This course addresses veterinarians planning to start in the equine embryo transfer business, as well as advanced veterinarians who are planning to gain deeper knowledge in the industry.
The course fee includes coffee breaks, lunch, dinner, and printed handouts. You can book accommodation incl. breakfast at a reduced rate at the hotel.
The venue is located near Hamburg.
How to get to the venue:
Hamburg airport: just a 45-minute drive away (54 km)
Itzehoe train station: approx. 30 - 40 minutes by public transport.
However, we might be able to organize transfer to/from the airprot and the train station in advance,
Venue Information - Hotel Gut Breitenburg
ELEGANT, MODERN, WITH TRADITION
Welcome to Hotel Breitenburg, your feel-good place. Here, you will find everything you need for a perfect break from our wet-labs and everyday life. An exclusive hotel with a fascinating history, a restaurant with first-class cuisine and specialties from the region and last but not least: a SPA where you can unwind and recharge your batteries.
So we suggest to you to take the chance and extend your visit and bring your partner to enjoy a bit of exclusive relaxing time before or after our wet labs. We guarantee you for this extra stays the special rates, that we agreed on with the hotel during our wet labs.
For more information visit: www.hotel-breitenburg.de
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16. October 2025
| 11:30 |
Informal welcome reception and registration with Nordic specialties |
| 13:00 |
Welcome and introduction to the course |
| 13:15 |
History and future of equine embryo transfer (conventional flush, ICSI, IVF, cloning). What are the advantages |
| 14:15 |
From insemination/fertilization to the blastocyst stage. Early embryonic development. What is the best stage to flush and transfer? |
| 15:15 |
Coffee break |
| 15:35 |
2 parallel wet labs:
Wet Lab 1: Methods and materials (demonstration of different consumables and gears available, setting up the gear how to flush a mare)
Wet lab 2: case discussion on uterine conformation and diseases of recipient mares
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| 16:20 |
Change of groups, wet labs as above |
| 17:10 |
Transfer to the clinic |
| 17:30 |
Guided tour, with special emphasis on minimum legal requirements, lab setup, etc.) |
| 18:45 |
Return to the hotel |
| 19:30 |
Dinner at the hotel |
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17. October 2025
| 07:00 - 08:30 |
Breakfast buffet at the hotel |
| 08:30 |
What to consider to manage the donor |
| 09:05 |
What to consider to manage the recipient (examination incl. Doppler sonography) |
| 09:35 |
Factors affecting recovery and pregnancy rates in the Equine Embryo Transfer Program |
| 10:35 |
Coffee break |
| 11:00 |
Embryo handling, packaging, shipping, and washing for direct transfer.
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| 11:40 |
Embryo grading |
| 12:10 |
Embryo transfer: conventional vs. Wilsher |
| 12:30 |
Lunch |
| 14:00 |
Embryo cryopreservation. Slow freezing vs vitrification. Handling and thawing of frozen embryos |
| 15:00 |
Monitoring the (successfully implanted) recipient: Twins, triplets, delayed embryonic development, ...) |
| 15:30 |
Coffee break |
| 16:00 |
Protocols for using subfertile stallions; sperm selection, single-dose straws for successful inseminations/transfers. |
| 16:30 |
Pre-implantation diagnostics: from sexing to determination of traits and diseases. |
| 17:00 |
How to successfully implement equine embryo transfer into your practice. |
| 17:30 |
Tips and tricks, discussion, Q&A |
| 19:00 |
Dinner at the hotel |
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18. October 2025 (practical day!)
| 07:00 - 08:00 |
Breakfast buffet at the hotel |
| 08:00 |
Transfer to clinic |
| 08:05 |
3 parallel wetlabs (participants divided into 3 groups)
wet lab 3: post mortem oocyte recovery
wet lab 4: flushing mares
wet lab 5: embryo handling, searching, preparation, packaging for shipping or direct transfer
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| 09:35 |
same as above with rotated groups |
| 11:05 |
same as above with rotated groups |
| 12:35 |
Lunch break |
| 13:30 |
3 parallel wetlabs (participants divided into 3 groups)
wet lab 6: practical embryotransfer: conventional vs Wilsher
wet lab 7: Freezing and thawing embryos, slow freezing, vitrification
wet lab 8: semen evaluation and preparation for embryotransfer
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| 15:00 |
same as above |
| 16:30 |
same as above |
| 18:00 |
Final discussion. |
| 18:30 |
End of course |
| 20:00 |
For those participants staying one more night, dinner (on your expenses) or just use the SPA facilities at the hotel after the return :-) |
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Dipl. ECAR
Keros Embryotransfer Center
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Dr.
Innovumlab, founder and managing director, Embryologist; Estonian University of Life Sciences, Chair of Animal Breeding and Biotechnology
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Dr.
Tierarztpraxis Gestüt Buchenhof, Partner; VETART GmbH, Managing director.
