Are fillies more desirable? And why?

[Donnie Darco]

Just a musing really, my mare's sire is Clover Echo

But I (am sure - don't quote me!!!) read somewhere that Clover Hill mares are more desirable than his sons? (Not that I'd even heard of him until my mare arrived, she's just a Mary Poppins character anyway irregardless of her breeding)

Also another breeder has bred 2 lovely full brother colts. The mare currently in foal to same stallion and they are hoping for a filly.

So are fillies more desirable than colts and if so ... Why?

 

[Fools Motto]

Fillies carry on the line. Colts have to be very good if they are to be stallions. Colts are harder to keep due to their hormones! And, girls are better!!!!

 

[showingmadfilly]

Yes and no.... Yes for breeding but no if people would like a long term ridden. I only say this because people like geldings so like to geld colts.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If you read the mares V geldings threads, there are plenty of people who don't breed, but prefer mares. I'm one of them and given the choice between two equal animals (bar gender), I would take the filly every time.

 

[Donnie Darco]

If you read the mares V geldings threads, there are plenty of people who don't breed, but prefer mares. I'm one of them and given the choice between two equal animals (bar gender), I would take the filly every time.

Yes that makes sense - Thank You

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

For me no I'd rather have a gelding than a mare as I don't have any reason to breed from a mare. Plus I don't seem it get on with them.

 

[Loubidy]

I would choose a gelding everytime. I can't be hooped with any mareish behavior.

 

[noodle_]

mare....to breed from if wanted...and i get on with them better. (i think)!?

and ditto above

 

[EstherYoung]

Some stallions do tend to be known as good damsires. It's not so much that the fillies are better than the colts, but that the offspring that those fillies themselves have in due course are really exceptional. Spud and Felix's sire is one such stallion - there's no way we would have ended up with either of our boys had they been girls as they would have been far too valuable to their breeder.

But if you're not a breeder it doesn't matter one iota.

 

[texas]

If you are not a breeder, you don't have to factor in the additional cost of taking nuts off for fillies, if the boys haven't already been gelded.

 

[Spring Feather]

In my experience, it's far easier to sell colts than fillies. The fillies I do sell are generally bought as prospective broodmares.

 

[Clodagh]

My cousin was a top showjumping groom in the years when Irish horses were the best and she said she would NEVER have a Clover Hill mare! And she dealt with plenty.
I think geldings are more sellable and certainly in the racing world they wish all the foals to be boys.

 

[Equi]

For showing in hand colts are more desirable as they have a longer shelf life. For breeding, fillies are more desirable as you won't usually want to breed a related colt unless you are line/inbreeding