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What one of my mares would be best???

5K views 29 replies 13 participants last post by  Ace80908 
#1 ·
I am trying to decide which one of my ponies I should breed. I am trying to get a flashy, taller, English/Western horse for myself and would like to train it myself with natural horsemanship. I am going to keep the foal for myself. I am a competitive Cross Country jumper and would like that ability to be in the foal, my mares are both wonderful jumpers and competitors, and have won many awards.
-Friska is a hardship registered 9 year old, 13 h POA pony mare. She has an astounding personality and disposition. She is a pony everyone wants. She is an amazing kids horse and is fantastic in both English and Western events. She loves to trot and when she does she lifts her legs up so high she just looks like a little appaloosa/hackney cross. She has been ridden in lessons with little children and is fantastic and calm for them. She is a wonderful pony and has great athletic ability.
-Sirus is a registered half Welsh pony half Arabian cross. She is an amazing athlete and has a wonderful spunky attitude. She is my personal horse and is my perfect match. She is a competitive speed event/jumping pony and is fantastic in both English and Western events. She has done English Pony Club, Western 4H, and competitive trail riding. She is a flashy adorable pony and has a mothering attitude. She has won classes at the county fair horse show and is an amazing pony with amazing training.
I love both of these mares and care about both of them greatly. Now I am wondering what breed of horse and abilities I should be looking for in a stallion, to get a great foal out of one of my mares.
 
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#2 ·
Don't breed, buy one. It's cheaper in the long run, and doesn't contribute to the overpopulation - and you can also get exactly what you're looking for. Just because you breed for tall and lean doesn't mean you'll get it.
 
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#4 ·
I want the experiance of having the foal. All of my horses are rescue horses, Friska we rescued from the slaughter house and Sirus is from an abusive home. I know what I am doing and know what breeding and reciving a foal entails. I am looking for another horse, if I find one that suits my needs I will not breed my mares and buy that horse instead.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Yes, realistically you aren't going to get tall and lean from either of those mares... and there's so many horses that need good homes. You could easily buy a weanling foal and raise it yourself, if that's the experience you're hoping for. I recently adopted a yearling mustang rather than to breed my Welsh Cob mare, and I've been enjoying training him... plus it's really good to know that I was able to give him a home.

That said, if I were absolutely positively going to breed one of those mares, I would breed Sirus. It sounds like she has more of a defined past in terms of knowing her heritage, and it sounds like you've done quite a bit more with her competitively. I would also choose to breed her to either an Arabian or another Welsh for a 3/4 baby that could be registered, because I feel that once you get much more mixed up, the horses aren't always as appealing. There are some really nice Welsh Cob studs out there that are as big as 15 hh... which is about as big a stud as I would want to breed to my 13hh pony.
 
#6 ·
I see your point. Both of my mares are quite small and I wouldn't get a tall horse. I have been looking for a weanling as well as a great stallion. If I could find a wonderful weanling perfect for my needs I would buy it. I love arabians and see how it would be good to keep it down to just 2 breeds in the family. Thank You for your help!!!!
 
#5 ·
I see your point. Both of my mares are quite small and I wouldn't get a tall horse. I have been looking for a weanling as well as a great stallion. If I could find a wonderful weanling perfect for my needs I would buy it. I love arabians and see how it would be good to keep it down to just 2 breeds in the family. Thank You for your help!!!!
 
#7 ·
I'm no expert at conformation at all so if you like any of these, ask someone else about the conformation...plus I have no idea where you are located but I found a few listed for sale. I searched mainly for Pony/Pony Crosses with Arab/Half Arab thrown in. I am in love with the first one!

DreamHorse.com Horse ID: 1740660 - Spotacus ABC

DreamHorse.com Horse ID: 1757354 - KA Frosted Champagne

DreamHorse.com Horse ID: 1707088 - IM Golde Ice

DreamHorse.com Horse ID: 1700713 - Bella Rose SF

These are just a few. If you want super flashy...the top guy is awesome!
 
