I already know what you're going to say, but this still needs to be said even if you refuse to use logic, reason and rationality to base your decisions upon. Then again, we all think we're above reality at some point and breeding horses is no exception.
Consider this a long overdue intervention.
You're Not God
This is as good a place to start as any. We begin imagining what a perfect foal we could produce by breeding our mare. Not only do we love our mare because she’s the epitome of what being horse is, just image how incredible her foal could be because now we have the ultimate power to control how spectacular that foal could be.
Yeah, right. Of course when that foal arrives and is wild, crazy, out of his mind and too much for you to handle I’ll just be sitting here laughing at you. The reason your mare is so awesome is because someone put time and energy into her and she’s gained some years on her. She was probably a royal pain in the ass as a foal but instead of understanding what goes into the making of a great horse you’ve become convinced it’s contained within genetic material.
The chances of you producing a horse as great as your mare is right now are next to nil. Why? Because you’re approaching it butthole-backwards. You need to learn how to train a horse, not breed one.
Where do you think all those horses for sale come from? They’re the outcome of a bunch of idiots who also thought it would be great to breed their mare and later decided it didn’t turn out as they [imagined] [dreamed] [hallucinated]. Go buy one of their fuck-ups instead of breeding your own.
Shit Happens
Have you been longing to breed your own because then you can control every aspect of their [life] [care] [training] [safety] unlike all the other horses that are for sale and god-only-knows what’s happened to them in their life already?
You might want to sit down for this one.
There’s no such thing as control in regards to horses. None. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Nada.
That foal you breed has as much a chance of injury, a mistake in their training or heaven-forbid some life-altering experience that leaves them untrainable as the rest of the lot already available for sale or rescue. I know, I know.. “I’d never let anything happen to my foal!” Bullshit. Crap happens and that’s the reality of it.
You think every owner ever planned on their horse poking their eye out in a freak pasture accident, getting beat by the trainer you trusted and hired, contracting EPM or being born with with a severe limb deformity preventing them from doing anything but babysitting your pasture? Exactly.
You're Not Going To Improve The Breed
Let’s face it, you’re flying by the seat of your pants with your breeding strategy and have nothing to offer towards improving or preserving the breed. Chances are actually pretty good you’ve been contemplating some kind of [exotic] [bizarre] [freakish] [horrible] cross because a purebred horse lacks something significant or isn’t [fancy] [strange] [confusing] [embarrassing] [enough of a freak of nature]. It’s okay, you can admit it — besides if you do actually follow through with this mating you’re going to spend the rest of that horse’s life being embarrassed about what a shitty decision you made.
This also goes back to the “being god” thing. You have a better chance of ending up on reality tv as a hoarder who’s managed to collect/breed 50+ horses who are starving to death and unhandled than you do of making a serious contribution to the breed you’re fondest of.
We're All Barn Blind
I remember the first time I heard this phrase in my life, and I was annoyed by it instantly; probably because someone was using it to describe me (how dare they?!) and my affection for one of my horses (who I didn’t actually breed but did rescue). Let’s face it, we’re all barn blind and manage to love some of the ugliest, least-talented horses in the world. That’s fine if you’re rescuing or buying that horse, but there’s just no excuse for breeding them on top of it all.
Take a minute to repeat after me (out loud is more effective): “I am barn blind, probably the most barn blind person on the planet and should not breed my mare.”
Feel better? I do.
The Checklist
If you’re still [convinced] [delusional] enough to believe you’re not in this camp, here’s a basic checklist to run through before committing to breeding your mare.
1. Is your mare registered with a reputable breed association?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? Do not pass go, do not collect $200 and most certainly DO NOT breed your mare.
- “She’s registered with the [half] [crossbreed] [color breed] [pinto] [random made-up breed to legitimise weird crossbreeds] [performance horse] [discipline] association/registry/organization.” No, and now you’re just being a jerk. Go back to the barn, hang out with your horse and let go of your need to breed. You’re making yourself look bad.
2. Is your mare healthy, sound and conformationally superior?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? Your journey ends here.
- Unsure? If you have to ask a group of strangers [online] [in a tack store] [in a feed store] [at a show] then the answer is most definitely NO.
3. Does your mare have a desirable/stable temperament?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? This is not the mating you’re looking for, turn back now.
4. Does your mare have a performance record?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? You should know where this is leading by now. Do I really need to remind you?
- “I don’t compete.” That’s just great, then you should continue not competing and enjoy the horse you have right now doing what it is you enjoy doing and most definitely NOT breed your mare.
