There are a lot of people who try to breed their mare in hopes of getting something different, or new. Such as breeding a really hot Arabian mare to a laid back Quarter horse stud in hopes of getting something exactly in the middle. But that is a terrible way to achieve exactly what you are looking for, and here is why.
Whenever you breed two opposite spectrum horses together, the wider the range of things that could go wrong. Here is an interesting way to look at it: if I grade a horses temperament with a 1 being bombproof and a 10 being a crazy hot horse, what happens if I breed them together? The chance of me getting a horse that is a 5 on the scale is not unlikely, but absolutely any other number on the scale is also possible. The chance of getting a 7 or a 2 are definitely there, or even extreme enough to potentially get a 1 or a 10.
It has been said that stallions help balance out faults, but nothing is ever guaranteed. What if your mare's terrible bowed legs get inherited? Yes, your stallion's conformation was flawless, but you failed to recognize that getting a horse perfectly balanced, or in the middle of the scale, doesn't happen as often as you think. So when I say that you need to want a horse that is exactly like your mare, I truly mean it! If you want to breed your mare to produce something you don't have, chances are it won't turn out the way you expect.
All this interesting stuff to say, that the chances of producing a horse that is athletic in the way you want it to be is greatly improved if both horses are suited to the task. If I want a horse that is a 2 on the temperament scale, breeding horses that are both 2's gives me a huge chance of having a horse that is the same. The next best option would be to breed horses with a 1 and a 3; you would have to be content with the offspring being a 1, 2, or 3, but still all three options are very close to what you were hoping to create.
If I breed my champion western roping horse to an English dressage horse in hopes of creating a horse that is "more versatile", chances are I will create a horse that isn't very suitable for either. Remember: a horse that is trained is worth more than a horse that isn't, but a horse that is trained in a specific area is worth far more than a horse with general training. The more concentrated your horses athletic area is, the more they are worth, and the more likely they are to pass those traits on because it is already part of their DNA.
Breeding two horses that are good at endurance trails will probably result at least in the same, and in lots of ways it can produce a horse that is even better than it's parents because of the combined talent in the genes. Thoroughbred racing horse breeders are always doing this: combining the most talented horses in their breeding farm in hopes of creating something even faster.
Now, some horses in different disciplines combine well. For example: an endurance Arabian usually crosses well with a Thoroughbred; both are bred for racing, so the result could be an even faster endurance Anglo-Arab. Another example could be that a western roping horse could be bred to a western cutting horse; because both require horses that can be slightly independent, trustworthy, and "cowy"(or with a lot of sense when it comes to working cattle), that is what you can expect to produce. The horse might be better at one or the other, but they are not so far away that the horse couldn't be exceptional at both and at the least you have produced a very sensible working cattle horse. Actually, in my area of the country working cow horses that can do general ranch work are worth far more than horses than can jump 4' in an arena.
You also may need to take into consideration what qualities your mare has that aren't her fault. If she limps, is it through an injury, or conformational fault? I'm always surprised at how many people breed their cranky mares and have the best foals. She might not have always been crabby; has she been abused in the past? My point is, what sort of traits does your mare have that are because of the environment around her and not her fault? My own mare has a bit of a belly but that isn't conformation; that was the result of having two foals. I know that because I have pictures of her before she was a broodmare. If she gave birth to a filly and that filly was used as a broodmare, then I might expect the same thing to happen.
The areas that you need to be completely comfortable with that no amount of 'balancing' can guarantee are:
-Talent
-Height
-Conformation
-Temperament
If you aren't satisfied with your mare in these four areas and don't want something exactly like you've got, then don't breed!
Next up: Is showing my mare important before I breed?
No comments:
Post a Comment