ABOUT CARMYLE
CARMYLE VETERINARY SERVICES, QUIPOLLY NSW
Carmyle Veterinary Services is a busy facility, stunningly located overlooking the Quipolly Dam, south of Tamworth, NSW. The property consists of 1,000 hectares of well-tended hill paddocks and pastures, where the large Carmyle herd of recipient mares run.
Head Veterinarian, Dr Alan Simson, best known to all as Al purchased the property in 2011, with his wife, Shelley, leading to the beginning of Carmyle. Today, with up to 400 recip mares on the property, Al’s son, Will, spends many hours on the pre-season preparation of the paddocks, and pasture improvement. Will’s careful management contributes greatly to the overall health of these mares.
‘Our Recip Program predominately uses Thoroughbred and Standardbred mares for the embryos taken from performance mares, consisting of showjumpers, dressage, cutting, stock and pleasure mares. We find it best to run the recip mares in larger paddocks— we have the space to keep them, which means more mares to choose from when transferring an embryo, and this allows Al to achieve the best transfer rate. It’s also important to match the recip mare with the donor mare, based on cycling. We have smaller paddocks and stable agistment for client mares, and excellent stallion accommodation. Most importantly, I’m very lucky to have such a good, dedicated and hardworking team, and as a team, we’re constantly evolving Carmyle to run the recip mares, creating the right movement and safety.’
The Carmyle Services within the equine reproduction program include artificial insemination, embryo flushing and embryo transfer. The breeding facilities and with a laboratory are set up to handle stallion semen, and semen storage. Carmyle have the facilities to stand stallions, to collect and evaluate semen, collect and AI, cool ship Australia-wide, freeze and ship, or store. When it comes to stallion management at Carmyle,’ Al says. ‘The services include collection of fresh semen for shipping, insemination and freezing, and Epididymal semen freezing, which is when semen is flushed from the epididymis and frozen’.
The Carmyle team also focus on lameness issues, using X-ray and Endoscopic examination, equine sports medicine, lameness work and rehabilitation.
‘Al is proud of Carmyle Veterinary Services and is constantly continuing his quest to provide excellent value for service and deliver clients the best results possible. Al has great appreciation of the many clients that support their services - clients that have been with them from day one.’
ABOUT
Dr. Alan Simson
BVSc MACVSc MRCVS
DECADES OF LEARNING
Dr. Alan Simson has been at the forefront of equine reproduction techniques for more than thirty years.
Al graduated from Sydney University in 1976, with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) & 1982 MACVSc (Equine Medicine), and never stopped wanting to learn. He has worked at the Hunter Valley Stud Farms through Scone NSW, and also in England, Kentucky USA, and helded the Senior Veterinarian position at Ellerston, NSW to look after Kerry Packer’s 700 horses and 11,000 head of cattle on 5 properties. Through the twenty years of embryo transfer at Ellerston, Al has produced international polo ponies through ET that competed in the British Open Polo to win three times and also played in the Argentine Open. Mares that have history of reproductive problems have been sent to Dr. Simson from across Australia. Through his extensive patience, knowledge, passion, and experience, he often achieves success.
While Al is proud of what he’s achieved, he feels extremely privileged and grateful for working with different Vets from overseas and throughout Australia. Many vets have interned with Al, wanting to expand their knowledge and skills, and have since gone on to continue a career in repro work.
Al says he has great appreciation of the many clients that support their services - clients that have been with them from day one.
‘Every breeding season, I love welcoming our new clients. I learn from them, as I hope they learn from me. I couldn’t do without my incredible team, and love having my family working alongside me, as well as some local young adults and colleagues all who share our love and appreciation of horses. Al says ‘I consider myself a fortunate man. I get up every morning, go to a job I love doing and work with the animals I love.’
