The ads are glossy, the pedigrees amazing, the coats gleaming and the riding exceptional. So how do you pick the best stallion for your mare?
Pedigree?
Type?
Competition form?
Price of the service fee?
Cool shipped or frozen? (now that's a whole article in itself!)
The prettiest advertisement?
Colour?
My friend's cousin's sister's brother-in-law has a foal by him?
Fertility?
Temperament?
Take your pick. It is all fun and creates many interesting discussions.
What do I do? Well as you know, I am a lover of broodmares so the first place I start is asking "What is my mares weakest attribute? What would I like to improve in her?" As much as we would all like to believe our mares are perfect, there might be a short length of rein or choppy canter that we wish to improve. Or am I trying to improve the pedigree in a well performed mare that doesn't have a strong bloodline behind her? Be realistic. If the mare has no pedigree or performance then a stallion with both still may not produce a strong competition horse if there is minimal input from the mare.
The next is pedigree. I want to know who this stallion's dam (mother) is. As much as the horse world talks in stallions as "champion sires" and "broodmare sires" - the truth is there are some mare lines that are exceptional. Dams and daughters and sisters that all keep producing generation after generation. I want these broodmares in my stallions pedigree! Think Eight Carat in the thoroughbred world and One Moore Spin in the quarter horse world. So make sure you look at the bottom side of the stallion's pedigree as much as the top side.
If a performance horse is what I'm after, it is often safer to use a stallion that is a proven sire of performance horses. That is he has foals on the ground that are performing well in the discipline of your choice. These stallions usually demand a higher price however the score is on the board. Stallion owners are usually more than happy to chat about their horse.
Read the stallion contract! Make sure you understand what you are getting for your service fee. Collection, veterinary, handling and transport costs for the semen, either chilled or frozen are normally an extra fee to the service fee!
Have fun! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions! Always happy to chat breeding.
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