peace of mind that I get from them, knowing that if a shipment is hung up anywhere, the contents will arrive in excellent condition (and this did occur this year on a cross country shipment -- and the semen was still "fantastic" according the mare owner's vet, an extra day later). On top of that, should the package be subjected to extremes (in either direction) of temperature, the Equitainer WILL protect the semen.

My goal is pregnant mares for my clients, and I feel that investing in the gold standard of Equitainers is another way I can help make that happen. :)

[Sugarbrook]

AMEN Gretchen. My thoughts exactly.
The only time we use the disposable is for a customer coming to the barn to do a pick up and then a little drive to their farm.

[Windswept Stable]

Someone sent me sperm to use from Texas in a disposable. (its HOT there)..
First shipment was 30% motilitly when it arrived.
Second shipment was ZERO % when it arrived.

It was reported to be 90% when it was collected there.

I wouldnt recommend the disposables. Needless to say -my mare is in season now! Dead sperm do not work so well!


My vet clinic always uses equitainers for our collections and the sperm has always arrived safe and sound ( and motile! )

[Fairview Horse Center]

I generally ship in Equitainers, but I do ship to canada in Clippers. Areas of Canada take 2 days, and the Clipper still holds well, so for most delays, it will still work fine. I shipped to Canada (2 days) last year in June and July and the semen was still super (80%). I do collect late in the day (3-5 PM).

When I run tests on the semen, storing it in the Clipper ends up with better semen than the Equitainer for my stallion. I spoke with another well known stallion station, and he said he found the same thing for the stallions he collects. He said he now always ships in a disposable.

Several other large stallion farms also only use disposables.

Note, all disposables are not equal.

[FriesianX]

I'm in the Central Valley in Northern CA. Highs here are often between 90 and 110. I've had great luck with the better quality disposables. I DO make sure I'm going to be home when the shipment comes, and I don't leave it outside for 2 days. To test the containers, I've used them myself with my boy's semen, and found, even in warm weather, leaving it in the tack room, the sperm is still viable and progressively motile after 3 days.

AND - FedEx just charged me $80 for shipping (something about a 25% fuel surcharge), so NOT having to ship the container back, and not having to chase clients down for the containers is a relief.

[MagicRoseFarm]

I USED to have TWO equitainers....

( yes if anyone gets one with Magic Rose Farm written on it and crossed off, please send it to me, it mysteriously disappeared from a stallion owner's lab- when i sent my own versus giving them a deposit on theirs)

The second was lost at a drop off and never shipped...many years ago, that one I at least got the $100 insurance.

I dreaded buying more of them, but, our boy is fertile, his semen holds, and our vet recommends the disposables in our case. We use Equine Express or Clippers, and have not yet had a problem with them. Our vet USED to breed hundreds of standardbreds for racing, and they use the disposables almost exclusively in that industry.

[Daydream Believer]

I've been using Equitainers. On tests here I've found they work consistently the best over the disposables. I love my new tube style one too! I have "discovered" how nice the tubes are to deal with over the baggies.

I only use the disposables for local shipments also. I guess if someone really wanted a disposable, I'd ship in it but I generally don't recommend them to people who ask. I will look into the Clipper though and perhaps run some tests on it and see how it does for me.

[Tasker]

I USED to have TWO equitainers....

( yes if anyone gets one with Magic Rose Farm written on it and crossed off, please send it to me, it mysteriously disappeared from a stallion owner's lab- when i sent my own versus giving them a deposit on theirs)

The second was lost at a drop off and never shipped...many years ago, that one I at least got the $100 insurance.

I dreaded buying more of them, but, our boy is fertile, his semen holds, and our vet recommends the disposables in our case. We use Equine Express or Clippers, and have not yet had a problem with them. Our vet USED to breed hundreds of standardbreds for racing, and they use the disposables almost exclusively in that industry.

Hey Wendy - we feel your pain! We have 1 of the old 10 gallon bucket style Equitainers left (used to have 12 of them), 1 of the older 'upgrade' Equitainer (used to have 5) and I will not let clients use my new (04 vintage) Equitainer IIs (there are 2 and there will always be 2 for our use gosh darn it!), they have to pay SBS for a rental of one of their Equitainers. All of the 'missing' ones have Watermark Farm & Rawle written all over them but were 'lost' so long ago, it is a lost cause to hunt for them at this point. :sigh:

We only ship in Equitainers due to the increased longevity and heat tolerances. I did buy a Clipper when I got the newest Equitainers in our collection and had a shipment go in March to FL from PA - it arrived at less than 10% motility. While the mare did get pregnant, I just can't justify the risk of having such poor semen arrive at its destination. If you have to do multiple shipments because the semen arrives in poor condition, are you really saving the mare owner $$?

