Stallion Suggestions for my Mare?

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cardiganlover

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Hello All!

I am new to this forum, I found it while researching stallions on the net.

I have a 4 year old (coming 5 spring of 2012) Hanoverian mare, she did well at her Mare Performance Test, is Elite Mare eligible, and now needs to produce a foal. I am seeking stallion selection advice!

I would plan on keeping her foal, so I am essentially breeding for myself. My goal would be to produce an 'all around' type horse, one that can do a bit of low level Dressage, jump a little and carry me safely on lots of trail rides.

Ginger is on the small side (currently 15.3), I'd like to have a foal that stays shorter (ideally no taller then 16hh) and lighter in bone (similar build to Ginger). Ginger is VERY calm, gentle, non-spooky and bold about new things. It is very important to me that I breed Ginger to a stallion that is known for producing a calm, quiet and easy going disposition.

Ginger is by Graf Top out of an EM by Riviera. Here is a link to information on Ginger from her breeder, including a pedigree: http://southlanefarm.com/Foals 2007/Ginger/Ginger.htm

If you'd like to see video of her, there clips were taken in Sept. 2010 at her MPT in Canada.

http://youtu.be/FVdJcRiUi0E
http://youtu.be/l_sZX5xUO_g

This clip is from May 2011: http://youtu.be/utMc7A5IC8U

If you owned Ginger, who would you breed her to? I can use either fresh or frozen semen, as long as it is available in the United States and the stallion is Hanoverian approved.

It is important to me to produce a foal with a very sweet, mellow, easy going disposition that is not going to mature over 16 to 16.1hh. Next I'd like to improve on her movement, but that would be behind height and temperament in terms of importance.

I can email her score sheets from her inspection and Mare Performance Test to anyone interested.

Even though this will be a 'duffers' horse, I want to produce the best quality foal I can!

These are stallions I had thought of, but am open to ALL other suggestions:

1. Dr. Doolittle
2. Rubinero
3. Fabriano
4. Don Ricoss
5. Monte Belinni
6. Dauphin
7. Bonifatius
8. Licosto
9. Fuerst Piccolo
10. Lissaro
11. Rubin-Royal
12. Denario
13. Regazzoni
14. Lordanos


I look forward to hearing from everyone and appreciate any and all help!
 
You say you want to breed a 'duffer's horse' to compete at low level, yet are looking at top quality stallions which would most likely breed a professional's horse. I can't see any of those sires producing a jumper or trail horse.
 
So what do you suggest? Should I breed my Elite Candidate mare to a Quarter Horse? Or perhaps a Jack so I can get a mule? Would one of these crosses be more suitable for a pleasure horse?

I would call Ginger well bred, her sire Graf Top was 2011 Hanoverian Stallion of the year yet she carries me calmly and safely on trails and is happy to hop over the odd fence.

Have you heard of this program http://www.hannoveraner.com/1907.html that the Hanoverian Verband has? It is called Hannoveraner erleben or "Experience Hanoverians". It is a program to promote Hanoverians as pleasure horses for people who aren't going to compete at the highest levels.

Some bloodlines are known for their amateur friendly temperament, as are some stallions. If none of the stallions on my list are known for producing 'Ammy friendly' horses then let me know, that is why I am seeking advice.

But I think it's a bit over the top to say that a well bred horse can't be happy and calm hacking out and puttering around a low level Dressage test or small course of jumps!
 
The D and R lines are supposed to have the best rideability and the quietest temperaments. As for size, some of the modern Hanno's can be very tall, but as this is your mare's first foal, hopefully it won't be too tall.

I go to the Hannovarian Auction for my holidays and I know about the program you are talking about. They are selling horses at the Auction's as pleasure horses. I agree that really any horse is capable of being a pleasure horse, it just depends on how they are trained. All of Carl Hesters Dressage horses hack, so do the Bechtolsheimer's.

If I had a nice mare, I would also look for the best stallion possible too.
 
She looks a nice horse with a quiet temperament which you obviously want to keep. I suppose in order to get elite status her foal will be taken into account so I can see why you want to breed to the best stallion possible. However she needs a stallion with more movement and more front. She's nice but not special on the flat but I did like her jump. I'd go for a good moving jumping stallion if she was mine.
 
