Solo Select
Mares and foals grazing at golden hour at Solo Select in North Texas

Services · North Texas

Equine ICSI Services

A single egg. A single sperm. A foal from the mare you cannot afford to pull from competition, and from semen too rare, frozen, or limited to breed any other way.

Talk to the reproduction officeSee full reproduction pricing
Recipient mares in the herd
2,500+

Recipient mares in the herd

Frozen-embryo thaw and transfer, no shipping back out
On site

Frozen-embryo thaw and transfer, no shipping back out

Embryo intake hub, shipments accepted from across the country
National

Embryo intake hub, shipments accepted from across the country

In-house diagnostics lab supporting every cycle
USDA

In-house diagnostics lab supporting every cycle

When ICSI is the right call

ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, is the advanced form of in vitro embryo production in horses. A single sperm is injected into a single mature egg, the fertilized egg is grown into an embryo in the laboratory, and that embryo is carried by a recipient mare. Some people call the result a test tube foal. The technique earns its place in four situations.

  • Your mare is still competing.

    OPU may allow a performance mare to remain in competition while a recipient carries the pregnancy. Her veterinarian and trainer should plan around examination, aspiration, travel, and recovery.

  • The semen is rare, frozen, low in count, or from a stallion that has died.

    Because ICSI needs only one sperm per egg, it stretches limited semen efficiently. It may be the only practical option when a deceased stallion's remaining frozen semen is extremely limited, low quality, poorly motile, or unsuitable for conventional insemination.

  • The mare is older or has struggled to carry.

    The embryo develops in the lab and is carried by a recipient, not by the donor.

  • You want more than one foal from a mare in a season.

    A single collection can yield multiple embryos, each with its own recipient.

A rider loping a roan mare under saddle

The process

From egg to confirmed heartbeat

  1. Egg (oocyte) collection

    Oocytes are recovered from the mare's ovarian follicles by ultrasound-guided aspiration while she stands under sedation. The industry calls this OPU, or ovum pick-up. Suitable recovered oocytes are matured and evaluated in the laboratory before injection.

  2. Laboratory fertilization

    The eggs go to our laboratory partner, Genetech, where a single sperm is injected into each mature egg.

  3. Embryo culture

    Fertilized eggs are cultured for roughly seven to ten days, until the viable ones develop into embryos.

  4. Transfer or freeze

    Each viable embryo is transferred into a recipient mare or frozen for a later cycle.

  5. Recipient match

    Embryos are matched to a recipient from a herd of more than 2,500 mares.

  6. Pregnancy confirmation

    The pregnancy is monitored to a confirmed heartbeat, with real-time text updates from collection onward.

Red roan mare standing square in a professional conformation photo

The lab work behind the cycle

Fertilization is performed through our laboratory partner, Genetech. Every cycle is supported by our own USDA-approved diagnostics lab in Gainesville, Texas, led by Dr. Kianna Spencer, DVM, MS, DACT, which runs the reproductive health testing a cycle depends on: progesterone, endometrial cytology, uterine culture, and Coggins, including one-hour rapid results.

The transfer itself happens here. We thaw and transfer frozen embryos on site at our own facility, so an embryo never has to be shipped back out.

Recipient pricing

Fresh ICSI recipient-mare lease

Fresh ICSI lease fee

$6,500

per pregnancy

Recipient-mare lease fee, due at the 24-day positive heartbeat check. A separate $1,000 embryo-transfer fee applies per attempt; the per-mare deposit covers the first attempt. This does not include ICSI embryo-production costs.

The full picture

Thawed embryo transfer and fresh flush are priced separately on the reproduction services page, alongside recipient-mare leasing and year-round mare care.

See full reproduction pricing

Logistics

Ship your mare, or ship the eggs

Solo Select runs a national embryo intake hub and accepts embryos shipped from facilities across the country for transfer into our recipient herd. Because we thaw and transfer on site, embryos do not have to be shipped back out again. If you would rather bring your mare here for collection, or you are deciding between shipping the mare and shipping the eggs, the reproduction office will route it. Space is limited during breeding season, so book early.

Where next

Turn a cycle into a program

Good to know

ICSI questions, answered

What is equine ICSI?

ICSI, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, is an advanced form of in vitro embryo production in horses. A single sperm is injected directly into a mature oocyte after collection and laboratory maturation. The injected oocyte is cultured as it develops toward the blastocyst stage, and a suitable embryo may be transferred to a recipient mare or frozen. At Solo Select Horses, oocytes are collected, fertilized through our laboratory partner Genetech, and the resulting embryos are transferred on site into a recipient herd of more than 2,500 mares.