5. Does the prospective mate have all aforementioned traits?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? What kind of Frankenstein baby are you trying to breed? DO NOT breed your mare.
- “I found him online and he looks great in the photos!” OMFG, hold please while I slap myself in the face… with a hammer. You should meet the prospective mate and know what you’re dealing with before committing to 20+ years of whatever genetic material he’s going to pass on. Would you have a baby with some guy/girl you saw photos of online and never met? And I swear to the dear baby Jesus if you say yes then DO NOT breed your mare, and most definitely DO NOT procreate yourself.
6. Have both of the potential mates been evaluated to possess all the aforementioned traits by an impartial professional?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? Remember the discussion we had about being barn blind? Good, now get an impartial opinion or give up now.
7. Are you financially prepared to handle all potential costs of breeding and foaling — including emergency veterinary care should something unexpected happen?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? Let me remind you that shit happens. It could cost thousands or tens of thousands in emergency vet bills should the unexpected happen and the foaling not go as planned. The foal could be born with a deformity requiring hospitalization, therapy, medication and more — potentially for the rest of its life. Your mare could die in the process, are you willing to risk her life for the sake of breeding her?
8. Are you prepared to buy back offspring in bad situations?
- Yes? Continue.
- No? NOPE, NOPE, NOPE, DO NOT breed your mare. You’ll be nothing more than a puppy mill for horses.
- “But I’m going to keep the foal it’s entire life.” Yeah, okay let’s play devil’s advocate and assume nothing in your life happens unexpectedly like say, oh.. [divorce] [bankruptcy] [unemployment] [health problems] [natural disaster] [a death in the family, or your own death] [you decide you want to pursue your life’s passion after all and that requires you move to some obscure foreign country and you can’t take your horse(s) with you] — then of course by all means you’re good to go.
What’s your total score? You need 8/8 before you’re ready to seriously contemplate moving forwards.
BONUS DISQUALIFIERS
Any of the following immediately disqualify you —
- Your mare is [old] [getting older] and this might be the last chance you have at breeding her and getting a foal.
- You’d like to breed your [lame] [injured] [difficult] mare to a better stallion to fix whatever fault(s) she has.
- You won a breeding in a [raffle] [auction].
- A stallion owner has offered to breed your mare for [free] [the cost of boarding] [the cost of insemination] [your firstborn child].
- You really want a foal by some amazing stallion; you can’t afford to buy one of his offspring but you can afford to buy a cup of his semen and the insemination fee.
- You’ve always wanted to foal a horse.
- You’ve always wanted to train a foal.
- You’ve always wanted to imprint a foal.
- Your mare is homozygous for [tobiano] [black] [cream] [dun] [sorrel] [crazy].
- Because foals are sooooo cute!!!
- *Because you want your child[ren] to experience the miracle of life! (kudos to Kathy Smith!)
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What a load of bollocks!
Why the hell should you only breed more inbreds in stead of looking past that and breeding on character, health and perhaps beauty,
I think you are missing the point. Which likely means you are off to breed your mare…
🙂 🙂 🙂 Exactly what I was thinking,,,somebody missed the humor and wisdom of this!
Attend an auction and watch horses be loaded and shipped to slaughter in Mexico because the offspring did not meet the owners expectations. Or, they got injured and the owner did not want to pay the vet bill so they dump them at auction so they make $300 to $400 off the kill buyer. Or TBs that made $80,000 last week but bowed a tendon and are not worth rehabbing so they dump them at auction. You can find the star horse you want at auction. Most of the horses that end up there are perfectly trained, young and beautiful horses. Stop breeding and supporting horse slaughter.
^^^This! So much this!
I agree. Breeding average or inferior horses only leads to more horses at slaughter. It doesn’t make sense to bring more poor quality horses into the world when good ones are going to slaughter. Did u know that this happens in people as well, there’s a detonate link here. The higher a woman’s IQ the fewer children she is likely to have. The lower the IQ, the more children she is likely to have. I’m not talking about education, I’m talking about genetic intelligence. I guess we can’t expect more for our horses than we do for ourselves.
Amen and Amen! I love people like Bobby Kerr who don’t breed and DO rescue Mustangs from the BLM. People like him show how amazing a wild horse can be with proper support, nutrition and training. I support, monthly, a rescue group, that saves the horse from the Mexico Trucks and Kill Buyers, rehabs and finds good, reliable homes. I have rescued a horses (and dogs) and found good homes myself, personally. I see no reason to breed anything, including HUMANS, where there are so many in slaughter pens and orphanages. My favorite color horse is RESCUE.