#10 ·
Sirus is a pretty girl. :)
What breed do you prefer? Are are A LOT of nice weanlings or even yearlings for sale :)
 
#15 ·
Looking at these mares in your "Barn", I'm going to be quite blunt and tell you that neither are breeding quality. Both ended up in rescue-like situations....therein lies the first red flag. Neither are registered. Neither have been shown in eventing, where your desired riding style is, and quite frankly, neither breeds are known for being cross country/jumper horses.

On top of this, you have many costs to consider, both $$$-wise and moral-wise. What if you lose your mare to complications? Is it really worth it? Do you have the funds for a stud fee, pre-conception examinations to the mare, testing to make sure you're not passing on any genetic disorders, pregnancy exams, supplements for the mare, foaling costs, etc.?

What will happen when you end up with a short, possibly deformed foal not at all suitable for what you want to do? Where's the resale value in that horse? Unregistered, a grade cross, lacking proper conformation....High-dollar, well-bred horses are having a tough time selling right now. What makes you think someone is going to be available to take on your problems when the foal isn't what you expected?

Buy, don't breed. Pick up a young foal for 1/10 the cost of a decent breeding stud fee and train it from the ground up. That way, you still have both mares to ride (no gestation periods) and there's absolutely no risk to your mare. Plus, you can rescue another needy baby.
 
#17 ·
I can't belive that you would say that about my mares and say that that stuff about me not knowing about my mares. Like I said in one of my earlier posts, "Sirus is from an abusive home," but I didn't go into full detail. She is from a home that had bought her from a Welsh breeding farm-Allys Ponies and Pannels- up in Logan, Utah where Sirus's sire resides- "Eddio" a Welsh Pony palomino gray 1995 champion, who is sired by the great LOM of grayfields welsh ponies. Her dam is an arabian at the breeding farm was by the name of R Sweet Temptress. She is registerd half welsh half arabian, as I proved to you. We bought her from the abusive home then trained her and she is now a competitive cross country horse, she is also a Western 4H Pony and is a member of the Dimple Dell Pony Club.
Friska is a HARDSHIP registered POA- a hardship POA is a pony that can't be registered, because of lack of history, she was bought by a meat seller, then bought by a lady in Ogden, Utah whos trainer told the lady that Friska wasn't trained. We bought her as a prospect for me to train but as i was training her I realized she was already trained, I rode her and fixed her flaws for 4 months then disided she was well enough trained for my little brothers. She has been ridden by them and by my mothers ridding students ever since.
I know what breeding my mare entails! I wanted help not you accusing me of not knowing my mares!!
 
#16 ·
I agree with buy don't breed. If you want to experience the whole, pregnancy, foal watch, delivery thing, go volunteer during foaling season at a breeding ranch. You can sit up watching mares all night long for as long as you can stand it and play with just born foals too. I actually love foal watch but after doing it for many, many years, I now have the stamina for about 2 foals. After that.....pfffft, let someone else do it! Then I'm fresh and rested to play with the newborn foals the next day.

I'm going to go AGAINST the tide here though on the rescue thing. There are some really nice horses that end up in rescue situations through no fault of their own but there are just as many that someone pulled off the meatman's truck that should have been left on it. You never know for sure what you will get. The horse economy is in the cr*pper and has been for several years now. Go find what you want, looks, pedigree, potential from a good breeder who breeds for the sports you want the horse to perform in.

In the long run, it won't cost anymore and you'll have a registered horse that you can resell for a few bucks if you need to, down the road. No offense to either of your ponies, I'm sure they're sweet, but a/not breeding quality and b/if they ended up at the sale, I wouldn't be bidding. You get what you pay for.
 
