Navigating a Sea of Stallions! – Choosing the Right Sire
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By Delores Kuhlwein
When it comes to seeking the best sire for our mares, this ancient philosophy still holds true: choosing the right cross by taking deliberate steps can make a huge difference in the future of our foals. However, with so many stallions to choose from, how do we navigate through the vast choices to apply intelligent execution?
Often, the best advice comes from the professionals who know raising and breeding horses like the backs of their hands. Join us as we learn the most important stallion selection criteria from our team of experts.
Make Use of Today’s Abundance of Resources
Learning the basics about a stallion you might have your eye on is simple these days, due to the many outlets at your fingertips. Information is everywhere, and many stallion owners utilize a variety of options for the convenience of mare owners. As you might guess, technology plays a big role, but it may not be the only source you need.
“With today’s marketing and importance of real time information, I find social media to be a strong source of information,” Amy Gumz says. “Granted, much of it is unverified, but the mare owner can quickly see show results, proven crosses, and video/photos of get to build on their decision making.”
“Facebook is a very popular media right now, and it’s amazing for promoting horses,” Andrea Simons agrees. However, Simons advises that some of the time-tested methods still hold weight for many breeders, including trade journals and breed journals. “There’s also something to be said about being at a horse show, seeing a horse you like, and researching his breeding,” she adds.
Overall, the best practice is to apply diversity in your initial research efforts, according to Robin DeGraff. “I think you have to use a little bit of everything, including Facebook, websites, and forums. Many people use computers today and many do not; print advertising still has a place, but I also know how much email I get!” she exclaims.
Evaluate Key Factors in Your Quest
Once you have focused in on some of your top choices, the real evaluation starts. This is where the professionals can offer concrete elements to include in the search process.
Of course, the fun part for most mare owners begins with the attractiveness of the sire himself, which Simons reminds is a factor you should make a top priority. “It’s the due diligence of a stallion promoter to have an appropriate website with a clip of him moving, because a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to see the stud in person, and movement matters. I think the biggest thing that sells is a pretty horse, but you also have to remember that part of beauty is the form to function. They should be well-made, have a good shoulder that stands up, and should not be too long-backed or weak-loined,” she says. She also mentions that disposition should be part of that overall appeal. “For me, as both a stallion and mare owner, personality is also important in today’s economy. You want to breed to a horse that’s people-friendly.”
Another item to cross off your list is performance and progeny of the sire, depending on the age of the sire. These criteria can hugely influence cost and stud fee, which is pivotal for some mare owners.
“Regarding senior stallions, the importance should be on the show records and marketability of their get and proven crosses, because at that point in a stallion’s career, [their own performance] has no bearing on what they sire,” Gumz advises. “On junior stallions, their pedigree and performance is really the only thing that a decision can be made on until that stallion’s get begin to perform.”
DeGraff agrees that mare owners should include looking at the stallions that have performed and also produced. “Everybody has a different dollar level that they’re comfortable with. The top stallions got to be on the top for a reason, and they crossed well on a lot of different types of mares. They got those mares because they were top performers that also produced, or they had to do it the hard way and get enough foals on the ground. There’s a cost to all of that, and those will be higher priced. The younger up-and-coming stallions, if they’re serious candidates for becoming a sire, may offer introductory fees to get mares booked, because breeding to a diverse group of mares is important for them.”
Promotion of the sire additionally lands near the top of the list as a consideration. “You want to work with a stud owner that’s going to promote their product; that is paramount,” Andrea Simons says.
“You should ask yourself how that stallion is being promoted, what is the history with that owner or breeding farm, and is the stallion advertised year after year?” DeGraff adds.
Furthermore, modern mare owners now have the perk of gaining information on a stallion’s genetic makeup. “If you’re considering breeding to young horses, 5-panel genetic testing is important,” Simons emphasizes. “I don’t think it’s as important for older sires, because you’ll know what your odds are, if you’ve tested your mare.”
Gumz also stresses the significance of checking for negative test results. She explains, “I think genetic testing will continue to be of huge importance to the educated breeder and buyer — with zero tolerance for carriers and afflicted animals.”
