Your breeding practices..

[Lewella]

I do believe in pedigree, as some lines are prepotent with traits that I find desireable. Not to say that an "unknown" cannot be a dynamic horse or produce dynamic horses -- look at Flying W Farms Little Blue Boy whose pedigree was basically unknown except for his sire and dam, as well as several other "well known" lines that have become part of the "backbone" lines of our industry.

A lot of "unknowns" in pedigrees were not actually unknown to the person breeding with the animal but were a case of "the registry is open and we don't want anyone else to know where our really good ones came from".

 

[REO]

1. CONFORMATION

2. CONFORMATION

3. CONFORMATION

 

[Minimor]

I'm curious; for those of you who care only for confirmations and have no regard for pedigree...do you really not care if the great looking horse in front of you is a fluke of nature? A throw back to a single great looking horse 3 generations back in his pedigree? You aren't concerned that his sire looks like a Mack truck and his dam is a total dog? You have no interest in learning that all four of his grandparents had locking stifle, nonexistent hips, straight shoulders and ewe necks? This horse looks marvelous himself, but do you really believe he will produce foals in his own image? Do you not think it is likely that in more cases than not his foals are going to look like his sire, dam and grandparents?

 

[countrymini]

I'm curious; for those of you who care only for confirmations and have no regard for pedigree...do you really not care if the great looking horse in front of you is a fluke of nature? A throw back to a single great looking horse 3 generations back in his pedigree? You aren't concerned that his sire looks like a Mack truck and his dam is a total dog? You have no interest in learning that all four of his grandparents had locking stifle, nonexistent hips, straight shoulders and ewe necks? This horse looks marvelous himself, but do you really believe he will produce foals in his own image? Do you not think it is likely that in more cases than not his foals are going to look like his sire, dam and grandparents?

Most people that have stated that conformation is highest on their list have also stated that they do infact check the sire and dam and further back if they have the info to make sure its consistantly good .

 

[horsenut50]

Have to go with conformation/movement, temperment, pedigree and then the icing on the cake, color if I breed in the future. Though four out of those five should all be about the same level of concern. On color though I am a color person, as the saying goes " a good horse is never a bad color."

 

[Magic]

I'm curious; for those of you who care only for confirmations and have no regard for pedigree...do you really not care if the great looking horse in front of you is a fluke of nature? A throw back to a single great looking horse 3 generations back in his pedigree? You aren't concerned that his sire looks like a Mack truck and his dam is a total dog? You have no interest in learning that all four of his grandparents had locking stifle, nonexistent hips, straight shoulders and ewe necks? This horse looks marvelous himself, but do you really believe he will produce foals in his own image? Do you not think it is likely that in more cases than not his foals are going to look like his sire, dam and grandparents?

If a horse's sire looks like a Mack truck and his dam is a total dog, it's extremely unlikely that the horse has excellent conformation-- it's gotta come from somewhere and it doesn't appear like magic..

I like to look at a horse's parents, and even further back, especially if I'm looking at a foal, since they can change so much as they mature. A horse IS going to look a lot like its parents.

For me, conformation and movement are at the top of my list. And to me mares matter at least as much as stallions as to what they are contributing to the gene pool.

 

[Minimor]

No it doesn't appear by magic but it can come from several generations back; I had one Morgan foal that threw back 7 generations--he was an exact lookalike of a horse that far back on his pedigree.

And yes, I have seen some very nice looking horses that I wouldn't touch as breeding animals because I knew one of their parents had a conformation flaw that I wouldn't want to risk have show up in my foals. If I were buying a gelding then I would take that good looking individual no matter how much I disliked one of his parents but in a stallion or a mare I want for breeding no way. It's more than knowing what conformation the parents have; it's about knowing where those good traits came from, and about what poor traits might be hiding in that good looking colt in front of you. It's about knowing which individual is a good candidate for line breeding and which one

is an absolute do not use. It's about setting the desirable traits without setting the undesirable ones and it is about uniformity in the foals. Not just that 7 or 8 out of ten foals are nice individuals but that all ten foals are good quality and all have the same look to them.

 

[Riverdance]

Pedigree means very little to me, though there are lines that I like, as well as lines that I do not like. Color also has no importance to me. What is important to me is conformation, conformation, conformation. A well balanced horse, with a long slim neck, big hip, level top line and a beautiful head. No horse is perfect, ever horse has faults, I just do not breed two of the same faults together. If my stud has a body, head and hip to die for, but his neck is shorter than I like, I breed him to mares that complement him, but have the long slim necks and produce those long slim necks. If my stud is a bit longer in the back, but has a beautiful head and long slim neck, then I breed him to mares who are well balanced or a bit

short backed.