[hluing]

As a mare owner, I recieved an disposable container for the first time this year unexpectedly. The semen traveled from Cal to Fl (luckly in April) and was just fine. I had a sinking feeling when I first saw it, but it seemed to do a very nice job. My vet was even eyeing it and asking about reusing it. Go figure.

Now if I ever stand stallions, I still plan to go with the equitainer unless the mare owner prefers a disposable.

[Edgewood]

Not a stallion owner, but I would say that about 80% of the stallions that I have used in the past 5 years (about 9 breedings into 1 to 3 mares) have used the disposables. My mares have alwasy caught on the first insemination with the exception of 1 mare (who had plancentitis and is 19 y this year).

Now that being said, I have used Edgar's stallions quite a bit and they always come from CA to PA in Equine Express shipments and they have always established pregnancy on the 1st try.

From a ease standpoint, as a mare owner, I prefer the disposables (no shipping back and I like the fact that the semen is already in a syringe). (I do my own breedings). But I am fine if a station ships in an Equitainer as well - I just want good semen!

[Equine Reproduction]

Equitainers are the gold standard for shipping and there is a reason for that. And, while there are definitely stallions that ship well in disposables and stallion owners that do things correctly (Edgar knows his stallions ship well in disposables AND only uses them ONCE!!!! - HUGE kudos for Edgar and other stallion owners who do it RIGHT!) we get to hear about all those mare owners that receive crummy shipments of dead sperm. We've got breeders that call the disposables "Sperm Coffins".

We ship in Equitainers unless specifically requested to ship in a disposable. Some stallions we absolutely refuse to ship in disposables and I won't ship in a disposable during really hot or really cold weather. Also, they are called DISPOSABLE for a reason. The Styrofoam in them will develop micro fractures and those become vectors and will compromise the insulating properties of the shipper. I can't tell you some of the semen we have received or some of the shippers we have received. Some of the top Quarter Horse facilities that charge $350.00 for a collection plus shipping ship in disposables that have been used (I counted shipping labels!!!) 11 times!! AND they wanted the darn thing back! Semen also had less than 10% motility <sigh>.

While I certainly appreciate the economic benefit of using a disposable and saving on the shipping, I also think it can be a false economy if you receive semen from a stallion that doesn't ship well in disposable. Having to order a second shipment, go through a second heat cycle and all the costs associated with that, etc. - well...you get the picture <smile>.

If you're a mare owner consider purchasing an Equitainer for your own use. Ship it out to the stallion owner in advance (so you'll save on shipping by being able to do it via ground). Additionally, one has to consider the impact of using disposables on the environment.

Lastly, if you ARE going to use disposable shippers, they are NOT all created equal as Darlyn noted and there is NO quality control on the ones that are available. We did a research project on them a few years ago and it truly was horrifying how poorly a few of them worked. If you're gonna use one, we recommend the Clipper (from Hamilton Research - makers of the Equitainer) and the Equine Express - available through Exodus Breeders.

Hope the above helps.

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
http://www.equine-reproduction.com

[SLW]

At our clinic we have run into problems with our Equitainers when not enclosing them in a cardboard box. UPS charges extra to handle them un-boxed. We use to wrap duct tape or shipping tape around the fastener but got dinged for that too as the tape clogged up the conveyor belts.

The latest was when I returned Equitainers to the same Texas breeding farm, neither in a box. One was charged about $64 for overnighting and the other one was "audited", per UPS, and given the additional handling charge of $42.

[pintopiaffe]

Also, they are called DISPOSABLE for a reason.

My first experience with AI was a disposable from Silverwood. Took on the first try--20 yo mare her first AI.

My second was from someone else... I was APPALLED at the condition it arrived it. It did not surprize me in the least that the mare came up open. I returned it--as the contract deemed... but purchased my OWN Clipper and had it delivered to the stallion owner for subsequent shipping. Surprize--she took that time. Really, everything else was quite equal--optimal timing etc.

I actually think it's cheaper to purchase my own, (disposable) have it DELIVERED to the SO, and then not have to return it. At least it seems that way. I don't want a used one again. That's for sure.

