The Stallion You Want to Keep

I wrote the last blog "Should You Geld Your Colt?" a few days before I came down to Florida for the HITS Ocala winter show with my stallion, Patrick and his son, Polaris. It has been really interesting to hear and see my words prove to be right on target.

Everywhere he goes, I get comments like: "What a beautiful horse!", "I saw your horse in the ring - he is really nice!", "What a cute head!", etc., etc. Every time he went out of his stall people noticed him and when he was in his stall they stopped to look and pet his nose. It always amazes me when I inform people that he is a stallion and they back up like he is going to kick or bite. My grandson goes in his stall and feeds him treats, pets him and brushes him, Patrick is so gentle and sweet that I don't worry.

There is a lot of interest in breeding him because first people say "WOW!" when they see him, and second they are impressed with his sweet character - they want one like him! So I guess the reasons to geld a colt are the reasons in reverse to keep him a stallion!

Should You Geld Your Colt?

YES!

I know. You have a really nice colt, maybe he was a premium foal at his inspection, the judge really liked him and everybody says he is stallion material. I have heard all these things frequently about many of the colts I see and I have even harbored some of these thoughts and feelings about my own colts. I didn't geld the first one until he was two, but I sent him off to a big breeding farm to be part of a foal raising program and so I did not have to deal with him. I asked them to evaluate him for me before I made the decision and they had only two minor reasons for gelding him: 1. He did not have a beautiful head (it's nice, but not as nice as his sire), and 2. He was starting to act studdish with the other colts and geldings in his paddock. I thought those were good reasons to go ahead and geld him.

The competition for warmblood breeding stallions is high. Because of A.I. (artificial insemination), you are not just competing with the warmblood stallions in your area or even the U.S., you are competing with the world! You need a stallion that is really going to get attention and that means that he has to look great! There are too many really nice stallions out there to even try with one that doesn't knock people's socks off when they see him. Until the stallion has some offspring that are old enough to be showing, his conformation, pedigree, and presence are what sell breedings. People have to say "WOW!" when they look at him.

In my opinion, no one should keep a horse that is dangerous. Studdish stallions can be dangerous, especially in the wrong hands. If you are experienced with handling stallions and know how to react to their behavior and train them to respect you, you already know which ones to geld. It is natural behavior for stallions to challenge each other, but when it transfers to people it must be stopped. For most people the answer is to geld the colt.

So if your colt is "knocks-your-socks-off" beautiful and he has a kind and gentle character - you might not want to geld him. Additionally you should know how or be able to hire someone to handle a stallion, and if your want to breed him you will need to be able to pay the expenses of taking him to the stallion approvals, and be prepared for the expense of advertising and promoting a stallion. Otherwise geld the colt. If you want to sell him you will have a bigger market with a gelding; if you want to ride him yourself you will be more successful with a gelding unless you have some success, knowledge, and experience with riding stallions.

A beautiful, well behaved stallion is a wonder to own. They don't just happen. Experience and knowledge in the correct decisions about their raising , handling, and training is essential. If you aren't prepared to do it right - don't do it! Geld him! You will be doing yourself and your colt a big favor!

Neighbors and Horses

Ever since we bought this farm I have tried to be very conscientious about the neighbors. While no one is really that close, we do share property lines with non-horse people. I assume that since they chose to buy a house in a rural area that they are not going to object to the normal activity and smells of a farm, but I try to respect their property and hope that they will do the same for me. I either spread the manure with a drag to fertilize the ground or pick up the manure that is in concentrated areas. I do this mainly for the horses, but I also don't want any complaints from the neighbors about the smell. I do not find horse manure offensive, but others might. I keep all the fences in good repair and we have had only a couple of occasions when a horse got loose and actually got in some one's yard, but there was someone there immediately to retrieve the horse and clean up any mess. Usually the neighbors are amused.

The hardest thing for me to deal with though is people scaring the horses. They are not usually doing it intentionally and do not realize that they are putting my horses at risk. I cannot expect them to even think about whether or not their activities will scare my horses or not, so as much as possible, I have tried to arrange the paddocks and horses where they will not have too much contact with the neighbors. Yesterday, however, we almost lost two yearlings due to dogs and a sledder next to the paddock. The horses got so panicked they went thru the fence. Luckily, I was right there and prevented any major damage to the horses, but the paddock is unusable until we can put in a new post, which is difficult when the temps are below freezing. The father of the sledder came over to apologize, but I told him that I was not upset with his child - he should be able to sled on his property, but I appreciated the fact that he was concerned.