#28 ·
Those pictures aren't showing them in action when they are looking nice.The POA is very popular at the shows she goes to and is a very flashy mount. These photos were just taken with my phone in the middle of winter and are not the best pictures, she doesn't look very nice in that picture she has her long winter coat on and her feet are not trimmed (we had her feet done the day after that picture). I will try to get some better pictures, like I said everyone loves these horses and I don't see what everyone is so upset about. I am not sure I will breed one of them, I was just wondering what kind of horse would be best to breed them to if I was going to breed them.
 
#21 ·
Yes, this. Their toes are way too long and it looks as though it's been months and months since they were shod. This is just asking for soundness issues. Are you fairly new to horses, OP?

Neither mare is breeding quality, although the palomino is cute. You'll be much happier (and financially better off) buying a weanling.
 
#22 ·
This is a bit different because of the breeds involved but
the one thing I might say with breeding your own depending on what kind of horse you want. I bred my average mare at about 1500.00 for Vet and fees when all cost were said and done.

I got a very nice baby that would have cost me 10K or more as a yearling to buy. I got the experience of rearing a baby, bonding and know her upbringing. I would not have spent 10K to go buy one.

Now I would not purchased one of the feedlot babies at 125.00 as it is not what I want but if looking for an all around horse they would be very suitable.
 
#25 ·
Yes, feet are too long on both and although they are "cute" mares, being "cute" doesn't make them breeding quality.

You can go to pretty much any auction in the US right now and pick up a weanling that has more potential and better conformation than either of your mares (plus papers to a well-known and recognized registry) for a pittance. There are registered weanlings being given away for free in my area, all I would have to do would be to go pick them up.

BUT, that makes me think. Do you have the knowledge and experience to train a foal/weanling?

They aren't puppy dogs that you can train with luv and end up with a perfect, willing partner. They are obnoxious, unruly, frustrating, and testing. It takes more talent and patience to train a foal than it does to train an adult horse.

How much experience do you have with training horses in general?

If you don't have much, do you plan to get a trainer to help you with the foal?

Do you have the finances available for the added cost with the vet and farrier for another horse? Not to mention the added feed cost?

If you did breed one of your mares (which it sounds like you are already dead set on, regardless of what anyone says), are you prepared for the very real possibility that you could lose the mare, the foal, or both to complications during pregnancy/birth?

Are you really willing to risk the health and life of one of your beloved mares just because you want a kyoot babby?

Are you prepared to spend thousands in vet bills if something goes wrong?

What about if the foal is born with a mental or physical handicap/deformity? What will you do then?

For a responsible horse owner, there is a lot more to consider than just "I want a cute baby, I will breed one of my mares because they have a uterus" before the decision is made to bring a new life into the world.
 
#26 ·
I was considering breeding my mare this year, she is World Champion sired, pointed in APHA breed shows, leading our open local show in Halter and 19 and over classes, and is as kind and gentle as anyone could want.

Then I found a yearling sorrel and white tobiano filly, possibly homozygous, registered with nice bloodlines and very cute. For $200.00. Put down the deposit yesterday, pick her up after the brand inspection this week.

Everyone is right. The market has collapsed for horses, and they are out there for a pittance. I bought my new filly for less than I would have spent on the pre-breeding vet exam! And Whiskey, my wonderful talented mare, gets to keep on showing with no health risks. Win, Win!
 
#30 ·
No one is upset, horseygirl, we are just giving you an opinion - that you asked for. You asked which one to breed, and the reasons of why you SHOULD NOT breed EITHER mare were given. Let me recap:

1. Neither mare quality, registered animals. (should be answer enough right there).
2. Neither mare capable of giving you the foal you want (ditto).
3. For the foal you want, there are many, many available babies available for less than a breeding exam.

If you chose to risk your mare's life for a foal that has an uncertain future, that's your business. Just don't expect anyone here to agree with that choice. And don't take offense to the critiques of your mares - you clearly love them, and they are doing well for you, they just aren't suitable for what you want to get in a foal.
 
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