Four new foals are leading the field in the race to develop insemination techniques that could forever change the face of the multibillion-dollar international horse-breeding industry.

XY Inc., a Colorado biotech company, has announced the birth of the world’s first foals to be born from mares impregnated via artificial insemination combined with low-dose sexed semen.

“To achieve pregnany in horses using artificial insemination and low-dose sexed semen is a major breakthrough in the highly complex process of horse breeding,” said Dr. Mervyn Jacobson, chief executive officer of XY. “The fact no surgical intervention was required makes these births even more important.”

XY expects in the coming years to commercialize the technique that combines AI with low-dose sexed semen, Jacobson added