Better the Breed

I keep hearing that term used and wonder how many of you have bred a horse that made its breed better? I've bred 100's of QH's have bred NCHA , NRHA, money earners also AQHA and APHA point earners. I've sold colts from coast to coast and Europe, Mex. , and Can. Had horses place in the Top 10 at the AQHA World Show but I've yet to breed one that made the QH breed better. The breed would be exactly the same now as if I had never bred one horse in my life.

I think theres certainly lots of horses that have made breeds better but there rare and very few. I think The TB stallion Three Bars made the QH breed better. I think horses like Doc Bar and Poco Lena made the QH better certainly the Cutting QH much better. Theres a number of them that did but they are an exception by far.

What have you bred that made an entire breed better and how did the horse do it?

The term 'Better the Breed' to me means breeding a top quality horse that sets a prime example for that breed, henceforth better the breeds image and peoples respect for the breed. Also by breeding a quality horse, lets say a mare, there are chances that the horse will then be bred again. But, by already being very well bred, there is a high chance for a foal just as good or even better.

As a horseperson, I always get kind of a sense of pride when I see breeders who advertise something like '17 World Champions'. They have bettered the breed by producing horses good enough to make it to the top. They worked hard and bred careful.

Of course it doesn't take a World Champion to better a breed. Anyone can produce a foal thats good in, lets say, trail riding. Others then see this nice, calm, well rounded horse and think 'Oh wow, what a wonderful QH/Appy/Arab/TWH/MTF/Shire'.

You better the breed by breeding foals with a good lines, temperament and conformation. All it takes is one mean horse with crooked legs and no papers to ruin the image of a breed in someone elses eyes.

Twogeldings what a wonderful way of saying it!

Kay

By your definition twogeldings I then have Bettered the QH Breed and I've had foals with poor conformation so I've destroyed the breed. I don't know one breeder thats bred a number of horses that hasn't done the exact same thing. Breeding the best in no way gurentees a good foal.

I would like to point out that the majority of breeders are NOT out to "better the breed". They ARE out to make a profit and hope that the buyer is someone that has the qualifications to ensure THEIR foals are trained to the highest level so that they can sell more foals.

Breeding is a business. A breeder can breed a potential world beater but because of a different set of circumstances never made it to the top of their game. Breeding can be frustrating and when a breeder breeds a really really good foal they have two options.

1) Hold on to it and spend a ton of money they may not have to "prove its worth".

2)Sell for top dollar and HOPE the person does right by it.

There are breeders out there that have that type of clientelle but it takes time to get that sort of reputation and it is usually based on their foals being bought by the "right" buyers. Then there are breeders producing top quality foals being bought by average people that either don't know what they have or do know but are unable to show the full potential of that purchase due to circumstances.

So who gets labeled as " I guess with no world beaters out there by your stud, he can't be that good".................and then potential people will go to the "world beater" foal producer's stud that in the end may not be suitable for that particular person.

I see this so much lately especially in the high end internationally known studs. Everyone wants to breed to the high ranking stud but fails to take into accout their own level of riding ability that would be incompatable in handling a "hot" animated baby that was bred for international competition.

I definately agree with twogeldings, wonderful post!

Breeding the best doesn't guarantee a good foal, but it sure does improve the odds. If I had to choose which foal to buy before it was born, I would pick the foal out of well built, proven horses than badly conformed, unproven horses. Everytime.

With every breeding there is ALWAYS a chance of poorer conformation. There is no horse with a 'perfect' conformation. Every single horse has it's faults. I completely see your point, but, by breeding Good + Good you have a higher chance of breeding better. Not always best, or biggest, or most perfect. But breeding good. Breeding WISELY.


Take in for example my two Missouri Fox Trotter geldings. They have a naturally beautiful gait, good conformation, nice papers. But Loki is bossy and can be pushy and Red doesn't understand people yet and can henceforth seem stand-offish and grouchy. If I didn't know better I would probably walk away thinking that Foxtrotters are a bunch of arses that are just a waste of time.
They're fault is there temperament (being a bunch of arses a lot of the time) but they better there breed by representing it well with there gait, and conformation.

Loki's full brother, another example. Parents are fantastic horses, but he has a big head and a roman nose. He just came out that way. Nothing you can do about it. He makes up for it with his personality, conformation, and linage. They bred good and got an ugly duckling with a big heart.


A Quarter Horse from great parents may have a bad conformation, but betters it's breed with it's wonderful personality and gentle nature. Another with a mean temperment and good conformation may better it's breed for being top notch in barrels, or sorting, or even English riding.



Spyder; Unfortunately yes, there are people out there who just breed JUST for profit. It is not a practice I like to see at all, but it is done. Thoroughbreds are unfortunately a breed were this is done quite a lot it seems. It really saddens me, especially when you read how many end up after just a few races in the meat pens.


"So who gets labeled as " I guess with no world beaters out there by your stud, he can't be that good".................and then potential people will go to the "world beater" foal producer's stud that in the end may not be suitable for that particular person."

Excellent point.
My geldings sire has produced many good foals, but most have been sold as trail, pleasure or family horses, even though many of them would do great in the show ring. He isn't well known and has been met with skepticism by some. Especially with a low stud fee of $250.
He's about 16-17 years old now, never been shown, his only job is really breeding and relaxing. But he has no stud-like vices, no aggression, no nothing. I have two of his foals, certainly not the best examples of what he can produce but I am happy with both of them. I absolutely adore a weanling black colt of his. I haven't met a foal of his I haven't liked, honestly. Cross or not.



There are, of course, faults in my argument and general definition of 'bettering the breed', which I do hope are pointed out and corrected by other members. The simplest definition I would say would probably be 'Breed Smart'.

Like Spyder pointed out with the high ranking studs. Bigger and better doesn't always really mean better. So breed smart, breed careful, and enjoy what you do.


Big and small, every horse has a chance to better the breed if bred right, trained right, and loved.

I totally agree I want to breed smart and wise but IMO a horse has to be and do something exceptional to change an entire breed for the better. Be a World champion? Theres lots of them every year in the AQHA and while its a huge accomplisment and should be noted very very rarely has one made the breed any better. Had that horse not been there another would have been World Champion and that one would rarely change the breed in any way. We had a horse that finished second in a class at the World Show while he and the horse that was first IMO were outstanding had neiher one been there the breed would be no better or worse and two other horses would have been first and second.

This is always true, training and how they are raised make up the rest.

Mustangs have a reputation of being a tough breed in relation to health issues. 300 to 500 years of living in the wild have created this breed, with little to no human contect.

a ranch raised QH (pasture born and raised until 2 to 3 years old, with minimum human handling), will be tougher than a patlock (small field) raised mustang.

training speaks for itself.