HOW TO CHOOSE THE
RIGHT STALLION
TO SERVICE YOUR BROODMARE
Most people want to own an all -around
horse that they can show in a halter class, ride on a trail or along
the street without mishap or spookiness, or ride under saddle in a performance
class. In short, most people desire a horse that is both pretty and
practical, showy and safe. Carrying it one step further, most people
who dream about producing a foal from a beloved mare want to know that
their baby will grow up to be able to do just about anything because
the basic talent will be there.
So, HOW will you choose the stallion for your mare? Better yet, HOW
will you be able to create a combination of genes that will result in
your foal being the dream horse that will be multi-talented-capable
of achieving the goals you envision?
First of all, start early to look at prospective stallions. Ask to see
photographs, pedigree, and videos so that you can see each stallion's
musculature, conditioning, and balance under saddle. Take your time,
and best of all make an appointment to see the stallion in the flesh.
When you do see him in person, make sure that the pictures have not
lied; check to see that there are no conformational faults which limit
the usefulness of the stallion and which may potentially limit the functionality
of his offspring. Ask to see other progeny if you have been told they
are on site. Observe the ease and grace the youngsters demonstrate.
REMEMBER: conformational faults in the sire have at least a 50% chance
of appearing in the offspring.
Secondly, since no horse, including your mare, enjoys flawless conformation,
you need to be able to objectively look at her and decide what parts
of her anatomy you would improve upon if you could. For instance, if
your mare has short legs, you need to look at a stallion who is longer
of leg so as to put more balance on the baby. If your mare's back seems
too long for you, you need to search out a stallion with a shorter back
to compensate. If your mare has a Roman nose or too long ears, you have
the chance to produce a baby without these flaws if you take the time
to look around for the stallion whose conformation will help you correct
flaws. Even so, there is no guarantee that the resulting foal will get
the best conformational qualities of both parents, but at least you
have the opportunity to try to produce the best individual that you
possibly can. The rest is up to the gene pool, and NO ONE can positively
predict the outcome 100%.
Third, and probably MOST IMPORTANT, make sure that the stallion you
finally choose has a gentle, willing personality and attitude. As you
look at the stallion, can you tell that he is easy to handle and willing
to please? Is he gentle enough for YOU or the average admirer of horses
to handle?
Or does he exhibit a mean streak that can be passed on, like any other
quality, to the next generation? Dan Sumerel, one of the more noted
horse behaviorists helping people to relate better to horses today,
defines QUALITY as "the mind of the horse, good attitude, willing demeanor."
To him, no other characteristic of a stallion, or any horse, is more
important than his TEMPERAMENT and TEACHABILITY. We really agree. You
can find the most beautiful, charismatic stallion on the planet, but
if no one can approach him or handle him because he is mean or rank,
what good is he except to look at ? Obviously, a video can demonstrate
with reasonable clarity and accuracy a stallion's exceptional conformation
or his smoothness of gaits or the precision of his performance . It
is a little trickier, though, for a video to capture the stallion's
attitude, temperament, and basic personality, so it is VERY important
that, for the basis of verifying the stallion's demeanor, you get to
see him in the flesh. On the other hand, if you intend to do nothing
more than admire your baby's good looks without being personally involved
in its development/training/exhibition, then willing attitude may not
be nearly as important for you as it is to us.
We were not privileged to grow up with horses as children. The dream
of horse ownership became a reality for us only much later in our lives
as our other responsibilities began to fade and we could devote more
time and love to them. Like us, the average horse lover or horse owner,
may not have had the advantages of extensive training in horsemanship
either. It is therefore good common sense that the baby you commit to
bringing into this world be both a safe and sane individual. Those babies
grow up to be bigger than you are, and without the proper personalities
and willing attitudes, they may ruin your dream of horse ownership and
companionship. If you are fortunate enough to own a mare with tractable
and gentle nature already, you really should make certain that the stallion
you choose does not transmit stubbornness, meanness, or unwillingness
to the baby that you must wait 11 months to see foaled.
A FINAL NOTE to ponder: Do not reject a stallion simply because he has
no show record or choose a stallion because of a glittering show ring
career. No one will deny that the ribbons and trophies demonstrate that
at some time a judge determined that the stallion to be the best of
the competition on hand or at least outstanding in his class. Moreover,
a show record may be more important to you if you are a show handler
or have serious aspirations of showing your baby. Nevertheless, you
need to remember that NOT ALL the best stallions are blessed with the
opportunities to be shown even at the local level. A show record requires
both substantial financial resources and ample spare time to exhibit.
This fact alone is one more reason why you need to observe the stallion
on his own turf on an everyday relaxed basis, when he is being handled
by average folks, not seasoned show handlers who know how to make the
horse seem unnaturally blowy and who sometimes become responsible for
people to observe that certain breeds are too hyper, too high-strung,
too flighty.
In general, you need to learn as much as you possibly can about your
prospective stallion choice from still photos, from pedigree and biographical
information, from a video, from personal observation, from the stallion
owner, who should be willing to share as much information and enthusiasm
as he/she can about the stallion. How else can you truly gauge the stallion's
conformation, talent, and personality? Should the stallion owner seem
to discourage you from learning more about the stallion or from spending
some time on the farm observing him, you should consider that the stallion
is not the right one for you or your beloved mare.
REMEMBER to choose a stallion carefully and for all the right reasons.
Your foal and its ultimate future will depend on your wise and responsible
decision.