We are moving the horses to a new location in a week or two. It is a new facility that we just purchased with lots more land and no one close to the paddocks. Ten years from now that could change as people keep moving further an further out of the city. Hopefully the new neighbors will be as considerate as the ones we have had here. I think that as long as they see a well run farm that is kept clean and in good repair with horses that look healthy and happy, we should have no problems. In fact even the non-horse people have been good about alerting us if they thought something was amiss with one of the horses.

Even though I am fortunate to have this "Lost World Farm", I have to remember that there are others just outside my world that my horses and I will be in contact with. Most people seem to enjoy the horses and I hope to keep it that way, but because it does seem to be a "lost world", I have to come back to the "real world" often and make sure that we are all compatible.

Training of the New Foal

There are a lot of opinions about how much you should do with a young foal. For a while there were a lot of people promoting the "imprinting" of a new foal. Lately, I have seen some studies suggesting that foals that are not handled so much turn out better than the ones that were imprinted. They recommend handling the dam a lot instead. Most breeders have their own ideas about how their foals should be handled and once they have seen success with their method, they tend to stick with that. I guess I am no exception. I read the books, magazine articles, and listen to other breeders ideas, but utimately I will do what works for me.

I prefer to have foals on the ground in late April or early May because I live in Michigan and any earlier is just too cold! I want the foal born at a time when they will be able to be outside a lot and the ground is no longer frozen and hard. Because the nights are still pretty cold, I always have a supply of clean towels to dry the newborn foal so it doesn't get too chilled. I will treat the umbilicle cord with a Nolvasan solution and after the foal has nursed I give an enema. After the mare has delivered the placenta and has had a warm bran mash and maybe some Banamine paste, I get the worst of the manure and wet straw out of the stall and then leave the mother and baby alone for several hours to bond. I have cameras on the stall so I can keep an eye on things without disturbing them.

If the outside conditions are good and the foal is nursing well and everything looks good with the mare, I will put them out in a private paddock for a few hours later in the afternoon and give the stall a good scrubing. I don't halter the foal at this point, but have another person with me to take the mare while I guide the foal out. Typically the foal runs around the paddock like a maniac bucking, rearing, and jumping, and the mare chases, calling to it and shaking her head for it to stop - she does not want to run around! A little bit of this activity soon after the foaling is good for the mare, but if it goes on too long and she is getting sweaty and tired, I will bring them in, otherwise I will usually bring them in with the other horses. They come in the same way they went out with one person taking the mare and another guiding the foal.

Everytime I go into the stall to give the mare hay, grain, or water, or to clean her up, I talk to the foal and see if it will come over to me. Most of my foals are friendly and whinney to me when I talk and come right up to me. If they are a little shy at first, I don't push it, I just let them see that mom is comfortable with me around and usually their curiosity overcomes the shyness. I will stroke them on their neck and if they let me I will begin touching them all over their head and body. I don't spend a lot of time doing this - just a few minutes every time I am in the stall.

When they are two to three days old I start putting a halter on them. Once they are comfortable with my touching them I bring in the halter (leather, please!) and let them see it and smell it. I rub it on their neck and on their face and then with one arm around their neck so I can keep them from backing up, I calmly but quickly put it over their nose and buckle it on. Then I leave them in the stall for a few minutes with it on while I do other chores. If it is time to go out, we go out with the halter on, but I don't really use it, we are still just following mom. I don't like having horses out with their halters on, so I don't usually leave it on outside. If the foal is difficult about putting the halter on, I may leave it on for a few days outside until the foal is easier to halter, but I never leave it on in the stall for more than a few minutes. Being calm and patient is really the key - I don't make a big deal about it and if they are nervous I will break it down into smaller steps. I want them to first be comfortable with me and my hands on them, my arm around their neck, and my hands on their face. Then they need to be comfortable with the halter - the buckles make noises and can be scarey! I am not willing to lose if it becomes a battle, because this is a very important lesson. They have to accept that there is really no choice here. As long as I position myself at their shoulder with an arm around their neck, I can usually make them stand and accept the halter, and I am not in harms way of a stricking or kicking little leg. I have been dragged around the stall and with one of the larger foals it felt like my feet came off the ground, but when they see that you aren't going anywhere, they will usually stand still for long enough to get the halter on if you are quick. Pretty soon they learn that the halter means going out to play or coming in to a nice clean stall and they are ready to learn to actually be lead in and out.

