“I did. I also saw that doing it this way can be more expensive.”
I nodded as I prepped. “That’s true, but only because of the number of ultrasounds I might have to do to figure out ovulation timing. That results in more frequent vet visits, unless you have your own machine and can do it yourself, assuming you know how to read the scans.” I pulled out the portable scanner to make sure Shannon’s estimates were correct.
“The biggest concern is lower conception rates, but the advantages are enormous.” I began listing out all the benefits including being able to purchase ideal semen from stallions living too far away to transport, keeping the specimens frozen until they were needed—which allowed for a much longer retention period than fresh or refrigerated specimens.
“I heard that some sperm doesn’t freeze well?” Shannon said and I agreed.
“That’s true too, but the stallion you chose with Brandon’s help is a regular donor. While complications can arise, to my knowledge, he hasn’t had any issues. From everything Brandon said, Kingston is a great stallion. He’s in good health and has great genes. Unfortunately, he tends to be a bit feisty around the ladies, which is why he’s only used for AI.”
I had everything I needed and looked over at Shannon. “I’m ready when you are.” At her nod, I added, “Okay. It’s going to be uncomfortable for her, so be sure to keep her calm.”
I tried to work as quickly as I could. While AI was a safe option, it wasn’t particularly pleasant for the mare or the vet. At least it was quick. Less than five minutes later, I was finished and pulling off my gloves.
“That’s it?” Shannon asked looking over at me.
“For now. I’ll stop back in a day or two to check her ovulation and make there’s no inflammation, and then I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to confirm the pregnancy. A couple weeks later, we will be able to check for twins.”
“She could have twins? I mean, I know she could have twins but…” Shannon perked up at that and I knew her excitement was more about the prospect of seeing two young foals scampering about than the potential for profit, and I’d expect nothing less from her.
“It’s always a possibility with any equine pregnancy and if she is having two, we’ll need to keep an extra eye on her. Let me finish getting packed up and I’ll get out of your hair.” I left Shannonfussing with the young mare and had just finished loading up when she appeared beside me.
“Declan?” I turned to look at her and saw that she was rubbing her hands. She looked down, realized what she was doing, and dropped them to her sides. “I just wanted to say thank you. For everything. I’m still not one hundred percent certain about using AI, but I appreciate that you were willing to work with me on this.”
Shannon still looked unsure. I resisted the urge to treat her as if she were a frightened horse. She wouldn’t appreciate the comparison even if it did fit in this moment.
“Anytime. I want you to succeed. And if this works out, then it’ll open up avenues for you to expand operations.”
“What, like Becca?” The venom in her tone caught me off guard.
“Uh. I didn’t get the impression that you were interested in something like that. Nor would I suggest it.” She opened her mouth to say something more and I held up my hand to stop her. “It isn’t that I think you’re not capable of scaling up like Black Hat. But I’d like to think that I know you well enough to say that it isn’t something that would interest you. One of the major assets to Lost Valley’s breeding program is the individualized care and love you give to the every one of the horses. Anyone who purchases from you knows that they’ll get a horse that’s happy and healthy and worthy of whatever they intend to do with it. Understand?”
Shannon nodded her head and I could have sworn I saw tears misting her eyes. In that moment, I wanted to reach out and hug her. Tell her that everything would be okay. While these changes were scary and unsettling, she was doing great and her mareswould be too. Instead, I kept my damn mouth shut knowing full well that later on, I’d be kicking myself for not saying more.
“All right. Keep an eye on Iris and I’ll text you with my availability either later today or tomorrow morning.”
As I was driving away, I caught sight of Shannon in my rearview mirror. Regret kicked in just as I expected, and I chastised myself for not trying to console her.
FIFTEEN
DECLAN
It was early when I headed out to Lost Valley Ranch. Ever since I’d inserted the sample in Iris, I’d worried about whether it would take. While I stood by the advantages of using AI, live cover was far more straightforward with minimal requirements for veterinarian interactions.
Ford yipped where he sat next to me in the truck and I rolled the window down so he could stick his head out.
I pulled up near the barn and was surprised to see Josh. I didn’t think Shannon had shared any of this with him yet—and if that was the case, I didn’t want to give anything away. It should be her story to share.
“Hey! Good to see you,” he said, reaching out to shake my hand. “This must be Ford.” Ever the ham, Ford wagged his tail so hard, his butt wiggled along with it.
“Yep. My sidekick. How are you doing? Everything okay?”
“Business is fine. Nervous about the upcoming wedding,” he said. Josh had crouched down to pet Ford who’d promptly fallen over and presented his belly for rubs.
“The engagement party was great, so you’re off to a good start. And honestly, given the way the two of you were looking at each other, all you really need to do is survive all the wedding details. Then you’ll have the rest of your lives for everything else.”
Josh rose back up and clapped me on the back. “I was a bit worried about what advice you might give, but you didn’t do too bad,” he joked.
“Hey!” I paused. “Actually, though, you might want to ask me again after I’m a bit more awake. I’m not actually sure how coherent I am right now.”