I also have bought starved horses from abbatoirs many with dislocated limbs.but I’m able to put the joints back in situ. I have kept Every hohorse I rescuef
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! Foal Mill indeed!
Well said and I agree stop supplying slaughter yards, I have a beautiful paint mare and I started back riding in the shows and having the time of my life and I will never put her in foal and people say that’s a waste of a good mare and I say no it’s not why do I have to breed with her when I am not interested at all, just want to enjoy showing and riding with my friends, and when I died I rather her be put to sleep and be cremated and put all our ashes together than someone else gets her and breeds or ends up in slaughter house.
I missed a few on that check list but most is yes…. I breed good sound ranch horses and have showed in the Ranch Versatility.. A lot of this is true but a little sided I think. I have very happy clientele…
I think you missed the point. We all know there are some great breeders out there. If no one bred anything that would be sad too. It sounds like you know what you’re doing!
Because you are not a breeding expert and can not know how exteriour and interiour mixes between the parent horses!
Brilliant article!!
Very blunt and to the point, and that is exactly what these back yard breeders need. Sadly I fear that these people will always be the ones that become hostile and think that you and everyone else that know this kind of breeding is irresponsible believe that bad things only happen to the proverbial “other” people.
I’m off to post this blog on my Facebook page and hopefully it will travel quickly and possibly stop someone from bringing another baby into the world when there are soooooo many out there that need a home.
Jenn, I so agree, no more back yard breeding!!!! And further no more breeding to perhaps improve on the current, purebred, registered horses you already have!!! Throw away try again breeding! No more breeding for the track!!! No more breeding for the perfect performance horse! Because every time Any one puts a baby on the ground one more horse gets slaughtered, goes without. It is simple logic, supply and demand! The value of horses is in a steady decline as the abundance grows. “Don’t Breed!!!!!
That’s wonderful! I wish more people thought your way.
I believe in the premise of the article that most mares should not be bred. However, the spokes in the wheel are not correct. Most of the best marres never competed in sport. The first question to ask is does the mare come from a mother with a history of production. You must know the family.
In Europe, many reputable breeders will not breed their mares until they have been trained to ride. While this may not be performance, the breeders can tell the mare’s intelligence, patience level and temperament under saddle. That does give the breeder more information about what should or should not be bred.
So if everyone stops breeding, then what? If the responsible, judicious breeders stop, there will soon be noting left but crap that the idiots churn out………..
Then possibly the over-population of horses stands a chance and more horses could see a secure future than they currently do now. It isn’t just an argument over the quality of horses produced, but also the quantity. All breeders are contributing to this overpopulation, whether that is their business or they’re just breeding their personal mare instead of buying a horse already on the ground.
Furthermore, the idea that all people should continue breeding indiscriminately because otherwise there will be nothing but a glut of poor-quality horses available is a poor argument. Intelligence doesn’t protect you from producing poor quality horses, and idiocy doesn’t exclude you from producing quality horses. These things are not exclusive.
But as long as everyone (be they responsible/irresponsible, etc) continues breeding without looking at the bigger picture it will continue to damage and threaten the welfare of all horses. As some have pointed out in the comments, even horses who have won big for their owners have found themselves aboard a slaughter-bound truck and wouldn’t many argue that a winning horse has some merit of quality?
How about you have your own opinion and let others have theirs?
Was not aware I was actively preventing others from having their own opinion(s).. Quite excited about this new power I seem to have gained!
Excellent! There are enough horses in the world in desperate need of homes without adding to the problem. Well said!
Thank you!! That is the most honest and amazing speech – my mother used to say the very same thing – there are far too many horses / dogs/ cats/ hedgehogs out there already— do your research and find one.
A thousand times YES! Too many nice horses out there who are already looking for homes. Please do not breed. ( :
I have posted this article on my Facebook page. You have covered everything that I have preached (to a sometimes hostile audience) for years. I have never understood why people with no training skills – and often no money to have a horse trained – decide to bring a 1200 lb. animal into the world with no other thought than “I want my mare to have a baby”.
If you are not ready and able to take financial and physical responsibility from birth to death then do not breed. It would be nice to see regulations in place to disallow breeding without the necessary paperwork ie registered breeder, etc. thereby making ‘other’ offspring unmarketable.
This suggestion could also be used for cats and dogs.
I completely agree!! Too many fools who don’t know what they’re doing !!
and people lets put a regulation on that too as there are some people that should not breed.
This is such a fantastic article and says it exactly how it is!
Right now I am fighting with a friend of mine who is allowing her 14 year old daughter to breed her mare with her boyfriends stallion! Its incredibly irresponsible and frankly stupid !! I’m upset with both the friend and the parents of this boy who are permitting this!! Its like if they were having a baby themself!