How does the ICSI process work, step by step?

The mare's oocytes are recovered from ovarian follicles by ultrasound-guided aspiration while she stands under sedation, a step known as OPU, or ovum pick-up. The recovered oocytes go to the laboratory for maturation and evaluation, and a single sperm is injected into each mature oocyte. Developing embryos are cultured to the blastocyst stage; suitable blastocysts may be transferred into a recipient mare or vitrified. Solo Select manages the full pipeline from collection through confirmed pregnancy, with real-time text updates from collection to confirmed heartbeat.

How much does horse ICSI cost?

At Solo Select Horses, $6,500 is the recipient-mare lease fee for a fresh ICSI embryo, due at the 24-day positive heartbeat check. A $1,000 embryo-transfer fee applies per transfer attempt; a $1,000 per-mare deposit reserves the recipient and covers the first attempt. This is recipient-mare pricing, not the cost of producing an ICSI embryo. Costs vary across the industry because they are often split into separate charges for collection, laboratory work, and recipient lease. For Solo's full reproduction pricing, including thawed embryo transfer and fresh flush, see the reproduction services page.

Why choose ICSI instead of live cover or embryo transfer?

ICSI is the right choice when a mare is still competing, when semen is rare, frozen, low in count, or from a deceased stallion, or when an older or sub-fertile mare has struggled to carry with conventional breeding. Because ICSI uses one selected sperm per mature oocyte, it can use limited semen efficiently. OPU may also allow a mare to remain in competition, subject to veterinary scheduling, travel, and recovery.

Can I do ICSI without pulling my mare out of competition?

Often, but not without planning. OPU may allow a donor mare to remain in competition because a recipient carries the pregnancy. Her veterinarian and trainer should set the schedule around examination, aspiration, travel, recovery, and the mare's individual needs.

Does ICSI work for older or sub-fertile mares?

ICSI was developed in part to produce foals from mares that struggle to conceive or carry, including older mares and mares with reproductive challenges, because the embryo is grown in the lab and carried by a recipient mare rather than by the donor. Solo Select's recipient herd of more than 2,500 mares means a suitable recipient is matched to each transfer.

Can ICSI use frozen semen or semen from a deceased stallion?

Yes. ICSI needs only a single sperm per egg, so it is the standard way to make foals from frozen, rare, low-count, or low-motility semen, and it may be the only practical option when a deceased stallion's remaining frozen semen is extremely limited, low quality, poorly motile, or unsuitable for conventional insemination. Death alone does not require ICSI; usable frozen semen may also be used for conventional breeding.

Do I ship my mare, or ship the eggs?

Solo Select operates a national embryo intake hub and accepts embryos shipped from facilities across the country for on-site transfer. Solo also performs on-site frozen-embryo thaw and transfer at its own facility, so embryos never have to be shipped back out. To route your mare or embryos, contact the reproduction office by call or text at 903-436-7021 or office@soloselect.com.

Where does the ICSI laboratory work happen?

Solo Select's egg fertilization is performed through its laboratory partner Genetech, and its in-house USDA-approved diagnostics lab in Gainesville, Texas, led by Dr. Kianna Spencer, DVM, MS, DACT, supports each cycle with reproductive health testing such as progesterone, endometrial cytology, uterine culture, and Coggins.

Is an ICSI foal eligible for the Solo Select Sale?

Yes. Every foal bred, conceived, or born with Solo Select is eligible for the Solo Select Sale, which turns an ICSI cycle into a path to a marketed, sale-ready prospect rather than a stand-alone breeding service.

Can I ICSI to a stallion standing at Solo Select?

Yes. Several stallions standing at Solo Select offer an ICSI contract alongside their standard fresh and frozen options, so a mare owner can pair a Solo sire with the ICSI pipeline in one place.

ICSI Services

Ready to plan a cycle

Call or text 903-436-7021Email office@soloselect.com

Tell us about your mare and the semen you want to use. We will walk you through collection, timing, and what to expect. Space is limited during breeding season, so reach out early.

Learn how equine ICSI worksBack to all services

Reproduction contact form

Prefer to send details in writing? Fill out the form and the reproduction office will follow up. You can also call or text 903-436-7021 or email office@soloselect.com.