Breeding 2026- stallion recommendations and a sanity check?

[dominobrown]

Hello,

I gave up breeding after a few bad years but I thinking about next year now.
My broodmares first foal (and only) won supreme champion at her last show and is absolutely stunning, big moving and I am now just backing her as she is rising 4 and is the easiest nicest horse. She’s a “people person” as it were. She was by Comfort. If I am being critical I would like a better hind leg on her and she is also very tall, 17hh.

The mare she is out of is a sweetheart and was the easiest mare to ride before an injury curtailed her competition career. The mare won a lot of championships showing however was sold to competition as she is not a “type”, she is just over 16hh and sits between a riding horse and hunter so didn’t have a ridden showing career (an eventing one instead).
She is Concorde lines (dam is ISH) Temperament and conformation are both good. Criticisms are: she is quite chunky, even though she isn’t she’s a bit like a huge Connemara.
So the stallions I want are:
-jumping bred
-middle sized (I don’t want huge foals but nothing too small, ideally foal to be a bit taller than the mare)
-athletic/ blood types
-I want an easy life so no semen that’s hard to get hold of or been frozen for 10 years with low fertility etc etc
- I don’t show seriously but I do show all mine to start with so pretty and good conformation (and I fussy about a hind leg apparently)

Right onto the sanity check…
If I am breeding one foal I might as well breed two so the foals can grow up together?….
Well I have been offered a very nice proven broodmare from a friend that is winding her stud down (I am not going to say who or what stud, iykyk)… just having 6 horses to do before work is killing me this December, so not sure what I am thinking…. Maybe winter the mares out… my original broodmare is fatty and very good doer so might slim her down!
Do I need my head looked at?

 

[mariew]

Lol, if you can winter mares out workload may be less? If you want some cute foalies you are on a horse forum hard to resist. What about a really nice solid TB or a finer ID if there is such a thing. Has Bruce thorpeley got any or are they all giants?

 

[dominobrown]

Lol, if you can winter mares out workload may be less? If you want some cute foalies you are on a horse forum hard to resist. What about a really nice solid TB or a finer ID if there is such a thing. Has Bruce thorpeley got any or are they all giants?

Haha it’s just an opportunity to get a very well bred proven and successful broodmare from a good stud doesn’t come up all the time.
ID‘s would be too chunky, think I want more blood.
High tb% jumping stallion would fit the bill I think.

 

[kaiserchief]

I know nothing about breeding but just to be the voice of reason, if you're finding 6 hard, how will you manage 9 next winter?

 

[ihatework]

Haha it’s just an opportunity to get a very well bred proven and successful broodmare from a good stud doesn’t come up all the time.
ID‘s would be too chunky, think I want more blood.
High tb% jumping stallion would fit the bill I think.

3 reasonably popular high % blood stallions being used for eventing are: Amiro Z, Herald 3 and Duplexx, the latter is young and offspring aren’t under saddle yet/competing but are smart types.

 

[dominobrown]

I know nothing about breeding but just to be the voice of reason, if you're finding 6 hard, how will you manage 9 next winter?

Technically it would be 7 next winter, potentially 9 the winter after. Mare is being offered on loan so would have to see if I could give back potentially.
You are right though, the winter after could be a nightmare unless I could winter the mares and foals out. Out of my 6, 2 are very healthy but in there twenties.

I am a pest for not selling horses though, ideally I should sell the exracehorse next competition season. I would advertise the foals but you can never guarantee selling youngstock, especially as foals or yearlings. This would mean a nightmare.

I am in two minds, I would need to sort a system to manage them all before I commit to anything.

 

[dominobrown]

3 reasonably popular high % blood stallions being used for eventing are: Amiro Z, Herald 3 and Duplexx, the latter is young and offspring aren’t under saddle yet/competing but are smart types.

Thanks I will have a look into those 3.

 

[McGrools]

Technically it would be 7 next winter, potentially 9 the winter after. Mare is being offered on loan so would have to see if I could give back potentially.
You are right though, the winter after could be a nightmare unless I could winter the mares and foals out. Out of my 6, 2 are very healthy but in there twenties.

I am a pest for not selling horses though, ideally I should sell the exracehorse next competition season. I would advertise the foals but you can never guarantee selling youngstock, especially as foals or yearlings. This would mean a nightmare.

I am in two minds, I would need to sort a system to manage them all before I commit to anything.

You and me both. I have 5 this winter and it’s not easy esp when we keep having torrential rain. I love the blood eventing types, I’ve got a super foal out of a National hunt tb mare by Ustinov Van Elsenham. He is the spit of his dam and looks very tb.
Re the stallion choice, at this years stallion show at stallion ai I liked the look of a French stallion Cher Epoux. and also J’adore Team. Both looked very impressive.
Xx

 

[dominobrown]

Pop

You and me both. I have 5 this winter and it’s not easy esp when we keep having torrential rain. I love the blood eventing types, I’ve got a super foal out of a National hunt tb mare by Ustinov Van Elsenham. He is the spit of his dam and looks very tb.
Re the stallion choice, at this years stallion show at stallion ai I liked the look of a French stallion Cher Epoux. and also J’adore Team. Both looked very impressive.
Xx

thanks! Will look into those.

It’s a bad winter here. I am in Cumbria and currently there is an amber weather warning for rain. We haven’t had two dry days since October.

I have heard positive things of Ustinov.
I think we lie the same types. Plenty of blood, athletic, moves well and jumps. To me that type of horse can do any job.

 

[McGrools]

Pop

thanks! Will look into those.

It’s a bad winter here. I am in Cumbria and currently there is an amber weather warning for rain. We haven’t had two dry days since October.

I have heard positive things of Ustinov.
I think we lie the same types. Plenty of blood, athletic, moves well and jumps. To me that type of horse can do any job.

I just love tb’s, their work ethic and brain are second to none in my experience. Just generally need to add a bit more ‘up hill’ to them and I don’t think you could get better, I love the effortless gallop x

 

[Sanversera]

Id be taking a good look at stallions and doing lots of research but not sending any mares to stud next year but potentially looking to breed them in 2027. That gives you breathing space and seeing how you manage what you already have this winter and the next. You could take the offered brood mare and keep her empty this year but look after her until spring 2027. This will be a good test of manageability of numbers especially in the winter.

 

[LEC]

High blood - https://www.elitestallions.co.uk/stallion/Rahotep de Toscane

70% blood and won team gold at Rio.

Coriolis des isles another worth considering with AA and 56% blood. Has a fair few offspring - jumped 1.60m with Max Kuhner.

CORIOLIS DES ISLES

Mâle de 13 ans, SELLE FRANCAIS, ALEZAN

www.anaa.fr

I do love Jarnac but quite hard to get hold of now.

In UK maybe look at Bartender. He has gone eventing but jumps very well and was a lovely sort. Met him as parked next to him at Aston. He was just in a trailer and you would never have known he was a stallion.