Ive shown this article to them in hopes that they will change their mind before they kill this poor mare who is only 13.5 hands and not in the best of health! And I was told to mind my own business !!! Is there any way I can help this poor horse and the possible foal of the future from this lunacy ?? What do you suggest I do or should I just mind my own business??
Any advice would be appreciated !!
Send them a a few Auction/Rescue pages (NOT HiCaliber..) to give them an idea of how so many end up…after that it really is a case MYOB. But you might re consider who you call friend…sounds like a sad situation…
I feel that the ‘big’ breeders are actually as much or more to blame for so many unwanted horses. They produce dozens every year and sell all the ones they feel are not champion material. That is not considered backyard breeding as the mares and stallions in these operations are usually champions themselves….what happens to all the offspring that are ‘culled’ from these large breeding programs?
Just fuel for thought…..
She didn’t say that big breeders aren’t the problem. They 99% of the time don’t hit all 8 out of 8 requirements she has listed there anyway. The way this is all laid out a small performance breeder who breeds 1 or 2 mares a year is more likely to meet 8 of 8 than any large factory QH breeder.
I have to take issue – have to.
Competition/the show ring is NOT the ONLY reason a horse should exist and it is not the only thing a horse should be bred for. Also, you cannot ride a set of papers.
The best trail horse I ever rode is a Quarter Horse/Belgian cross, both parents registered. I don’t know much about the sire’s record, I do know he was high percentage foundation QH, but the dam was a proven pulling horse used to pull covered wagon. That mare should not have been bred by your rules.
She wasn’t bred to faff around in the show ring. She was bred to be a TRAIL horse. By which, I don’t mean that casual hour or two on Sunday afternoon on easy trails – this horse could finish any 100-miler in good condition (Albeit not in the best of time – she has all of her dam’s speed , as it were). This is a horse that would go all day in difficult terrain, never taking a lame step. Add in attractive, well balanced conformation and a temperament that nicely balanced friendliness with honesty – she was also well trained, of course.
Why would you want a horse like that, a horse with a job, a horse that’s making its owner good money not to exist because, oh, well, they don’t compete? (That mare had a foal this year by a foundation QH stallion, a very attractive colt who will make the ranch a very good trail gelding in a few years…I have faith in that baby).
There is absolutely nothing wrong with breeding good trail horses and I suspect a lot of people who think there is have never done REAL trail riding and have never been in a position where your life literally depends on the good sense of your horse or mule.
I agree with you I have a mustang that I bred two years ago and her colt who is now 11 mos old is a well minded respectful horse who i think will even outshine his mom on the trail and who could probably also mop it up in a show ring. By your list my mare should not have been bred for the simple fact she is a mustang. But this is a mare who has literally chased down bears and coyotes and has had turkeys deer and other animals jump out from under her and she has kept her calm and delivered me home safely. She even took my home when I was ponying her off another horse and that horse spooked, dumped me and left me with no memory of that day…sitting on her (my mustang) bareback (barely able to stay conscious) she took me home safely.
Is she the best show horse? No, but I would trust her with my life on the trail anyday. Is she the best conformationally? No, but she has never taken a lame step in 19 years.
I bred her because her pros completely outweighed her faults and she has proven herself in more ways than just in the show ring. I also paired her with a stallion (QH and yes I personally met him) that I felt complimented her well, both in conformation and temperament. I saw how his foals were compared to other stallions and liked how he passed on his great mind and trainability.
So am I a terrible person for breeding my mare? You may think so but my colt is the best thing that ever happened and I wouldn’t trade him for the world. I don’t regret breeding her and I would do it again if I could but I know that it would be unfair to her and that her next foal may not be what my colt is.
I also know my other mares are NOT breeding worthy as they have varying temperaments/conformation that I don’t want to risk a foal getting.
In the end I think there is a exorbitant amount of over-breeding but I also believe people who have horses that have proved themselves in more ways than through blood and a show record deserve to be bred to create better horses, purebred or grade.
I agree with you, we had a non registered mare that was the best roping horse my dad ever had, not roping in competition but on a ranch, and so he bred her 3 times and got 3 awesome cow horses that would out last and out perform any competition horse in real life working.