 

[REO]

If a horse's sire looks like a Mack truck and his dam is a total dog, it's extremely unlikely that the horse has excellent conformation-- it's gotta come from somewhere and it doesn't appear like magic..

I like to look at a horse's parents, and even further back, especially if I'm looking at a foal, since they can change so much as they mature. A horse IS going to look a lot like its parents.

For me, conformation and movement are at the top of my list. And to me mares matter at least as much as stallions as to what they are contributing to the gene pool.

My nice horses and their nice offspring are not accidents, but from 19 years of careful selection and breeding. I do not just go "oh that horse looks good & has nice color & size & price." NOPE, I RESEARCH that horse, it's parents, grand parents and SO ON, it's siblings, 1/2 siblings, it's offspring etc. I don't buy just any horse. I buy a horse for it's conformation and the conformation in it's pedigree/family, not just names in a pedigree.

Heck, I even research horses my friends think of buying & give them the info! LOL.

Just because I go by conformation does NOT mean nothing else matters, it means that is what means the most to ME in my program.

If a horse has great balance and conformation, I don't care if it's tiny or tall, so size doesn't matter most to me.

If a horse has great balance and conformation, I don't care if it's a plain color, so color doesn't matter most to me.

If a horse has great balance and conformation, and so does it's FAMILY behind it consistantly, but doesn't have fancy names in the pedigree, I don't care.

There, I defended my saying that it's CONFORMATION that matters to me.

I hardly ever buy horses. It took me three years to find just the right black pinto mare! Once I find the conformation I like and check out the family, then size, color etc comes in and when they all fall into line, then I buy.

 

[HGFarm]

I have to agree with REO on this- conformation first and foremost. Since we know that not all past horses had a correct pedigree, I would say that looking at the parents, grandparents, other siblings, etc... is NOT looking at 'pedigree' - it's still looking at CONFORMATION of those horses too. I have passed up purchasing horses because even though it's head was nice, the head of the sire and dam was god-awful. I would never want that in my program. I dont care who the mother was- pedigreewise- I am looking at the quality of HER (or the sire, etc..)

I try to look at backgrounds on all my horses but I dont care what the pedigree is, as long as I see good consistancy of conformation.

I breed for a nice athletic horse, and if you have good conformation, you should also get good movement- another thing I am pretty picky about.

 

[Tab]

I love breeding horses, and wish I could justify doing it every year. Foals are the spice of life! Touch them from birth, my own methods of imprint training. Breed for A size. I always halter train and teach the foals to stand tied. Trim hooves, etc. long before they ever leave my farm. I guess, for me, these go hand in hand conformation/temperament/movement. But we do love our pintos

One of my biggest peeves is foals that have not been handled. There is no excuse for that.

 

[Miniv]

If you want performance ability/nice action, you need to look at conformation....they go hand in hand. That's what I believe and look for. I also like nice conformation for halter, which includes a nice head......Temperament is at the top of the list too. Color is a bonus. If you have a horse with poor conformation, can't trot itself out of a paper bag, and isn't agreeable in temperament, but happens to have a pretty color? - no thanks.

 

[Leeana]

Style - Conformation - Pedigree (in that order)

If the horse doesn't wow me or have style, I don't care how well its built, it doesn't come on this farm. I strongly feel style breeds style and that is one thing you have to have.

 

[Leeana]

My post continued..

Also its breeding - LINE breeding. There have been so many times i've seen a not so pretty or typey mare or stallion (or both) cross and produce a real nice foal. The genetic aspect is huge here.

Also so many people feel they can breed a national champion to a national champion and get something worthy of breeding/showing. So many people feel they can do this and build their breeding programs around that, just breeding successful show horses to successful show horses. I went back and purchased breeding from years ago, back when real breeders didn't just raise these ponies, they bred them. Back when good historic ponies were being produced that were such good producers, they went down in history. Most people are not raising ponies like "Queen Anns Jet" or "Bullseye" or "Tom Cat" anymore. So many horses raised today are so genetically weak the chance of producing anything worthy no matter how it is crossed is slim.

 

[PaintNminis]

I have to Agree with Magic & REO

When I look at Bringing new Horses Home I have to LOVE the Sire and Dam (Family Etc.)

Then I have to love who I bring home just as much.

For Me it's Conformation & Personality Go Hand in Hand I wouldn't take one without the Other.

I would say Color and Pedigree aren't that important, But now When I look at Buying, I have Specific Bloodlines and Colors (Dilute Colors) I am wanting to add to my Herd. Of Course Conformation COMES FIRST. But I try to find the Complete Packages. The Only thing that isn't as important is Pinto Markings, if I can find a Horse that meets all my Wants but is Solid I will go ahead and Buy

That Probably Explains Why I have soo many Solid Horses Running Around here! lol