How Breeders Can Find Fulfillment

by Scott Hassler

At least once a year, we breeders have to step back and evaluate our breeding goals.

What do we want to achieve in the long term and how does that affect our short-term goals? What kind of sire do we need to choose? What qualities have our mares produced--honestly? What are the strengths and weaknesses of their production?

We also need to decide whether we need to produce an FEI-level prospect that can go into the show ring and gain recognition for our breeding program. Or can we find satisfaction and financial success breeding instead for the much larger amateur market? In what ways can we become recognized or find fulfillment as a breeder?

That last question is an important consideration. I believe that a new focus is developing in this country, one that has created tremendous momentum for the young horse riding classes. I believe these young horse classes can bring the breeder a lot of recognition.

Before these classes were popular, everyone thought that it took FEI- or even Olympic-level horses for a breeder to make a name for himself or herself. But the young horse classes now offer this recognition, in addition to marketing opportunities and recognition by the national governing bodies.
The leaders of both the U.S. Dressage Federation and U.S. Eques-trian Federation are doing a very good job of becoming more aware of the breeders and creating national recognition through printed materials and year-end awards.

With the opportunities available today, a success-oriented objective for a breeder is to produce horses with good rideability, three very good basic gaits with uphill movement and natural impulsion, and last--but not least--good character. From this foundation, you can produce horses for both the amateur and professional markets. If your horses have these traits and receive good training, the chances are very good that some of them will go on to the FEI levels.

This strategy is safer and more productive than trying to breed just for the elite horse, the horse with huge, powerful gaits and tremendous athletic ability. Often, these horses are too difficult for the amateur market; so then you need good luck to find just the right professional to ride them.

When we consider our breeding plan, we keep in mind that the percentage of horses that actually make it to the FEI level, in any discipline, is an extremely small percentage. As a breeder, you'll probably find more pleasure and fulfillment in trying to breed for the basic young horse classes. I caution everyone not to get too caught up in the idea of breeding an Olympic athlete. If we look closely at the history of the really great ones, while they almost always demonstrated a high level of athleticism as young horses, they were typically not so easy to manage. It usually took a great rider to bring forth the talent, someone who could weather all the antics that superior athleticism usually inspires.

I don't think we really want to start breeding only for that horse--we want to breed for the much larger marketplace of amateur and national competition and hope to get the enjoyment of a top athlete that develops from good training.

That's why it's so important to regularly--and honestly--evaluate your stock. The importance of the mare's qualities is highly underestimated. Too many people put too much emphasis on "choosing the right stallion." The stallion is just a percentage of the breeding. Some stallions are very dominant and can give much of their qualities consistently, while other stallions are very inconsistent.

I truly believe that the mare is equally important in the breeding equation. Seldom do mares with little quality as riding mares produce rideable, marketable offspring. Be careful.

It's also important to look at the stallion's offspring--not just the stallion--as you consider your breeding goals. Certainly it's helpful to see the stallion, watch his videotapes, and review his sport record or his 100-day test results. All of these things give us valuable information, but in the end it's really the offspring of a stallion that determine his value.

Many factors may affect a stallion's reputation, so it's most important to look at the percentage of a stallion's offspring that are competing (if they're old enough), how they are to ride, where their talents lie, and what they offer in character.

Often, famous stallions are famous because of their own sporting results.

But Florestan wasn't a competitive stallion; his reputation comes from his offspring. I don't think this makes him less valuable than Donnerhall, who was a great stallion in sport and produced successful offspring.

The bottom line is you'll almost certainly get what the stallion produces; you won't get another version of the stallion. It's extremely important to remember this when you're looking at the mixture between your mare and the stallion you're considering to produce a future foal.

As we head toward the 2006 breeding season, let's once again evaluate our mares--very carefully--and understand their significant contribution toward the quality of what we produce. Look at your breeding goals and understand that breeding requires a tremendous amount of luck, mixed with skill and talent.
Keep an open mind and consider breeding for rideability, good character and basic gaits that are naturally impulsive and uphill. It can be a very satisfying goal. Then hope for good health, good training and good luck that will naturally produce some FEI-level prospects.

I hope you enjoy the process.

Scott Hassler