Breeding highlands

abbieandfiona said:
Well one of my highlands does have sweet itch and is in foal via AI i was open with the breeder and all her family lines there is no sweet itch so me and the vet decided it was fine to go ahead.

If he does pass the standard to be a stallion i would limit the number of mares done via AI to a set amount each year not just sell to any random person.
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Again, I don't wish to appear rude but two mares, one of which has sweetitch, and a colt who may not make a stallion does not a stud make.

Breeders of Highland ponies are not thick on the ground, but those who do exist know their ponies and their bloodlines through a lifetime of breeding. There are some very old studs, in Scotland anyway, where some very good examples of Highland ponies have been foaled, as well as some which are not so good.

In my opinion, there are too many people today who, with little knowledge of the breed, study pedigrees and bloodlines, yet are willing to overlook blatant conformation faults in there stock when breeding. Conformation is everything in breeding. Pedigrees are only pieces of paper.

Very few people today know how to manage and feed a Highland Pony, and many ponies are kept in a permanently obese state for the show ring. Most of those are physically unable to carry themselves correctly, due to the combined effects of being overweight and having bad conformation.

I work on a Highland Pony stud, so I do see a lot of them, but I wouldn't want one if you paid me to keep it. Cobs and Fell ponies for me, but each to his own.

Every breeder of animals has a responsibility to select the best individuals from which to breed. That means that animals exhibiting unsoundness, including the likes of sweetitch, stifle problems, bad foot and limb conformation, and dodgy temperaments should be disqualified from the gene pool, for the good of the breed.
 
Im intending on getting another two mares alongside mine and as its a colt it would be a few years anyway before i breed, i dont want to get into a argument here i posted for advice not a slagging match,

None of my highlands that i have are overweight and are all fit one of them is fit enough to hack out up to 20 miles a day. I also show at county level and know what they look like however my youngster gets placed and she is not overweight at all. Vet always very impressed when he sees how healthy and normal weight my highlands are alongside my other mares that i keep. Its not just 2 highland mares i have its just thats the breed i intend to in future breed as i love highlands. Cant stand cobs personally.
 
abbieandfiona said:
Im intending on getting another two mares alongside mine and as its a colt it would be a few years anyway before i breed, i dont want to get into a argument here i posted for advice not a slagging match,

None of my highlands that i have are overweight and are all fit one of them is fit enough to hack out up to 20 miles a day. I also show at county level and know what they look like however my youngster gets placed and she is not overweight at all. Vet always very impressed when he sees how healthy and normal weight my highlands are alongside my other mares that i keep. Its not just 2 highland mares i have its just thats the breed i intend to in future breed as i love highlands. Cant stand cobs personally.
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But surely a GOOD Highland is a cob?? however the poor ones aren't..... could you explain why you think they aren't cobs, the good ones anyway?
 
Good luck with your project. I have two homebred Highlands by AI. My mare is a nice well schooled girl with good conformation and temperament. She was a maiden at 14, no very local stallion, hence choosing AI. It worked very well for us, the stud could not have been more helpful, the vet was skilled, my pony well behaved and her offspring are fab. We have two foals and that's it now, no more. Surely it will widen the gene pool if individual mares here and there are allowed a foal or two?
 
Thank you have paid deposit for colt so he is now mine, looking at a broodmare next week as well. Want to build up mares within the next three years.

I have used AI on my girl, as where i live the nearest stallion at stud is 2 hrs away and my girl doesn't do well on yards so AI was the best way for me. Plus a lot of people i know prefer AI its safer for the mare and easy to do at home.

Im near one of the specialist AI centres so can get lots of help and advice as one of my friends knows the owners well. Plus want to have the option for him to run with mares as well if people prefer that. Highlands are popular in my area and i dont see any harm in my plans for the future. I only want a small stud, i love having youngsters and working with them, showing etc so this is perfect for me.
 
Lucky to be near the AI centre - whereabouts are you in Somerset as you said nearest stallion (assuming Highland here) was 2 hours away - there are several about down here know there is one in cornwall, I have one in Devon and know of another in Dorset that also goes to Bristol/Bath area on loan.
Agree some will prefer running out - mine all live out all year round - with their own and visiting mares, but them I am lucky to have big (10 acre fields) so plenty of room (not so good if they are uncatchable tho as have to heard them all in !)
 
What i like about this thread is that we are actually talking about breeding Highland ponies (either by natural cover or AI) and that is quite a rare thing to see away from a breed specific forum or website.
 
I don't want to derail the thread but seeing as it has come up,

What is a cob?

Personally if people say cob I either think of the heavyweight hunter type, all shaved up and roman nosed, or the gypsy type with all the hair and feather. Highlands would be solidly build ponies to me, obviously a lot heavier than your welsh A types but not cobs.
 
Tiny Fluffy Coblet said:
I don't want to derail the thread but seeing as it has come up,

What is a cob?

Personally if people say cob I either think of the heavyweight hunter type, all shaved up and roman nosed, or the gypsy type with all the hair and feather. Highlands would be solidly build ponies to me, obviously a lot heavier than your welsh A types but not cobs.
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Thanks i couldnt figure out a way to explain that you have summed it up well.
 
I'll start a new thread! but,

A cob is a type, not a breed. There are a few pure breeds who can be "show cobs" provided they have enough bone, depth, substance, sensible temperament, movement and fit the height limitations!.... so far as I know there is no lower height limit for "show cobs" ( maximum height .....15.1hh in old money)..... please someone say if this is not right?.
 
Hey Not sure if you would be interested but my father in law has recently retired from breeding Highlands and is selling off his stock. We have one broodmare left (sounds like we had loads but only 2 ha!) she is 12 now and has bred 4 lovely foals for us the last one being in 2009. She always takes first time and generally foals on her own at night while we sneak off for a quick snooze. She is by Coulnacraig Highlander out of Whitefield Carina, which up here is pretty good lines. He is more wanting a good home as she has always been his favourite so is going pretty cheap at £2200 although this is negotiable to a certain degree. Gemma (Kinross)
 
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