Interesting Opinion

- NZ H&P Magazine

Well, mare owners (and everyone else), do you agree or disagree? Obviously genes are part of your decision, but I'm of the impression that most breeders here wouldn't breed to a complete fugly just because he has the best lines (in your opinion) in the world.

And to ask another question, though I think I already know the answer; would you breed to a stallion that hasn't competed (and/or won) under saddle if he ticked other boxes?


Appleton DHU is the stallion featured in the article and is by Rosseau.
Appleton Dhu Dutch Warmblood

For me to hypothetically breed a mare to a stallion that has no competition record, the stud would have to be amazingly stellar in every other respect; confo, temperament, bloodline, etc. I'd have to see some very nice offspring as well, preferably in the competition arena. I might not be "trainer shopping", but it is a MAJOR plus for the stud if he has demonstrated his ability to perform in the show pen. Lacking that, I would say, would have to be a near-insurmountable marketing obstacle for a performance-horse breeder with anything but an otherwise truly exceptional stud. I would also expect such a "fault" to be reflected in a lower stud fee -- mare owners are taking enough of a gamble on any breeding, much less on a breeding to a stallion with no comp record.

Just my 2 cents: I'm not even a mare owner, much less a breeder.

First of all, that horse is so bred for dressage it's not even funny. It can probably jump but I doubt it's all that pretty and the horse might not even stay sound. Also, because it is Dutch (and I hate to stereotype because my mum has the loveliest Dutch horse ever and he is such a sweety) I would want to see competition results to prove that it is rideable, at least by someone, before I would breed to it.
My hunch is that the girl can't ride it, and it won't "behave" doing dressage so they point it at a fence and it doesn't matter if the thing bucks or if the girl can't get it round.

Yes genes are very important and researching how bloodlines mix is a profession all its own, but if the horse is so unridable that you can't even get it through a dressage test, or so unsound that it won't make it to the Grand Prix, then what is the point of breeding it?