Mill law or future illusion?

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sarah and hatty

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Thanks to all of you on my last thread 'help im new to breeding and need to choose a stallion'. All the advice was so helpful.

I visited Tremlows today and have narrowed my stallions down to two now but I can't decide which one!

'The safe bet'? - MILL LAW - proven eventer, proven offspring, lovely temperament.
Negatives - Fairly long pasterns and slightly longer in back than other TBs I looked at.

or
'the risk?' - FUTURE ILLUSION - Confirmation great, very sweet face and temp, but not a proven eventer and too young to know how offspring will do in competition. Also slightly sharper temp.

I have a Han x Tb chestnut mare, fab temp, gd jump, bold XC but not flashy mover and fairly chunky, lacks wow factor in dressage. BUT perfect for me who is an amateur rider, (sj newcomers and would only event low level - max novice) She is easy to do as I keep her at home, she will hack one day, compete the next, or have a week off and not be a nutter.
However is slightly long iin back and feet not great if i have to pick fault!

Has anyone seen how Mill Law moves as we couldn't see him trotted up today?

Temp is most important to me but I do want to improve on my mares confirmation and action too.

If anyone has suggestions or knows more about these two would be great to hear..

Am not considering any more stallions as my mare is being scanned on monday so i have one day left to decide!

Many thanks
 
With the best will in the world, when we saw Mill Law they couldn't get him to stand so that his feet were set on straight, so we walked away. He also didn't have that WOW factor.
 
Whether its from the sire or dam line I couldn't tell you or its just the particular horse, i worked with a mill law horse for a while, beautiful to look at stunning paces, a hell of a jump but seriously unpredictable, bit of a life in the hands situation when out hacking but like I say this is just my experience I wouldn't like to generalize :)
 
I was offered a Mill Law mare last year, very very quirky to ride and very sharp, i left her were she was!
 
Funnily enough I got down to the same choice for my mare. In the end I used Louis (FI) as I decided I was buying his genes not him, the lack of record didn't worry me too much, more interested in the blood lines he carries.

He was still eventing prior to his accident when I used him. Have met him a few times both at competitions and at Jeanettes. He is very well behaved at comps, not worried about mares etc and travelled on a lorry with another stallion.

I now have a yearling, Opptikal Illusion, stable name Wallabee (his mum is Willoughby). I'm very pleased with him, he generally has a good temperament, he learns when he has done wrong and doesn't generally try again.
My mare is totally different to yours though, she is a Newfie x Sec D mare, evented sucessfully at BE Novice for 3 years and also did all PC open teams.
 
Out of those 2, for a lower level amateur horse I'd go with Future Illusion. Mill Law would be my choice to try and produce a higher level horse as I think he has more ability but would more of a pro's ride
Just a word of caution, Opposition bloodlines can also be known to be quirky!
 
Mill Law has got long patterns, not ideal for eventing. Future Illusion is unproven. Did you not like Weston Justice? He is proven and his stock are out there proving themselves too.
 
What accident did FI have? i used to see him at Jeanette's alot really nice stamp, ive also seen ML competing alot always in the same classes as our and he had a really nice temp and when competing i never saw him sharp.
 
dingle12 said:
What accident did FI have? i used to see him at Jeanette's alot really nice stamp, ive also seen ML competing alot always in the same classes as our and he had a really nice temp and when competing i never saw him sharp.
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FI got badly cast at Janettes at the beginning of last season. Think he did a fair bit of damage to himself.

Weston Justics is a nice stamp too, as is Kings Composer. Have seen nice babies from both.
 
He has been out doing dressage since. He is very precious to Julia, his owner/breeder she told me she really worries about him getting hurt xc so isn't that bothered about his eventing.
 
oh I hadn't realised he had an accident, I was trying to get hold of his owner to find out why he hadn't evented since 2010 but haven't spoken to her yet.

Weston Justice looked good on paper but when we saw him he was a bit temperamental and the girl that showed him to us described him as sharp and cheeky to handle so we backed off of him.

So may be Mill Law isn't the safe bet after all then? I think FI will add more confirmation and wow factor to my mare, I am just concerned that not so much is known temperament wise and how youngstock will turn out.

Kings Composer looks nice, but I would want to see him the flesh and I simply don't have time now. Also think from the few pics I have seen he is actually a bit of a stockier TB?

Thanks for your comments, still pondering ......
 
Weston Justice is actually a family horse, so Im not sure whats going on, my daughter has been handling him since he was 4 and has travelled on planes and ferries with him.
More to the point his stock are with amatuers as well as pros and have proven easy to do. I am sorry you were given the wrong impression he is cheeky but a real pro when it comes to work.
 