Rancher breeding ranch horses does not qualify as BYB. Understamd horses are hitting the slaughterhouses. The point of this article is to not add to the sheer numbers
I think that’s her point about a performance record. I believe under her rules the mares that were proven pulling horses and plow horses would qualify. They went out there and had a job and the temperament to be successful and useful. So many people breed horses that have never done anything, ANYTHING. Never been backed, never really been handled so you have no idea if they are actually suitable mounts. If you watch the documentary about the Spanish Riding School and their mares you will see that they back and ride the mares before breeding them, even though they don’t use them in shows. That is to ensure they are passing along good temperaments and not just a good bloodline.
Yes that was my original point. Do something with your mares! How many broodmares are halter-broke only, or not even that. How can you know the potential of the foal if you’ve never discovered the potential of the horses you plan to breed together?
Exactly! My mare is a rescue and used to be a brood mare but she’s had none of the fundamentals covered! When I got her she didn’t even know how to pick up her feet to be trimmed!
The article isn’t saying just to breed show horses. Performance doesn’t always mean show – it means any type of work that the horse does – including being a trail horse or a pleasure horse. But what the article is trying to discourage is the people who end up with an untrained/untrainable mare for whatever reason – injury, temperament, lack of experience by owners – from trying to “get their money back out of this mare” by breeding her – regardless of her suitability. And even so called responsible breeders are adding to the numbers of unwanted horses. For every spectacular foal they breed, there’s probably 4 or 5 who don’t meet standards, and may end up unwanted. And there are plenty of wonderful horses out there already, if people would just be willing to look. But if they can just go buy or breed whatever they want, some of those fantastic horses will never be discovered and saved.
So great when some gets the actual point of the article.Thank You!
Certainly there is nothing wrong with breeding two good horses who have an inclination toward the discipline of choice. However, this was “lucky” breeding, I’d say, of these two horses…That does not in any way lend itself to statistical significance in terms of the likelihood this would happen again.
I don’t believe that Jenn is indicating that only show horses are worth breeding. I think that ribbons and high points in shows are simply a measurable manner through which one can determine the “worth” of the animals being considered — judges with no reason to be partial to the horses in question have deemed them not only conformationally correct, but also good at their chosen purpose, in this case, whatever discipline they are being shown in. Does that make sense?
If the horses in question can be judged independently, impartially, as “worthy” candidates for passing on their genetics, then I assume that would carry the same weight as show ribbons/points/etc…If you have completed, say, a Tevis competition with your mare, and she did great, that could be an indication that the “able to be a good trail horse” box may be able to be checked with a “yes”. However, the years of training and conditioning put into her, and the proper handling of her allowing her skill level and disposition to blossom also significantly influenced her score at Tevis, likely more so than her genetics– thus the ability to do well there was no doubt based upon a multitude of factors, all of which probably accounted for with the 8 point checklist!
I feel my points have all been fairly well covered by other respondents, so I’ll leave this alone for now.
Agree completely with the article. Well said.
I am (was) a hobby breeder – a (cow bred) bloodline and conformation junkie and though both my boys are retired now I have turned down more potential clients than either of my boys appreciated 😉 – your wording was a little rough – but completely understandable – when I see a baby (especially a papered one) on the ‘kill’ pen pages – it turns my stomach – if I saw a baby from one of my boys in that pen – a travelin’ I would go to go get that baby – years ago I had a guy ask me to breed his mustang/saddlebred/something else mare to my cow horse – he LOVED that mare – was NEVER going to sell the baby – my reply to him was, ‘Never say never – you HAVE to plan for unfortunate situations that pop up in life with alarming regularity – ‘ I did not breed his mare to either of my studs. My sister had a VERY sweet (unpapered) mare that she wanted to breed to one of my studs – I discouraged her – told her – too many unknowns – if you want to raise a colt – let’s go buy one – and you won’t have to go through the vet bills on a preggo mare, countless nights of foal watch (not nearly as exciting as one might like to think) – then the possibility of foaling problems or countless conformation problems – my suggestion to her was ‘let’s get one of those foals alREADY born – we can see conformation – and know that ‘all is good under the hood’ 😀
ALL breeders ( remember big breeders put down a LOT of babies! Likely a lot more than ‘backyard breeders’) have a responsibility to the integrity of the breed(s) they represent – and ALL breeders should take that responsibility VERY seriously.
I whole heartedly agree with this article. My mare fit all of the criteria. I could do the whole thing. But the truth is, I didn’t buy her to make babies. I bought her for me. She has proved herself ten fold to me in performance. I owe it to her to not breed her because I love her. I don’t need another horse, nor do I want the expense of a foal. Even my vet asked me to consider it. My answer remains the same. No.
I think this was horrible. I have breed, loved and trained foals sold them to great homes and watched them grow into amazing horses. Just be smart. I would breed a good mare before I bought a horse because of stupid people who think they can train. Well I know I can and do. Very well I’m not a breeder but I just feel this article was wrote by a PETA person.