For most foals, wrapping the lead line around their butt and giving a little tug on the end to ask them to move it works pretty well. It is sometimes slow with only one step per tug and sometimes they back up, kick out at the rope, or worst case - rear. Pulling on the halter can injure a young foal, but if they are inclined to rear some presure from the halter is necessary, but never hold - they just keep pulling and will flip over for sure. Rearing must be stopped as soon as possible! It is the most likely senario for the handler to get hurt and foals don't have good balance and will frequently flip over and seriously injure themselves. The first leading lessons should be done in the stall where there is not a lot of room for the foal to get out of control and the ground is softer if it does go down. Using a butt rope for a while usually gets the message accross and you can start applying a little bit of pressure with the halter to teach them that this means go forward. It is not too soon to use voice commands and saying "walk", "halt", will carry over to future handling.

The farrier needs to look at the foals feet three to four weeks after the foal is born if not sooner if there are any problems. How the feet grow will affect the growth of the legs and so this is the most important time to address any irregularities. Breeders need good farriers. Foals feet change quickly and a farrier that is knowledgable in growing foals is worth a higher price. This means that the foal has to learn to stand for the farrier. Teaching this requires two people and should also be done in the stall. First, they need to allow their legs to be touched without kicking out, if that goes well, pick them up for a second and put them down. The amount of time the leg is held up is gradually increased, but don't expect them to stand as long as a grown horse, their balance isn't that great and their attention span is small.

By the time the foal is three to four months old we are getting ready to take it to an inspection to be judged and get the registration papers. It is usually late July or early August, so we are ready to do some bathing. I have found that if we let the foal loose in the asileway (barn doors are closed) with the mare in the washrack, that we can slowly get the foal used to the water by letting them watch what we are doing to it's mom and giving it an occassional spray or swipe with a wet sponge. When we are ready to actually bath the foal we stand it up against the mare's side and wash that side and then switch them to the other side. They really enjoy the scrubbing and get used to being sprayed. We usually turn the pressure down a little so it isn't so scarey and many of them really start to enjoy their bath. We use the clippers on the mare's face and legs and pull her mane and while we are doing this the foal usually wants to check out what we are doing. We show it the clippers and lay them on their body or head whenever they come close. We have been able to clip most of the foals heads and the outside of their ears, and we have even body clipped the remaining foal fuzz on the neck, sides, and back of several. It is like a good scratching.

As long as the weather is good, the mares and foals live outside 24/7 after the first week or two. We bring them in for the farrier, vet, and worming, and they will get their first trailer ride when we bred the mare back on her 30 day heat. We do A.I. at the vet clinic, so they go there for 2 -3 days and then come back home. Putting a foal on a trailer while it is still young enough that it wants to be close to it's mom is the easiest time to start. Once they are older and only want to be able to see her, they can be pretty subborn about actually getting on, but if they have done it once when they were younger, it is not such a big deal. By the time they are weaned our foals have been on a trailer a minimum of two times (to the vet for re-breeding the mare and then to the inspection), and sometimes more if we take them to some breed shows.

When it is time for the foals to be weaned (we usually do it aroung 4 -5 months) they are easy to halter, lead, bath, clip, trailer, and stand for the vet and farrier. They may go back a few steps when they are separated from their mom, so I usually reinforce everything at this time by bringing them in a stall at night and putting them back outside during the day for a few weeks during the weaning. This allows us to handle them more and do any necessary training reinforcement in the stall where it is safer. They are more nervous about everything at first without the reasuring presence of their dam and I think the stall is a safer place for them to be at night. By this time most of them have not been staying real close to their mom and are eating more hay and grain than nursing, so it is usually not a very trumatic event.

These methods have worked out well for us and we continue the handling and training of the yearlings and 2 year olds. By the time we are ready to get them ready for a saddle and bridle as 3 year olds they are calm, trusting, and accepting of new things and start their under saddle work quickly and easily. I am always open to new ideas and suggestions but if they are a lot different from what I have found to be effective, I would be more cautious about using them. If it works - don't fix it!