I think that both of those sires are good choices to be honest. I have first hand experience of Mill Law - have a foal by him now that is very correct and has a super temperament. I'm not sure why people say that his conformation may not hold up to eventing? The proof of the pudding and all that - he's been a successful advanced eventer with no lameness issues ever and is only entire because he was so easy to do they never bothered to geld him. But you've seen him and know first hand that his temperament is excellent, so no need to tell you that.

He's also got a lot of offspring out there doing the business in the competition field, and is always extremely well represented at Futurity and the youngstock classes up at Osberton. I certainly have never thought his feet looked odd....not sure where that comes from? What did you you think when you saw him?

I also happen to like Future Illusion with the only caveat in my mind being that Opposition offspring really are known to have a hot streak - not all of them by any means, and you won't find me tarring everything with the same brush. I chose Mill Law because I thought he suited my Jumbo mare and had the same thoughts as you about the 'safe bet', but I would go with your heart on this as I honestly believe that both your choices are good ones. You've done a lot of research and have narrowed it down to these two - stick with it and make your choice. Phone Julia and Sue direct as well and see what they say about your mare - both of them are lovely and will give you honest opinions. I definitely would not make a decision based on faceless and nameless contributors on a forum! :)

I have a sneaky suspicion that you are quite near me and Thistle - you could always come and have a quick look at my foal and I'm sure that Thistle wouldn't mind you visiting Wally....? PM me if you're interested......and good luck!
 
Thanks all,
I have decided on Future Illusion! Hard decision because I really liked Mill Laws temperament but think Louis will add more to my mare.

Eeeek! So excited, lets hope she takes!
 
I have a 5 week old Future Illusion filly out of my 1* TB event mare. I am chuffed to bits with her. She is entered for the Futurity so I am hoping she does well!
 
I was fortunate enough to see Future Illusion at his first BD comp, I was seriously impressed with his temperament, he is also extremely elegant - I loved him.
 
sarah and hatty said:
Thanks all,
I have decided on Future Illusion! Hard decision because I really liked Mill Laws temperament but think Louis will add more to my mare.

Eeeek! So excited, lets hope she takes!
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Fingers crossed for you. I spent a day out eventing with Louis and love him, was given him to walk round the box park before the xc. He was so lovely and chilled out (and tacked up so I almost thought about pony napping him!!) lovely lovely stallion :D
 
Thistle said:
Have we seen pics? Or did I miss them?
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This is her at 5 days old

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I really need to get some more recent photos!
 
I was under the impression that you were not meant to do any promotional/advertising for your stallion through the Forum - I see that Julia FSH has done a certain amount of promotional work with Future Illusion - I would like to know why he would not event - not brave enough or not a good enough attitude, why he is no longer doing dressage and only in hand showing, why he was so badly behaved outdoors at Hartpury etc., if his injury was so bad when he got cast why was he still able to even do dressage and why was he not ridden at the Stallion Parades ie at Twemlows etc., there are only so many excuses u can use. Use a stallion that is proven is and always has been our policy however well bred etc.,
 
Hi Oldywordy I'd love to know where you've got your information from? Please feel free to call me on 07775 633004 if you'd like to tell me privately, or if you're happy to share the source of your information on this forum then please do.

IF you're really interested in the truth rather than a bit of unsubstantiated gossip, these are the facts -
1. Check out my usage of this forum - you'll see I hardly ever post...
2. "I would like to know why he would not event - not brave enough or not a good enough attitude," - He DID event. For a full season. And was about to continue eventing until his accident. His xc record for his 2010 season didn't have a single stop - doesn't really sit with a statement like "not brave enough" does it really?? Access his record on BE and tell me which bit of indicates "not a good enough attitude"?? Throwing around totally unsubstantiated, in fact, statements that are flatly contradicted by his BE record is a bit odd given that they can be so easily countered.
3. "Why is he no longer doing dressage and only showing in hand" - Because I made that decision, which is my business. As his breeder and owner I think I reserve the right to decide what he does and doesn't do. Had you considered the decision might have nothing to do with the horse itself??
4. "so badly behaved at Hartpury" - please do fill me in on the details of this bad behaviour. I was leading him in hand because of his documented allergic reaction (which can be evidenced by the vet bill!). I think I'd have noticed if he was "so badly behaved" as I was right there next to him. Were you there oldywordy? Did you actually see this "bad behaviour" yourself as I can categorically state that he was immaculately behaved.
5. "why he was not ridden at the Twemlows stallion parade" - Because his rider was competing at an event... perhaps I should have told them to cancel their day competing so she could sit on my stallion for 5 minutes at Twemlows??

There is a HUGE difference between excuses and reasons. Please do contact me because I'm fascinated to know the source of your information as I can only assume that you've taken on good faith something you've been told by someone with something to gain from decrying Future Illusion, given that everything you've said can be countered so easily? I look forward to speaking with you soon.
 
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