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What makes a stallion good enough to breed?

8K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  JustDressageIt 
#1 ·
Seriously I really want to know... since color is not a good reason... or having a successful showing career is not a good reason. I'd really like to know what makes any male horse worth breeding. I am open to any reasons.


ps I think breeding for color and good bloodlines in showing are both good reasons... but I was told otherwise by another poster.
 
#2 ·
Conformation should ALWAYS come before anything else. The only stallions that should be allowed to keep their plums are the ones that have above average conformation, they should excel at what they perform in (dressage, cutting, eventing, etc.), they should have good bloodlines and a wonderful disposition.

Theres nothing bad about wanting colour in the/your stallion, just as long as you understand that colour comes (or should come) last.

Everyone has their opinion on what should and what shouldn't be bred- me personally, I'm an Arabian person, so many of the stockier Quarter horses aren't appealing to me breeding-wise, while some people are exact opposite, etc.

With me, a exceptional (there should be no "good" in stallions) stallion should have the following (in order)-

Excellent conformation.
Above average athletic ability to excel and win at what he is bred for (ie: better than average showing career).
Willing, gentle disposition and sound mind.
Good bloodlines that are known for throwing above average horses.
Colour.
 
#3 ·
ScoutRacer said:
Seriously I really want to know... since color is not a good reason... or having a successful showing career is not a good reason. I'd really like to know what makes any male horse worth breeding. I am open to any reasons.


ps I think breeding for color and good bloodlines in showing are both good reasons... but I was told otherwise by another poster.
Not in any order of importance but what makes a stallion worth his balls are--

Pedigree that is superior
Performance that validates that pedigree
Conformation with no faults or at least very few minor ones ( no horse is perfect not even stallions) but at least no faults that are genetic or performance limiting.
A good mind or disposition
Production...able to reproduce all of the above in their offspring. In other words bring the past into the future.

And last and ONLY if it IS a color breed is a color producer IF all of the above are in place.
 
#4 ·
I think Spyder hit the nail on the head.

-EXCELLENT conformation
-Good bloodlines (Up close) Dam and Sire should have done something with themselves, not just been lesson ponies.
-Good Disposition
- Negative for any genes that could be passed down that could harm a future horse (HYPP etc)
-Proven in the show ring at a high level. (Not just local shows)
-A breed standard for what he will be bred for. IE If youre breeding Arabians, breed something that will improve the Arabian breed.
-The ability to produce offspring that carry the same traits that you were looking to get.
 
#6 ·
1) Conformation. Is and always will be the first thing I look at in a stallion. If it doesn't have GOOD (if not EXCEPTIONAL) conformation, lop 'em off.
2) Health. Free of any genetic disease.
3) Mentality. A stallion has to be good-mannered to be considered a "good" stallion candidate. Although a lot of a foal's personality comes from the dam, it's not all nurture... the genes play a role too.
4) Pedigree. If two un-spectacular horses were bred together, perhaps it was just a fluke that the stallion turned out well (following my two points above). I prefer to see "big" names that I know well close up in the lines.
5) Performance. I just read a response that FehrGroundRanch made, and I have to change an opinion of mine. I have thought it over, and I have to agree that not ALL stallions have to be world-class caliber. HOWEVER - they should be able to do what they were bred to do WELL. For example, FGR's stallion was a ranch-bred stallion, and he has good lines, good conformation, and does his job well. She doesn't have the time to take him "big time" but that's okay! He has a job that's other than making babies, he does it well, and that's big to me. He has to back up his balls.
6) Prodigy. Are his offspring doing well? Are they well-conformed? Sound of mind?

Now I didn't touch on the owners because this thread is about the stallion himself... however, the owners play a big role in my opinion of the stallion.
I do NOT like to see a stallion bred to a ton of mares each year. I do not respect those ranches that pop out hundreds of foals each year.
I do not respect stallion owners that do not take a look at the mare they're allowing to breed to their stallion.
These would be a deciding factor in my books as well.
 
#7 ·
JustDressageIt said:
1) Conformation. Is and always will be the first thing I look at in a stallion. If it doesn't have GOOD (if not EXCEPTIONAL) conformation, lop 'em off.
2) Health. Free of any genetic disease.
3) Mentality. A stallion has to be good-mannered to be considered a "good" stallion candidate. Although a lot of a foal's personality comes from the dam, it's not all nurture... the genes play a role too.
4) Pedigree. If two un-spectacular horses were bred together, perhaps it was just a fluke that the stallion turned out well (following my two points above). I prefer to see "big" names that I know well close up in the lines.
5) Performance. I just read a response that FehrGroundRanch made, and I have to change an opinion of mine. I have thought it over, and I have to agree that not ALL stallions have to be world-class caliber. HOWEVER - they should be able to do what they were bred to do WELL. For example, FGR's stallion was a ranch-bred stallion, and he has good lines, good conformation, and does his job well. She doesn't have the time to take him "big time" but that's okay! He has a job that's other than making babies, he does it well, and that's big to me. He has to back up his balls.
6) Prodigy. Are his offspring doing well? Are they well-conformed? Sound of mind?

Now I didn't touch on the owners because this thread is about the stallion himself... however, the owners play a big role in my opinion of the stallion.
I do NOT like to see a stallion bred to a ton of mares each year. I do not respect those ranches that pop out hundreds of foals each year.
I do not respect stallion owners that do not take a look at the mare they're allowing to breed to their stallion.
These would be a deciding factor in my books as well.
Well said... Couldnt agree more.. :)
 
#8 ·
Kyani said:
Agree with all of the above.

'Colour' should never be a factor. A nice colour is a bonus on a nice horse, but should never come into the discussion on whether he should keep his balls.
I'm not a breeder so I don't want to say what does or does not make a stud. But... Wouldn't color be a factor if you were breeding for a paint or an Appy? I've seen appy's with no spots and paints with teeny splotches and otherwise solid coats...woulndt that be undesireable? I mean, in those breed registries, don't markings matter?

Not trying to argue, just asking a question, as I said, I'm not a breeder.
 
#10 ·
farmpony84 said:
Kyani said:
Agree with all of the above.

'Colour' should never be a factor. A nice colour is a bonus on a nice horse, but should never come into the discussion on whether he should keep his balls.
I'm not a breeder so I don't want to say what does or does not make a stud. But... Wouldn't color be a factor if you were breeding for a paint or an Appy? I've seen appy's with no spots and paints with teeny splotches and otherwise solid coats...woulndt that be undesireable? I mean, in those breed registries, don't markings matter?

Not trying to argue, just asking a question, as I said, I'm not a breeder.
Actually I mentioned that in my post. But the color factor should be a consideration if all the previous things I mentioned were in place.
 
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