Porsches and Horses

I own and breed horses (mainly warmblood horses, with an occasional TB) and my husband owns and races cars (Porsche and Mustang). I currently own twelve horses and he owns three Porsches and one Mustang. We had a discussion several years about which ultimatly cost more, my horses or his Porsches. He augued that even though some of his cars cost more than some of my horses, he didn't have the daily costs of keeping them, and if he didn't feel like it he didn't have to do anything with them. I argued that mine could reproduce and eventually pay the board for themselves and several others and someone else to do the chores. At that time I had just started breeding and didn't have any foals on the ground so it was hard to prove my point, but it didn't take too many years for him to start seeing some truth in my reasoning.

It is customary (but not manditory) in the ISR/Oldenburg breeed registry for foal's names to begin with the same letter as the stallion and if possible to tie into the lines of the mare. For instance, one of my mares is by the olympic stallion Starman, so I try to name her foals something star related that starts with a "P" for my stallion Patrick (Polaris, Pulsar, Plieades, etc). However one of the other mare's lines are by a very nice older stallion in Holland that no one really knows in the U.S., so I am only restricting myself to the "P". When, in 2005, she produced a beautiful filly, I decided to name her Porsche. My husband's reaction was, "Well, I hope she lives up to the name!".

When she was three months old she went to the ISR/Oldenburg inspection in Ohio to be presented, branded, and be registered. The foals receive a score on their conformation, gaits, and overall impression. The judges are looking for foals that are most likely to perform well at Dressage and jumping disciplines as that is what this breed registry wants to produce. When I presented her paperwork to the German judge, he said, "Her name is Porsch?".

"No, Porsch -e", I responded.

"Most Americans, don't know how to pronounce the word correctly," he said.

"They do when their husband owns three and is a member of the Porsche Club of America," I said. "And when I told him I was naming her "Porsche" he said that he hoped she would deserve the name!"

The judge chuckled and responded, "Well, we will find out today, won't we?"

There were several nice fillies at the inspection, and I believe that 6 or 7 were invited to return for Premium scoring. These are colts and fillies that the judge is inclined to give an average score of 8 or better. The colts and fillies are separated if there is more than one in each group for this part of the inspection. Porsche was deemed Premium quality and the judge started announcing the scores and his comments with the lowest first, leaving the Champion and Reserve Champion for last. She was one of the last two and the judge paused several minutes, clearly trying to decide before announcing, "Porsche, is the Reserve Champion Filly with an average score of 8.4 and, she gets to keep her name!"

I would like to post the picture of her with her ribbon, but as there was someone there taking pictures as we walked out with her ribbon on her halter who assured me that she would send me the photos, I did not have more pictures taken with my camera as I thought she would have much better pictures than I. No pictures came even after several requests and offers to pay for them. So, I am posting a picture of her when she was 3 days old, which is one of the best I have right now. Be watching for new pictures of her as she is now starting under saddle and we will be having a photo shoot of her and her brother, Pulsar, in another month or two (waiting for better weather and conditions).

My trainer says that she still deserves the name.

My Porsche may require daily care, but I would rather ride her than any of my husband's Porsches. His are loud, too fast, and I usually get sick when I am a passenger in one, mine is sweet, affectionate, and moves at just the right speed for me! My Porsche can make more little Porsches like her, let's see one of his do that!

Pulsar, Patrick's 2005 Colt

Pulsar was a huge colt! His dam, Starbound needed help getting him out and she typically delivers large foals with no assistance. He looked like a big foal with grown horse legs, they were as long as his dam's and almost as big around. He is three days old in the picture on the left. It took three days for his knees to straighten and he could not stretch his neck down to the ground without almost going down on his knees. When he went to his inspection the judge came over to me after his evaluation and told me not to be concerned that he was not a premium foal. He said that the large foals frequently are gangly and clumsy in their gaits, but when they finally grow into their body, they can be really special horses, and he thought that I had one of those.

