Those with stallions...what age did you first breed with them?

[12Feb]

As title really! If you have an exceptional colt who you think could be a stallion prospect what age would you use them to first breed with?

Would you do a 'test' mating with one of your own mares first to see what he throws?

Also, did you train them to a dummy first and use AI or did you cover naturally? Just wondering how it may effect his future ridden work, was thinking that AI would be better as he wouldnt then associate mares with nice stuff ;-)

Only wondering as saw a picture from well known breeder of a first foal by thier now three year old so must have covered last year at two. He is also now available to a few mares this year.

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Sorry none of the above, i'd get him gelded.

 

[meandmyself]

Not associating mares with breeding comes down to training- you have one set of tack for breeding and another different set for ridden work. The breeding tack only gets used for breeding, so they learn that when it goes on, it's time for fun.

It seems quite normal in some places to breed a few times at two. Think most places wait until they're three though. What breed is he?

 

[12Feb]

deicinmerlyn - not very constructive post when you know nothing about me or my horses. What a bog standard idiotic answer.

Thank you meandmyself for being a bit more constructive! Im not actually referring to anything I own, I was purely interested due to seeing something on facebook and wondering what other breeders might do.

 

[sarahhelen1977]

I didn't breed with mine until the year he was 4 and had been graded. He graded at 3 in the November, then was backed in the January, trained to the dummy in March, then carried on with his ridden work. He did his first collection straight after his first competition in June - was a nice reward for him!

 

[Spring Feather]

One of my stallions was 3 years old, one was 4 years old when they first bred. Both were registered and licenced as stallions with their breed societies. Both were bred to my own mares only and the mares were pasture-bred. They were both darlings as stallions however I did have them gelded a few years ago now and they are still just as lovely.

A few breeders I know will breed from 2 year olds if they are certain they will make the grade and then have them licenced later so that the foals can be registered. Most breeders I know with young stallions who offer them up to the public make concessions for their boys and offer stud fees at around half what they would normally be for a more mature stallion of that breeding. All the ones I know offer them AI only.

 

[ritajennings]

Once he graded at three years of age

 

[Spiderman]

Same as some of the above. I wouldn't contemplate breeding with my boy until he'd been graded with a reputable studbook. Although I think I've plenty of experience and a good eye there are so many stallions out there that I needed to make sure that it wasn't just my opinion that thought he had something to offer as a sire.
He was trained to the dummy in the spring of his forth year, having graded at 3.

 

[cruiseline]

My stallion was graded at 4, then went under saddle for another 2 years before I considered using him for breeding. He had to prove to me that he not only had the ability to do the work, but he also had a trainable, even temperament to go along with it.

I can't see how any stallion owner can advise their clients on the trainability of their stallion if they are using him as a 2 or 3 year old.

 

[HBM1]

I have a four year old. He is currently being backed and will go to grading in the autumn. He is also being dummy trained whilst away. If he grades I will use him next year on two of my mares..plus offer him at stud. That way he will have had a winter out and about before doing any stud work. If he doesn't grade..or can't focus on work he will be gelded. Deicinmerlin..not sure what relevance your reply had to the original post.

 

[Simsar]

I know some if you know I have done this with my boy, but I would like to put a slightly different twist in this and ask why you wouldn't breed earlier as a test, as surely being a stallion is about what you produce not what you have done, with the thousands of graded stallions in the UK let alone worldwide, how many actually produce more than a few progeny better than themselves? Surely you want to know what they throw to different mare types and lines not HOPE they sire well, just because they are graded.

 

[HBM1]

I think it is possible to do both, grade and then see what foals they breed. For me it is just that my boy hasn't been ready to back or take to grading until this year. It is hard enough selling foals for good money these days, without trying to do so from an ungraded stallion. That is only my view...I know that grading does not mean they are a great stallion - as so many who were ungraded or failed gradings have gone on to be some of the best sport horse sires of our time.

 

[Simsar]

I would agree about the sale of the stock but if they are test matings and you are sensible then you will either keep the stock to show what he produces and produce them/have them produced yourself or make sure they go to a GOOD competion home, as they will be his shop window. I think you have to be really honest about what he throws and be prepared to geld him if he does not produce the goods and chalk it up to experience.

 

[HBM1]

Absolutely agree, after all if I don't want to use him on my mares - or if I wouldn't want to keep and produce one of the foals he produces, why should I expect others to pay for the privilege - my main aim with my boy is to have him out competing, if he has to be gelded due to not being able to focus, I figure I can always freeze some for my own use later.

 

[shirleyno2]

Depends on each individual stallion. Some we use at 2, some at 3, some not till they're 5!

 

[rebeccag]

Agree - we have a couple of foals from our young stallion this year (now 3). He covered live last year but was turned back out and effectively turned back into a baby but it wouldn't work for every horse. This year he has been backed - and proven to be very easy and quiet as was his full sister that we also still have - and has been covering again but has been turned away to start his career next year.

And the foals are both gorgeous.

 

[htobago]

My boy started at 3.

Slightly different situation as there are no official gradings for pure-bred Arabs, but he had been shown very successfully in hand (international champion) and at the international shows they are assessed and scored on type, conformation and movement by 5 judges.

I also paid to have him professionally assessed and evaluated as a potential sire by another leading international judge, who regularly values Arab horses for breeders, buyers, court cases, etc.

So I was not just relying on my own opinion.

I have no mares of my own - this stallion is my only horse - so I could not do any test-matings, and he started standing at public stud (to approved mares only) as a 3yo. The following year, his firstborn foal was British National Champion Foal, so although I did not own the dam or the foal, I suppose this counts as a successful test-mating!

Not quite the orthodox route, but I hope I did things in a responsible way.