Choosing a Stallion For Your Mare

You have a beautiful mare with great bloodlines and conformation, she is registered with a recoginized breed registry and maybe even already approved for breeding. Now you need to pick a stallion. There are thousands out there to choose from, so how do you narrow down the field? Here are some steps to follow that will make your choice a little easier:

1. If your mare is already approved for breeding in one of the breed registries you should first consider the stallions that are approved in the same registry. This will simplify the registration of the foal.
2. If your mare is not yet approved you will need to decide when to get this done. The safest time is before you breed or before the foal is born. If the mare is not approved or she were to die soon after the foal is born you will not be able to get papers on the foal in most breed registries. If this isn't possible you usually can have the mare approved at the same time that the foal is presented. Just be sure to check the rules before you breed.
3. Choose a stallion that will improve your mare's weak points or will compliment her type. If color is important to you, you will have to learn about the genetics of color. It is still a gamble, but you improve your odds if you choose wisely.
4. Contact the stallion owners of the stallions you are considering or go to their web sites and look for a good conformation picture of the stallion, some video of his gaits, and some pictures of his offspring. If the offspring are old enough, find out what they are doing. If you are looking for a Dressage horse you want to see that the stallion is producing Dressage horses. If the offspring is too young to be under saddle you can still look at their gaits and get a pretty good idea of what they can do. If you don't feel that you have a good eye for this find someone who does and ask (or pay) for their opinion.
5. The best indicator of a good stallion isn't what he does, but what his offspring do - that is what you are going to get. If possible, look at the dam of the offspring you like - is she a similiar type to your mare? If not you will probably not produce the same result.
6. Many of the top producing stallions can only be bred to approved mares and have more expensive stud fees. If your mare is acceptable and you want to pay the fee then this is a safe bet - they are proven producers. However, if your mare or budget doesn't fit this criteria you will have to consider a stallion that is younger or not a big producer. This is a bigger gamble, but if you look at these stallions and any offspring they might have carefully you can usually come to a decision after you also consider the remaining points.
7. Ask to see the breeding contract and read it. Ask questions about anything you don't understand. Most warmblood stallions are breeding A.I. (artificial insemination) with either frozen or fresh semen (or both) available during a defined breeding season on the contract. Ask about discounts - early booking, multiple mares, etc.
8. Be sure your vet is very familiar with A.I. You will be wasting time and a lot of money with a vet that does not do this regularly and with a good degree of success. If one is not available in your area you will need to consider shipping your mare to either the stallion owner (if that is available and he is not too far away) or to the nearest clinic that can perform A.I. successfully.
9. Some of the breed registries have stallion auctions early in the year that raise money for the organization. See if the stallion(s) you are interested in are offered on the auction if one is available. You can usually get a stallion at a reduced price - up to 50%.
10. There are no guarantees. Breeding is a gamble and the end result is a surprise even when you do all these things, but if you do it should be a pleasant surprise.

Good luck! Feel free to contact me thru my website at www.lostworldfarm.com if you have any questions or would like any addtional information.