Three years later I can see that he was right. At almost 16.3 hands and still growing, Pulsar has a powerful hind end that makes both the dressage and jumper riders want him. He has already been started lightly under saddle and he really seems to enjoy the work. In fact, it is necessary to change what he is doing often because if he gets bored with the training he is harder to work with than when you give him something to think about all the time. Even though I could probably sell him easily and for a good price, I decided to let my daughter, Melissa have him (she is working off his price). His personality is a perfect match for her and by keeping him and letting her show him I have a great advertisement for both breeding to Patrick (this is what he produces) and selling the other offspring (you can't have him, but here is one that is looking like him).

I also like to have him to show people that just because a foal wasn't premium at his inspection doesn't mean that he won't become a premium horse. The inspection is one day in time of a foal's life. Some foals take a lot longer to develop to their full potential and it isn't as obvious in the beginning as it is with others. People who have been breeding a long time or who have been around growing horses a lot are usually good at recognizing these "diamonds in the rough" and will buy them before others have seen it. I'm grateful for the judges advice when Pulsar was inspected. I was a new breeder and thought that if we weren't producing premium foals, we would not be successful. The breed registries keep track of how many premium foals a stallion is producing and Patrick's statistics have been impressive. Pulsar was not one of them, but he will be one of Patrick's premium horses!

Blessed With Horses

One of the reasons I named my farm Lost World Farm is because of the feeling that I sometimes have when I am out with the horses that I am in another world, a world that feels so close to nature and spiritual, a world that once existed everywhere but is now lost to many. I feel so grateful and blessed with all that I have and all the experiences that being with these wonderful animals has given me.

When I went to Holland to shop for a new prospect, I wasn't looking for a stallion. I was just looking for a young horse to promote and eventually sell so that I could buy another better horse and so on and so on. When they brought Patrick out, I was struck immediately by how beautiful he was, but his soft inviting expression that beckonned me to come and rub his neck and stroke his face was how he hooked me. After days of looking at horses and trying to decide which one would be the best, it was Patrick that I decided on. Not because he was the best horse I had seen, not because of his price, not because I thought I would be able to sell him for more money, but because he had touched me somewhere deep inside and I knew he was meant to be my horse.

I have owned Patrick for seven years now. Everyone who comes in contact with him, loves him. He emits some kind of warm and fuzzy vibrations that attracts people to come and touch him. He isn't looking for treats, although he appreciates any you want to give, he just really seems to enjoy your pressence. He is trusting and honest and you leave him feeling better than when you came. I get tingles down my spine when he nickers to me in his low, quiet way. His foals all seem to have this same friendly, warm personallity. He is producing horses that will bring to others what he has given to me, peace, happiness, contentment, and an appreciation of how horses can help people get in touch with their own spririt.

With every passing day I am able to spend with my horses I appreciate them more and I know that they have changed my life and others around me for the better. My hopes with Patrick and his foals is no longer just about breeding and making money selling horses, but producing horses that with the qualities that not only make them great horses for riding, but also the kind of horses that have the personality and character that inspires and delights people. By tuning into the spiritual world that they have created for me here at Lost World Farm I believe that this can be done and then more people will become blessed with horses.

Learning to Ride After 40

My daughter and I started taking riding lessons at the same time. She was 18 and I was 44. She was Adult Reserve Champion Hunter in the local circuit the following summer. I didn't get any ribbions that year. While she was techinically an adult, my daughter was still young enough that she didn't have the typical problems older beginner riders have.

The biggest problem I had was that I was thinking about what I was doing too much and not just letting myself do it. I had a similiar problem when I tried to learn golf - I thought so much about my grip, swing, and position that I would almost freeze. I was stiff and tense and got frustrated quickly. Being on a horse like that is even worse because the horse senses your tension and becomes tense and worried also. I noticed that the school horse I was given was relaxed and cooperative when a young person was on his back, but when I was on him he either wouldn't move or he would try to run away with me. My trainer would joke that I should have a glass of wine before I came for a lesson - or maybe she wasn't joking! It wasn't that I was afraid of the horse (I hadn't fallen off yet), I just couldn't quit thinking about everything the trainer was saying and let my body take over. Now I can look back and see that I needed someone who either could relate to what was happening because she learned to ride as an adult or had experience with older beginner riders.