Yes, I know about her movement and that is one thing I want to improve (as I stated in my original post) but I don't want to kill her jump.

Ginger is in the Hanoverian Jumper Breeding program (as are her sire and dam) so she wasn't bred to be a spectacular mover, just a very good jumper. She comes from jumper bloodlines.

Looking for a stallion that passes on good movement is a given!;) It's not good enough for the stallion to move well himself, he needs to pass that trait on.

I posted here because I got the feeling that many people on this board regularly go to Germany and see what the stallions are producing at the various foal/mare/riding horse shows. I don't have that luxury, all I can do is try to find video clips online.
 
She is a lovely mare, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to produce a foal that has all of her good points but maybe has just a little more omph. Why shouldn't a nice mare and her offspring be kept for trail riding/low level competition if that's what the owner wants? In fact I admire you as so many people think they are going to produce the next world champion - and so often all that is produced is a horse that does not have the talent to reach the top but is a professionals ride. Won't hack out, is hot, difficult and doesn't actually give its poor owner so much pleasure.

I would go with something that has duel purpose bloodlines, that will improve her movement but retain her jump. Now I am maybe thinking outside the box a bit, but I love this trakehner stallion Axis - http://webelsgrund.de/english/axis.html though I like this page more about him http://217.154.64.185/stallions/axis.htm Approved with many registries and looks to be siring some nice foals too.
 
One of the limitations for looking outside the US is that the stallion must be cleared for import into the US. Not all of the stallions are, so be careful to check that out first.

If you want to keep the height down (plus she is a maiden) I would look at a maximum height of 16.2hh for the stallion, and check the sire-line and damline for any real monsters height wise as the height can often skip a generation.

Another option is to use one of the German riding pony stallions to produce a smaller adult. Just make sure it is from book recognised by the Hanoveraner verband. A friend here in the UK stands a GRP and has used him to produce small dressage horses by putting him to bigger mares. He competed internationally and there are others around like him, so plenty of choice.
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. Lissaro is on my list, he seems like a fine stallion and from what I've read has a pretty calm temperament. He is being frozen and should be available in the US in March (assuming all goes well).

Someone mentioned Rubicell and he is GORGEOUS but not (from what info. I can find on the internet) approved Hanoverian.

I'd have to check but I don't think a pony stallion, even one that's tested and approved would work. The GRP's are in a different studbook and I don't think the American Hanoverian Society/Hanoverian Verband would register the foal.

Does anyone have specific, first-hand knowledge of the stallions I listed in my original post?

Thanks so much!
 
I know he's not on your list, but check out Balou Star. He's a very nice mover and an exceptional jumper. I think he was under height for Hannover initially, but when I saw him in Jan 2010, they expected him to finish up about 16hh. The Hanoverians were reconsidering him on performance, but I haven't checked up to see how that went. His owner is lovely and very helpful, so you could drop him a line to ask. When we went to view Balou Star there was *literally* a hurricane going on, and he was an absolute sweetheart. My friend ended up using him via frozen on her ISH mare, got a pregnancy on the first cycle, and is really pleased with the foal, who was awarded a high first premium in dressage! Her youngster has a really laid back attitude and is a great favourite of everyone.
 
It says Balou Star is approved a with the German pony but all foals can be registered with the mares studbook and available in the US
 
RE: Balou Star, he's a handsome boy but unless he's been approved for Hanoverian breeding, I can't register the foal with the American Hanoverian Society.

Their statement that his foals can be registered with the registry of the mare is a bit misleading. It would depend on the rules of the mares registry.
 
Anyone have an opinion on the Trakehner stallion Distelzar for my mare Ginger?

Fabriano has also been suggested but I'm afraid he and Ginger would produce a foal with more hunter-type movement?

Another suggestion I received was Florestan?

Opinions please.

I've been looking at various stallions stats in the 2012 Hanoverian Stallion Yearbook (Jahrbuch Hengst). How much stock do you place in the numbers when choosing a stallion?

Thanks!
 
I would place a lot of importance on the stallion statistics. I chose Diamond Hit for my mare largely because of his statistics and I got a fabulous filly.

Have you considered Fidertanz. I have heard his own temperament is very good as is the temperament of his offspring.
 
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