Please research the auctions/killbuyer/horse slaughter industry. Over breeding is largely responsible for perpetuating this cycle. Plenty of foals available in this slaughter pipeline as well if you desire to train from infancy. Also research the Premarin industry and Nurse Mare Foals; both generate throw away babies. And I do not endorse PETA
Might want to research PMU foals yourself, since the brouhaha about them in NA resulted in Pfizer moving to China, there are 20 PMU farms in Canada, none in the US.
There are also some farms in couple of other countries. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, as China now has access to PMU foals to raise for slaughter alone.
Which explains why China was on board with EU ending acceptance of horsemeat from US in 2013, wondered why at the time, not like China has great track record for safety on anything.
As for nursemare foals? Oh please. That is nothing more than a scam so the “rescues” get rich. While there are nursemares, the lies spread by LCC and others are ludicrous, and for LCC alone, results in 316K, or $316,000.00 being brought in in 2014. There are not tens of thousands of TB foals ripped from their dams, and not tens of thousands of nursemare foals being ripped from their dams either.
I worked Thoroughbreds for 8 years, at a breeding farm, hauled in foal mares to layover farms in FL, who then foaled mares out, handled the transport to the stallion barns, and then I went back and got mare AND her own foal. No nursemares involved. It is not the “secret shame of TB racing industry”. Lies is all it is.
Where does the steady supply of nursemare goals originate? There are certainly enough orphaned foals every year.
Good points made but the credibility of the writer was shot by using the rough ignorant language and overbearing arrogant attitude. I am an older, seasoned man and horseman. Met enough “know it all” folks to steer clear of them and pay no heed to their ideas. Incidentally I am breeding my working bred stud to my working bred mare this yr. Both are real nice individuals and I am doing it for me. I am semi retired, I have worked all my life, I am a Veteran, comfortable with who and where I am. I live an abundant life with my family and I have a right to breed my horses. We sell trained horses to qualified folks and only on a small scale.
Hi Phil, thanks for the feedback. I’ll be sure to work on writing in a more ‘lady-like’ manner in the future. Until then feel free to reference the Fine Print: http://www.writingofriding.com/fine-print/
Oops, you forgot one: “I want my children to witness the miracle of life!”
Thank you! Tons and tons of WISDOM! So many benefits to buying a 1, 2, or 3 year old…. even older…. my last purchase was a 12 year old ex- stallion….. it took a year….. (let’s see…. 11months gestation, 2 years to grow big enough to carry weight, or longer, another year of learning to carry me…..) as I said, it took a year to get his mind on ME. I love him, he knows I know what I’m doing, and he has saved my life twice….. He’s 20 going on 3…. I am old, and have raised 3 foals from a good mare…. shop and buy what your heart desires…. time is time, money is only money…… spend the money on a great horse, or spend it on a hospital bill….. Thanks again for your article
Bunkhousebarbie
I am a ‘backyard breeder’. Feel free to cast stones. I absolutely enjoy the raising and training of foals. I have two that I have bred and trained (with limited professional help), they are currently 19 and 11 years old. I am now working with a very well bred yearling on in-hand trail obstacles and showmanship. She is doing so well. Yes, youngsters can get stupid in a New York minute. But, I just enjoy teaching them patience and then presenting them new material and skills. My animals are all registered and extremely nice movers. They have homes with me for life, so I guess in that respect I am a ‘hoarder’. I have absolutely NO problem buying a Breeder’s Permit (price to be determined) on top of the stud fees, vet bills, registration fees, whatever. Also, I would like to further stipulate that I am realistic about the possibility of large vet bills in the ‘horse game’. I personally do NOT believe in paying huge vet bills in the event of an accident or illness. I have identified a threshold of input cost for each animal and beyond that I have no problem giving them the pink shot. Euthanasia is a responsible alternative to using extreme measures to prolong life for an animal that will no longer have good quality of life or require more long term care than is reasonable. I further do not condone passing any ‘problem’ children along to the next owner. My animals are insured realistically which only covers *some* of my investment in them. I currently have a broodmare that has produced three world champions and she will be my next project’s Momma to be bred next year. This will be my swansong breeding. The same reasonable plans will apply to this next one coming along. Again, I say, I am a backyard breeder but I raise, train, and show my own animals. They have homes with me for life yet I am realistic about how I manage my animals.