Which is what happened with my current trainer. Even though I had been riding for several years and had gone from hunter/jumper riding to Dressage, done a little bit of showing, and had overcome my fear of falling, she took me back to the basics and then I was able to progress much faster. At first she didn't say anything at all about my body position, hands, legs, etc., she just had me doing different things with the horse. She talked about keeping his rhythm the same in each gait, getting him to bend with small flexing aids, and kept me doing basic exercises like circles, leg yeilding, halt/walk transtions, walk/trot transtions, etc. This was on my Grand Prix schoolmaster, so this was all easy work for him and soon we were both a lot more relaxed together than we had ever been. When I asked her about why she didn't say anything about my hands, legs or seat she replied that she found that it was better if she didn't give riders too many things to think about at once and that often thoses things fixed themselves once the rider was able to relax and just go with the horse. As my riding has improved I have found that I don't usually need her to tell me anything about my body parts or postition - the horse does that!

I'm sure that some people under the age of 40 have had similiar problems but I think that most younger beginner riders haven't reached that "analytical" phase of their lives that seems to come on somewhere after 40. It is hard to turn off once it is turned on but being able to just feel the connection and have your body respond correctly and automaticaly is necessary in order to advance, especially in Dressage. When this happens you will discover that even though you are still analyzing the ride you are doing it through your body - how it feels - not with your mind - do this! do that! I still have a lot to learn, but I don't struggle with it so hard and I am more confident and relaxed. I have fun - like a kid!

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.

Should You Breed Your Mare?

As a warmblood breeding stallion owner I frequently get questioned by mare owners about breeding their mares to him. I am most comfortable talking with the mare owner who has a mare that is registered with either one of the warmblood breed registries or the Jockey Club or Arabian Breed Registry and is approved by at least one of the warmblood breed registries for breeding. I also like to hear that they are looking to breed for a foal that will be a good hunter, jumper, or dressage horse and that there is a plan for the future of this foal. It is a mistake to think that just because you have a mare, you should breed her just because you want to. She may be beautiful to you, but you should really consider if she has the right conformation and pedigree for breeding. If she is already approved by one of the warmblood breed registries, then that is all the conformation you usually need. But if she isn't you should take her to one of the inspections that are held all over the U.S. and most other countries. This will tell you if she has the right conformation and a good pedigree that will result in a favorable outcome with one of that registry's approved stallions. You can then choose a stallion that will most likely strengthen your mare's weaknesses and produce a foal that will be able to be the horse you are planning for.

A mare and stallion can be approved by multiple breed registries, not just the one in which they were registered as a foal. The foal is usually resistered in the same registry as the stallion, but different registries have exceptions to that rule. You should investigate the registry you want your foal to be in and choose the stallion accordingly and be sure that your mare meets all their requirements. The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses has a web site ( http://www.wbfsh.org ) that lists the resistries along with links to their websites.

Even if you are breeding your mare to get a foal to keep for yourself, it is wise to consider the future of this foal. If something happened and you could no longer keep it, would you be able to find it a good home? Would someone else want it? If you follow the above suggestions, the answer to both of those questions would probably be "yes". Mare owners could really influence the future of horse breeding in a positive way if they all bred to only approved stallions with only approved mares, and tried to improve on both with the resulting foal.

The Grey Color in Horses

My stallion, Patrick is white. His mane and tail are white and his body is white, but his skin is dark and techinically he is a grey horse. His registration papers say he is grey born chestnut and the books about the geneitics of color say that grey is not a color but an over color that eventually masks all other colors. Many breed registries require that the color of a foal at birth must be recorded on all greys and if there is any doubt about the color of a foal with a grey parent then something like "bay or grey" can be recorded. Grey is a dominant gene and if a horse has the grey gene he will be grey. A horse will not be grey unless he has a grey parent.

Many foals of a grey parent will be born with grey rings around their eyes and the rest of their body will be another color. The head usually shows the grey first with the tips of the ears following the eyes and then coming down the nose. Chestnut foals frequently turn a beautiful rosey grey while some turn a dark liver chestnut before greying out. The mane and tails frequently show grey hairs early and may turn white before the rest of the body. Frequently the darker colored foals turn a dark grey and then slowly over many years get lighter and lighter, but I have seen some turn white quickly. Patrick was already white when I bought him at age 4 and one of his fillies is almost white at 2 years of age while another born the same year is still mostly bay with white hairs sprinkled throughout her head and body.

All my foals are turning grey and some look wonderful with each change and others look like they are molting. The pictures above show the greying of Polaris, Patrick's 2004 colt. Eventually they are all beautiful!