What do you think about the Design a Foal programs that are now available through various breeders?
I think it's a good way to get into breeding w/o being a drag on the horse market..... face it, some horses aren't breeding material, and now you can have a baby out of your favorite mare, but with amazing bloodlines.... I think more people should look into it especially, if they are a backyard breeder who wants to see a cute little baby
I'm actually kind of against this, the reason being that it opens the door for people who don't know squat about the bloodlines they are mixing to play Dr. Frankenstein. I'm not saying that this applies to everybody; there are certainly buyers out there who will listen to advice given them about the cross, the sport they are breeding for, what conformation and temperment both parents bring to the table, etc. But overall, I feel its better to let a knowledgeable breeder make the decision on how to improve the next generation. I've met too many people who just fell in love with a specific stallion and bred with no thought to the end product. Just my two cents though. I do think its a step up from backyard breeding, but unless you put as much thought into the cross as an honest-to-god breeder would, you won't get the best results.
I'm actually kind of against this, the reason being that it opens the door for people who don't know squat about the bloodlines they are mixing to play Dr. Frankenstein. I'm not saying that this applies to everybody; there are certainly buyers out there who will listen to advice given them about the cross, the sport they are breeding for, what conformation and temperment both parents bring to the table, etc. But overall, I feel its better to let a knowledgeable breeder make the decision on how to improve the next generation. I've met too many people who just fell in love with a specific stallion and bred with no thought to the end product. Just my two cents though. I do think its a step up from backyard breeding, but unless you put as much thought into the cross as an honest-to-god breeder would, you won't get the best results.
I think it's just another ploy to make money personally. Everyone thinks that if they breed their train wreck of a mare to a world champion bloodline stallion they'll end up with this "perfect horse". I think the biggest thing that ruins the horse market and kills horses every single year is the "I want to breed my mare because she's so nice and I want to have a piece of her forever". You're mare isn't breeding material, quit while you're somewhat ahead!
Same goes for people who keep stallions solely because they are homozygous or some "exotic" color. Without the personality, conformation and potential to do SOMETHING (halter, performance...) you don't have breeding material.
What do you think about the Design a Foal programs that are now available through various breeders?
I think it's a good way to get into breeding w/o being a drag on the horse market..... face it, some horses aren't breeding material, and now you can have a baby out of your favorite mare, but with amazing bloodlines.... I think more people should look into it especially, if they are a backyard breeder who wants to see a cute little baby
What do you think about the Design a Foal programs that are now available through various breeders?
I think it's a good way to get into breeding w/o being a drag on the horse market..... face it, some horses aren't breeding material, and now you can have a baby out of your favorite mare, but with amazing bloodlines.... I think more people should look into it especially, if they are a backyard breeder who wants to see a cute little baby
true, breeding should be stopped, but i was just looking at it in the matter of someone who feels like they HAVE to breed their horse :roll: personally I'd rather see everyone buy a horse that's already here and not make more!
I'm actually kind of against this, the reason being that it opens the door for people who don't know squat about the bloodlines they are mixing to play Dr. Frankenstein. I'm not saying that this applies to everybody; there are certainly buyers out there who will listen to advice given them about the cross, the sport they are breeding for, what conformation and temperment both parents bring to the table, etc. But overall, I feel its better to let a knowledgeable breeder make the decision on how to improve the next generation. I've met too many people who just fell in love with a specific stallion and bred with no thought to the end product. Just my two cents though. I do think its a step up from backyard breeding, but unless you put as much thought into the cross as an honest-to-god breeder would, you won't get the best results.
I say if it's a choice between breeding a "designer foal" from good stock and breeding a foal from crap stock, I will choose the designer foal.
If the designer foal's sire and dam are of good quality to be breeding, then have at 'er, spend all the money you want to get this foal.
If a crap farm is breeding low quality horses and calling them "designer foals" then no.
I think it's just another ploy to make money personally. Everyone thinks that if they breed their train wreck of a mare to a world champion bloodline stallion they'll end up with this "perfect horse". I think the biggest thing that ruins the horse market and kills horses every single year is the "I want to breed my mare because she's so nice and I want to have a piece of her forever". You're mare isn't breeding material, quit while you're somewhat ahead!
Same goes for people who keep stallions solely because they are homozygous or some "exotic" color. Without the personality, conformation and potential to do SOMETHING (halter, performance...) you don't have breeding material.
I mean, some top-quality studs will offer world-class mares and stallions to choose your cross from, so you can choose which mare and stallion you want your foal to come from. I think that's a brilliant idea over breeding a mediocre mare because the owners can't affoard to buy a world-class mare. That way we don't lose out on quality, and a nice foal is born from it.
I mean, some top-quality studs will offer world-class mares and stallions to choose your cross from, so you can choose which mare and stallion you want your foal to come from. I think that's a brilliant idea over breeding a mediocre mare because the owners can't affoard to buy a world-class mare. That way we don't lose out on quality, and a nice foal is born from it.
Same goes for people who keep stallions solely because they are homozygous or some "exotic" color. Without the personality, conformation and potential to do SOMETHING (halter, performance...) you don't have breeding material.
This is so true...When looking for a future stallion to breed our mare SS/AI to, I looked through hundreds of homozygous stallions to find only a handful that had excellent conformation, pedigree, performance record, and progeny record. the homozygous factored seemed to be valued above all else!
I don't know if I am against the design a foal idea because if someone is willing to pay for it (as opposed to breeding whatever they have in the backyard) I would think they would be putting a lot of thought and research into it.
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