[Equine Reproduction]

At our clinic we have run into problems with our Equitainers when not enclosing them in a cardboard box. UPS charges extra to handle them un-boxed. We use to wrap duct tape or shipping tape around the fastener but got dinged for that too as the tape clogged up the conveyor belts.

The latest was when I returned Equitainers to the same Texas breeding farm, neither in a box. One was charged about $64 for overnighting and the other one was "audited", per UPS, and given the additional handling charge of $42.

We use FedEx, but I'd be raising a royal stink over that one if I was using UPS. The times I have used UPS, I've never been dinged for the Equitainer not being boxed. The Post Office won't ship them without the biological material being marked out, but beyond that, we've not had any problems shipping with any of the couriers. There's enough competition in the shipping industry these days that there's absolutely no reason for that kind of service. I'm on good terms with our driver (have his cell phone when I need to meet up with him to give him a late collection) and he says FedEx is bending over backwards to accomodate stallion owners as it's BIG business for them. I can definitely see that. On any given day when I step into the FedEx truck there is probably close to 50 Equitainers or disposable shippers and that's just one truck!!

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
http://www.equine-reproduction.com

[Fairview Horse Center]

I have never had any issues with returns of Equitainers from the post office, and nothing marked out??

I don't know if they still do it, but about 8 years ago, I was breeding to a stallion, and the owner was really tight with Equitainers. I received the shipment on Friday, and wanted to help her out, so I dropped off the Equitainer with the Post Office Saturday - sent it Express. It was delivered to her farm on Sunday!! SUNDAY! WOW

At the time, I remember seeing ads that they delivered Express mail, even on Christmas. Has that policy changed?

[Equine Reproduction]

I have never had any issues with returns of Equitainers from the post office, and nothing marked out??

That was post 9/11. I found it to be sporadic in what they demanded but the first year after 9/11, they absolutely would not accept an Equitainer (at least where I was) with it not being in a box or without the biological label being "x'd" out.

I don't know if they still do it, but about 8 years ago, I was breeding to a stallion, and the owner was really tight with Equitainers. I received the shipment on Friday, and wanted to help her out, so I dropped off the Equitainer with the Post Office Saturday - sent it Express. It was delivered to her farm on Sunday!! SUNDAY! WOW

<smile>...They still "will" deliver on Sunday. Problem is that since 9/11, there is almost NO overnight delivery. It's all pretty much 2nd day which doesn't help much in the scheme of things. When I was in Colorado, I could talk the guys at our local post office into accepting shipments on Sunday for overnight delivery and they'd actually get the darn things out and delivered the next day. Little known secret. But, after 9/11, it just doesn't happen anymore. Frustrating.

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
http://www.equine-reproduction.com

At the time, I remember seeing ads that they delivered Express mail, even on Christmas. Has that policy changed?[/QUOTE]

[Signature]

Mare owner here too - we prefer the disposables in normal temps and have never had a problem. It is a pain in the butt and costly to ship the Equitainers back. Today we got a shipment and were glad to see it arrived in an Equitainer though because it was 102 degrees when we drove to FedEx to pick it up... semen was in great shape! So anyway, just our experience and preference.

[Daydream Believer]

Mare owner here too - we prefer the disposables in normal temps and have never had a problem. It is a pain in the butt and costly to ship the Equitainers back. Today we got a shipment and were glad to see it arrived in an Equitainer though because it was 102 degrees when we drove to FedEx to pick it up... semen was in great shape! So anyway, just our experience and preference.

I know you are close to me distance wise. If you get an equitainer you need returned, bring it up here and I can use my account to have it picked up and shipped back...no hassles...I just enter it in their site needing a pick up and they come and get it. I think I get a discount on the shipping also since I'm a registered shipper or something like that. I get the bill in my checking account a few weeks later.

[florida foxhunter]

I know it's less expensive to use a disposable (don't have to pay to return it, but then I've been charged $35 to purchase it for a stallion I used for a CTF sister)............so it only saves maybe $30 or 40 dollars.to use the disposable.........

We always ship in Equitainers.......I feel that the money the mare owner has invested in vets for checking for breeding time, plus the "cost" of missing a heat cycle and thus throwing the foal into a later birthday.(and another breeding cycle and costs)..........is worth the few extra dollars it may cost in return shipping to use the Equitainers.........

Especially with us in Florida........it's been well worth the investment of the Equitainers.......
We've had great success getting our clients mares in foal this year........ALL but one on the first try !!