Katherine,
Did you actually read the post? I’m curious because it sounds like your practices would result in a “yes” response to the questions posed….If your practices are responsible (and it sounds like they are), I don’t see that the article has an issue with someone like you. The argument is against ill-advised breeding by people with nothing more than a ‘romantic’ notion of what it would be like to raise and train a foal – people with no grounded understanding of the true responsibilities involved….
There is a certain logic to this article. However, the overwhelming number of typos, incorrect grammar, and other errors that render this unprofessional, also reduce the impact of whatever ideas are contained therein. Ms Franz, I urge you to find yourself an editor/proofreader to actually read, and more importantly, correct, your writing. Do you not want people to take your opinion seriously? If you do, then you need to get some professional assistance before proffering it.
Lin, thanks for the feedback. You’re welcome to reference the Fine Print of my blog: http://www.writingofriding.com/fine-print/
Great, and Frank. There are many horses out there for purchasing. I was never going to breed a horse but I had a horse that made all of the check marks to go ahead and breed. Plus my mare was the only Female out of her Dam and Her Sire passed away in 2014. Along with all the correct reasons to breed my Mare almost died the year before I decided to breed. I wanted to keep her family legacy going…….Well I was not prepared for my Mare to die 2 hours after giving birth…..So not having the Mare with all the qualifications I had to raise an Orphan. It has turned out fine for me and the Foal….because she was not treated as a baby/pet. At 6 months of age she was Reserve Champ Halter horse over all, At 18 months she was Grand Overall Halter champion. So my bad story has turned out but I would give almost anything to have my broke, fantastic, bred, trained, preforming mare back! With her loss she gave her all to the Filly but I am years behind because of the down preformance time with a young one.. Try looking for a horse already on the ground and proven before you breed.
Thank you baby horsey Jesus!!!! This was perfect lol ♡
Brilliantly Written and so VERY VERY TRUE
I currently have a 10 year old and 13 year old geldings (half brothers) that will be with me until the die or I die, whichever comes first. I owned their mom and bred her to outstanding tempered stallions. I wanted these bloodlines specifically. No, these fine fellas aren’t being shown and have been relegated to being trail horses for me. I am a member of a group who tries to save as many horses from kill buyers as possible. Unfortunately, we can’t save them all. It makes me sick that people treat living creatures as a passing fancy. Dogs, cats and horses are slaughtered or euthanized every day. There are too many of God’s creatures who are mistreated because of people who let animals breed because the are just to lazy to prevent it. Stop, stop, stop. No more breeding. No more senseless killing.
Missed one major point….can you deal with the heartbreak of losing the foal, mare and/or both. Breeding is not without risk for the mare. And while horses seem to always try and kill themselves….foals are better at it. Breeding horses takes some thick skin…and ability to make hard decisions for the benefit of the horse.
What a mean-spirited way to say a simple thing; as a stallion owner, I always asked clients: Do you love your mare? If you exactly reproduce your mare, is that good enough?
Yes, there are many people who breed who shouldn’t. And there’s heartbreak, just like in all areas of life. Here’s one of my babies, not sorry at all! https://www.facebook.com/188929947802394/photos/pb.188929947802394.-2207520000.1458458878./1059309844097729/?type=3&theater
This reminded me that I am making a great choice not to breed my (once registered) Arabian mare. As I’ve become involved with a couple of rescue groups, I realize that that’s not the future I’d want for her foal, and it’s quite possible despite my best intentions (which includes making provisions for her in case something happens to me) that that would happen. I’m not convinced that registration is quite as high a bar as the other qualities cited, but then the idea works for me. My next horse, whether a colt or older horse, will likely be a rescue, working with a reputatable organization that I can have help me ensure things go right for the horse if something happens to me. I can only afford one horse at a time. And since I retired, I am finding alternative ways to support/fund rescue work, notably donating art to benefit shows or for donations. (If anyone is in a 501c3 horse rescue and is interested in an in-kind donation for your fundraiser, feel free to contact me. I currently support two rescues but am open to working with others, especially in the Pacific Northwest.) I’m including my “art page” on FaceBook for starters. Scroll down to see some of the specifics related to donation or art show activity supporting horse rescues. (There are more than that… I started the page as part of participating in the Art to the Rescue activity in Bend, Oregon this summer). Anyway… adore younguns, but feel better at this point about 1) not breeding, 2) rescuing, and 3) supporting rescue activity. Please don’t see this as all or nothing… there are many reasons people do something, but as I read through these points, I’m reassured that I personally am doing the right thing for my mare… even if the language is a bit harsh and it’s not the way I would express it to others. Hey, it’s the internet.
