To breed or not to breed.......(bit long sorry!!)

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AutumnRose

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Hello, this is my 1st post in breeding!! I have a ISH mare by Western Promise who i have always intended to breed from and various reasons have meant i may now bring this forwards to next year. I was talking to someone at the weekend who said i'd be crazy to do it and i was quite suprised....i've always been against the 'we'll breed from it as it can't do anything else' course of action and had never considered that T fell in this bracket!! Anyways i was hoping if i told you a bit about her i could get some opinons....
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ETS-should maybe add that whilst difficult to jump she is careful to show jump and brave xc.
I've had her 3 years, since age of 9. She was imported as a 5yo and had a couple of very nervous, very novicey riders plus went to a couple of dealers and hasn't done much at all. Although obviously sharp, lots of untapped potential. I'm experienced and have a fab trainer whos yard i'm based on so hoped with right work and time she'd event.

Good points- Angelic on the ground/to handle/do anything. Kind and loving, adores people. Kids on yard used her to practise stable management on for pc tests in summer!!
-Huge scope, we've jumped 1.40 oxers on her at home under saddle. Very easy. Don't have fence on school so cant loose jump and i'm not brave enough to jump bigger!
-Lovely movement, always gets 8's for paces.
-ALways wins/placed unaff dr up to novice including in v good company at oldencraig.Working elem at home. Will start BD this winter.
bad points-Sharp and spooky to ride, will jump at nothing. But does not buck/rear or bolt.
-doesnt have brain to event. Some days fly round, other days will stop for no reason, very inconsistent record eventing. Much better to sj but still difficult and inconsistent to a fence.
-nappy to hack alone, will spin and run backwards at nothing. Much better than it was and i regularly hack alone but wouldn't trust her for a second.

So all in all she it's her inconsistancy and sharp temprament that a couple of people have had a problem with, and they are people who have only seen her out eventing. My thoughts were that with the right stallion she could throw a very talented and gorgeous foal. She's adorable on the ground, tough and sound, hugely talented and i'm convinced that if she'd had a proper start in life would be a different horse.
Sorry its so long but i'd love to hear thoughts.......Oh she's bay in my sig!!
 
My next door neighbour has a Western Promise mare, shes a star. She bred from her two years ago, to Silver Patriach (who wouldn't have been my choice, perhaps!). The 2 year old is fantastic and totally like his mum in looks and temperament.
Best of luck!
 
If you mare has a decent enough conformation, a good temperment & you are looking to improve on her, why shouldn't you breed. I have had a lot of fun from my youngsters & todate they have all had useful lives & been worth every penny!!
 
the most difficult mare we have has bred the best horse of our breeding career.she was stroppy as a youngster and would lift me off the ground(not with her teeth) when walking her if it wasnt fast enough.she had scope to burn but was just slightly difficult in everything she did but this seems to be a trait in cavaliers.her progeny have lovely temperaments but are not novice horses.her second foal is heading off to the world championships next week so if you have a talented mare with good conformation then i would breed from her.i would put it down to her backing and schooling in the early days and above all pick the stallion very carefully.


www.freewebs.com/ballyshanhorses
 
Was very interested in your post as I am facing the same decission with one of my mares. She is a 6 yr old 15.2 out of a TB dam and by a Dutch WB Showjumping stallion that was based here in Ireland. She is a gem to work with in and out of the stable and all she really wants is to be cuddled and groomed. However she is very sharp to ride. She will hack better alone than in company as she dosnt like getting in front and "being on her own" as such. Jumping wise she has the heart of a lion and will take you to anything - normally at 100 miles an hour which can be a bit scary to say the least! She has fab technique and tons of ability and the confirmation of a show horse. On the down side she will nap when she decides that she dosnt want to do something your way. It is down to little bunny hops at the min but as a 4yr old she was nicknamed "Ballerina" for her skill on 2 legs. So I am considering putting her in foal next year to see if it will have some sort of calming influence on her but again have to be really careful of the stallion. Im thinking of ID as she has so much blood and quality. She is chestnut as well which may not help maters!
 
We have one that is the same, so much so they must have been related at some time! Dutch, pink papered KWPN (Stir) & chesnut! we have put her to our young stallion this year who has a superb temprement as well as other things.

So yes go ahead, but chose a good stallion and train the youngster right from the word go.

good luck
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hello, this is my 1st post in breeding!! I have a ISH mare by Western Promise who i have always intended to breed from and various reasons have meant i may now bring this forwards to next year. I was talking to someone at the weekend who said i'd be crazy to do it and i was quite suprised....

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends WHY they said you'd be crazy - but they might be right!
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As far as your mare is concerned, she looks a nice type and I would NOT be concerned about " inconsistancy and sharp temprament" - as long as you pick a stallion KNOWN for throwing foals that are on the laidback side of comatose!! Her ridden behaviour is almost certainly a product of her upbringing rather than her genes!

BUT - there is one way to make a small fortune out of breeding horses - and that's to START with a LARGE fortune! IF you get a foal (and the national average is something like 50% of mares who go to stud produce a live foal) it will almost certainly cost you more to produce to weaning than it would cost to buy a very nice comparable weanling. And if you're unlucky, your live foal could cost double (or treble) what it would cost to buy one - or you might end up spending £1,500 plus to NOT get your mare in foal!

And could you bear the risk of a tragedy. I've been lucky in that I haven't lost a mare foaling (yet) but I had one this year who nearly died, cost me more than £700 in vet's bills in the first 3 days after foaling and may never breed again. And on Monday I had to put down a nice little 3 month old colt after a freak paddock accident. In his case it didn't have to be an economic decision (the hardest sort) as expert advice was that his chance of recovery was less than 10% - with a lot of pain and suffering along the way - but if the prognosis hadn't been SO negative I would have had to make decision on economic grounds - treating him would have cost more than double, maybe treble, his value.

SO - if you want a foal to sell - forget it! You'll lose money. If you want one to keep, and you're prepared for the potential costs and the possible disasters, then I have to say that riding your own, home-bred baby is a great feeling!! And you do have a special bond that is like no other.
 
go for it my showjumping mare was the hardest mare to work with and sinces she had her foal she has been the nices mare total chilled her out and your mare has got good breeding and is young enough
 
Go for it, I have a friend who bred two foals by Major League out of a mare who was unrideable, in fact down right dangerous, the offspring by the age of 5/6 years were medium/elementary dressage, £300/£500 BSJA winnings and PN/Novice eventing!! Both have very good genuine temperaments and easy to do, she went back and had a third also! If you use the right stallion it can work.
 
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