Breeding a winner

To breed success you need to be clear about what you want. Once you know this, look at the bloodlines of available stallions and assess their suitability. You wouldn’t choose a stallion for an amateur if he’s known to be difficult to train or strong-minded. Likewise, consider the mare’s attributes, strengths and weaknesses and choose a stallion that will complement her. For example, if she’s a smaller build than you’d prefer in the foal, choose a thicker set stallion or if she’s small in front or croup high look for a stallion who is very uphill. Always check the stallion’s proof or accreditation as a breeding stallion. Anyone can breed a stallion but not very many make the “approved” gradings on offer. One of the hardest European gradings is the KWPN, as the stallions are put through 50 to 125 days of consistent testing in a controlled environment before being approved. Some other gradings only involve a 30-minute test on one day so may not be as desirable. Whether the foal is destined for top end sport or an amateur, temperament is paramount, as this affects how easy he’ll be to train. There are exceptions but generally, if the stallion is pleasant and easy to deal with, he’ll pass this onto his offspring. So if this is your first time breeding or you’re using a stallion you haven’t met, do your research on his sons and daughters – you may or may not like what you see. Google is a wonderful thing! Remember that breeding might not be the easiest option for finding the right horse as you may not get what you hoped for and it’s expensive too. It can be very rewarding though and of course you know exactly what experience your young horse has had and what his temperament is like – useful when you’re getting on board for the first time.