I totally “get” your article.. Loved it! You have covered a lot and in an amusing way everything has a point of a “get realistic” truth.
Thanks Carol!
Here are my reasons for not breeding my mare, who does pass your tests –
She’s of uncommon, but not “Popular” (read commercially in demand) breed, and I would worry about the foals future for thirty+ years if I lost touch with it, thinking the poor thing was neglected or slaughtered due to this unpopularity
I wouldn’t be able to ride her and enjoy her like I do for the better part of a year
I worried about the physical effects on her health
And, on top of that, it’s very had to find a good stallion of her breed in my area and I’m not willing to ship or AI.
It will be extremely difficult to replace her with her quality/characteristics when she’s no longer able to work, but I’m willing to adjust my riding style to my mount’s abilities, so it I’ve accepted the fact that my riding life will be different.
My mare, her stud, and I got 8/8 on your standards. I bred her once. Her foal, our nine-year-old gelding, is wonderfully-minded, trained and happy to perform with most levels of riders in a variety of disciplines. But I wouldn’t do it again. We couldn’t have known that a) My mare apparently had placental attachment disorder, which would affect the way the foal developed in utero and his conformation b) Born in 2008, he would be a recession baby and our financial world would be turned upside down and our ability to retire at a comfortable income level seriously hampered, c) That he would get pneumonia at four months of age, $4, 000 in our new recession-reality, gone – just like that, and d) That there was is no way we could responsibly make a lifetime commitment to him – when he is 20, we will be 77 and 81. These are the kinds of things you are talking about, that can happen, even with the best of intentions.
I recently bought an 8 year old mare. “Oh, good, now you can breed her and raise a foal,” said someone.
“No,” I said firmly. “iI’m not breeding her.”
Why not?” they asked. “I know this guy with a really nice stud horse…”
“Because a very lovely couple with previous experience working on a breeding farm, and breeding two excellent mares themselves, graciously introduced me to the realities of a small breeding operation. The cost, the responsibilities if you want to give your young horses the best start, etc, etc. I’m over 70. She’s a really nice riding horse, and with a little work she’ll be an exceptional horse for all the things I want to do. Moreover, she’s got no papers, she’s a 1/4 – 3/4 crossbreed and I don’t have the names or pedigrees of her dam and sire. She’s got decent conformation, yeah, and a great disposition, but what would I do with the foal? For that matter, what would I breed her to? ”
(Actually, I know what I’d breed her to, if I had to, but I don’t have to, so…not happening. But that’s because I look at her conformation and see that Morgan would be the best cross. A little more bone, no more bulk on top (no more QH), might could get a better pastern angle out of that, but…once you’ve got three breeds in the mix it’s a pot of soup and some genes lurk at the bottom.)
I chortled all through this post, nodding at point after point. The older couple who gently but firmly removed the rose veil from my imagining a life as a small breeder (they let me come visit repeatedly and “help” for all the help I was capable of being back then) did me a great kindness. So though I think my new mare is lovely, sweet, and talented…she’s going to be my riding horse, not a broodmare.
Then of course some of the best breeders in Europe started out with just one mare and together bred some of the best sport horse producing mare lines in history.
When asked how it all started most will say, “gut feeling and intuition” and refer to a long dead mare with pictures of a horse that by today’s standards wouldn’t past muster no matter how well you tried to dress it up.
So how did that enormous chestnut pot bellied plough horse standing in a water flooded field surrounded by dykes on a rain soaked winters day, that mare with a short wide neck stuck low on a straight shoulder a mile long, a dramatically short croup bulging with muscle into legs as heavy as lead with pasterns so short they’re invisible, become the most acclaimed international dressage stallion of all time? Crossing it with a thoroughbred is how. A completely different breed?
It took courage and learning as much as you can from where ever you can, dedication and determination to produce the quality that reflects those collective aims from where you draw your knowledge and inspiration. All you have is that one mare. Heck entire nations have done just that ending up with some of the most acclaimed stud books in modern sport horse breeding.
I think you need to counter balance this article with “why you should breed your mare”. You only become that responsible, intuitive, successful breeder by going for it and sometimes against all odds. I would hate to think this might put any seriously aspiring breeders off.
I agree with most but not all of the check list but hoping your first foal is a mare should probably be quite high on the positives if breeding is your thing.
So glad I found this article. It puts into funnier, more experienced words the way I’ve been feeling about my neighbors plans to “start a stud”. Problem is all the horses involved are unregistered, “amazing potential for the price” unproven horses and she’s a shift working, commuting woman with money worries. It hurts my brain a little. Wondering how I can tactfully link her here before there’s a foal on the way.