what do you breed for?

[nootka]

My goals are the best quality, and shows are the way I reaffirm how I am doing in that regard (as in halter/conformation).

I also hope to have a well-mannered horse that enjoys learning and interacting, as well as one that is sound.

I think even a person who would breed for pet only would hopefully have those same goals.

All that aside, my horses are also very much pets (though horse pets, they live outside!), and we have relationships with each, to varying degrees. Gramma Pony is probably the most "pet like" for her age and infirmity, but she is the least pet like in her personality. She really doesn't like human interaction all that much, but she's actually a joy to be around for her stoic nature.

Mouse and Pyro are the most enjoyable as pets, and they are also my most successful show horses. I would guess that my horse sales are about 50/50 strictly pets or strictly breeding/show.

Some of those breeding/show horses are also pets in their homes, though the ones that I intended for pets only are just that: pets only (because of decisions I made regarding their quality and soundness for the purpose of breeding).

The show ring is something I enjoy and I think it enhances the relationships I have with my horses, so I breed mainly for show/bettering the breed.

Liz

 

[stormy]

I breed for balanced, athletic, sane horses with the conformation to excel in performance, if they show great, if a client buys them for personal use that is fine as well. The goal is to continue breeding them better and I sure don't see that someone buying them for personal enjoyment is any less of a "job" than competing in the show ring.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

We breed for "doing" horses. Driving, obstacle, showmanship. We like to do stuff, but I wouldn't say "no" to a halter horse, either! I've been very successful with a yearling gelding we bred this year. This coming year we'll have several three year olds to drive, and THAT excited us more than anything right now!!

Lucy

 

[Jill]

Awwww

don't forget about those winning halter horses who also have the substance to DO. The type of halter horse I like are the ones that are beautifully refined but who have the butts and chests to get out there and DO things other than just look pretty

 

[mininik]

That, to me, is what it's all about, Jill.

 

[runamuk]

My opinion is a little different, and I don't breed horses anymore. However I have bred sheep, rabbits and birds in the past and may breed dogs down the road.

I do not breed anything for "show or pet"

I only breed with breed improvement in mind. The only reason I ever breed anything is with the elusive goal of perfection. I breed with the hope to get as close to a standard of perfection as possible. Shows are simply an outside opinion of how close one is to reaching the ultimate goal

. I would never breed with the goal of producing a "show" animal because showring trends come and go whereas breeding toward the ideal remains consistent even if it is subjective

My thought on this is if you are not getting offspring that is better than the parents you need to re evaluate. This line of thinking worked quite well in our rabbit hobby and in my sheep business.

just my 2 cents