Last, but certainly not least, DeGraff supplies an extra element to consider: the conception rate of the individual stallions, since that affects mare owners’ costs as well. “Conception rate, first cycle pregnancy, and overall foal percentages can be tracked, because if it can be done in less shipments, it makes that stallion more viable and marketable. Mare owners have to look at where the stallion is standing and his history there.”
Compare Both Sides Equally
Just because you find a stallion you love, your work is not done, because there are two pieces to the puzzle, and the cross of the two horses is the matter in question. What is often confusing for mare owners is figuring out what stallion to cross with their mares, and how much each can influence or fix each other’s flaws in a resulting foal is debatable.
For Gumz, looking for a stallion to try to improve upon a mare’s shortcomings is crucial. “There is no perfect horse, and we must strive for perfection,” she reveals. “A careful evaluation of the mare and stallion’s conformation, movement, and trainability needs to be assessed. A barn-blind breeder will not help improve the breed or make a marketable foal.”
DeGraff thinks comparing the mare and stallion is necessary to see if a flaw can be improved upon, but the whole picture should be kept in perspective. ”I do think that people who have a mare with a shorter neck are not going to get a longer neck if they breed to a stallion with a shorter neck. I would say that with two short-necked horses, you would multiply your chances of a shorter neck. But, you don’t have the opportunity to get something different if you don’t pick something different. The mare owner needs to look at the type of horse they’re interested in, the bloodlines, and the conformation. In all instances, it’s really important to choose the stallions that are correct in conformation, have straight legs and good angles at their shoulders, a nice topline, and plenty of hip and rear end. Body structure is more important so it can function according to its form.”
Simons agrees that taking the entire goal into account is a good approach. “I’m most interested in the best mover I can find. I think, if you have a mare that’s pretty long-backed, you don’t want to breed to another long-backed horse. The mare is 60% of the cross, so I don’t think you can fix the problem with the breeding. But we’re always trading mares around and trying different bloodlines. We’ve had the opportunity to have mares we’ve bred to the same stud 14 or 15 times, and the colts are all different.”
Another recommendation from DeGraff is to use a technology called hypomating, which is offered on some websites where you can review a hypothetical foal based on the pedigree of the stallion and mare. “You can take a look at your top influences on your mare and stallion, and you can see what the resulting foal would have. It’s going to give you visuals of what those individuals look like. Most people think they’re breeding to the sire; to be honest, they’re breeding four or five generations back,” she says.
Don’t Dismiss the Mare
DeGraff reminds mare owners to remember that their broodmare has a very large role, if not an even bigger one, in the matchmaking process.
“The best thing a mare owner can do is critically evaluate the broodmare. Each one needs to be dealt with individually and assessed for strong and weak points, look at what makes up the blood, and have a reason to breed,” she explains. “The mare owner has a responsibility to do the needed diagnostics to give them the best chance for pregnancy. There’s a lot of cost in that mare care and that foal. Really, you have two years invested in that foal by the time it’s weaned.”
She advises genetic testing for the mare as an absolute, but especially if any line breeding comes into play. “The mare owner should check her mare so she can make an informed decision; we test all our mares at the farm.”
Simons agrees, “You have to be cautious with that element, too, to assure both do not have the same genetic defects.”
Complete the Picture
If you’ve taken all the steps to assure an “intelligent execution” and you’re still at a loss, Amy Gumz shares some wise words from her professional experience. “I would strongly suggest talking with successful breeders. Most people are willing to share their knowledge and information with someone who truly wants to learn. Everyone has a different approach on if they should breed to a senior or junior sire. I personally try to make the best choice for that particular individual, but I am often more comfortable taking a producing mare to a junior sire, because I know what she can produce and I have the success of previous foals to help promote the resulting foal.”
Perhaps the simplest advice to keep in the back of your mind comes from Andrea Simons. “Make sure you have a mare that is good enough to raise the colt you want, know the bloodlines you prefer, and breed to the best horse you possibly can!”
