Flavor of the day or proven? WWYD?

[Reiter]

I'm looking at breeding my older competition mare and can't decide if I should go with an established stallion or one that's "hot" right now! Marketablility for the foal is not important as it won't be for sale, BUT I do want marketable bloodlines for future breeding possiblities.
If the foal is a colt, I would consider it as a possible stallion prospect.
Here is the mare's pedigree http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/winona26
I've decided to take the jump and consider frozen. would love to hear some suggestions! :)

[not again]

For a modern and marketable bloodline why not Dressage Royal?
http://www.watermark-farm.com/DressageRoyal.htm

[Hillside H Ranch]

I might be in the minority here, but I almost always go with proven. You can find very proven stallions that are still marketable. I am not a gambler, so the proven guys really appeal to me. I feel like you can get a good idea of what they are producing with different types of mares, their strengths and weaknesses, etc. Some people are very good at selecting the new, popular up-and-coming stallions that turn out to be worth the gamble, but it just isn't where my strength lies!

[eqsiu]

I go proven. That way I know the babies will do what I want them to do. Even if the "hot" stallion ensures they'll sell.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Oh too funny. I know this mare's breeder...and knew her dam Tamara very well! I heard a lot about Winona...but never knew her (just seen pictures).

PM me if you don't have their contact details. Tamara produced several very nice horses....I own a decendant!

I would really give her breeder a call and see who she suggests for Winona. She is very knowledgeable and has produced some lovely horses.

[railmom]

I have done both. The hot young guy's foals sell better as foals, trendy. But I like to use the new boys on a PROVEN mare. The proven stallion is very marketable, ex. "I have a xx I love, want another one" or "I rode/saw/knew a horse by and am looking for one of my own". If your planning on selling when they are undersaddle, a good horse is a good horse!

I think that stallion prospects are best with blood that isn't so common, something that sets them apart from what is available stateside.

Great bloodlines on your mare :)

[Mel0309]

Don't know much about the mares pedigree but thought it was interesting that "Trapper" had at least 4 babies named Tamara - all with different mares. Must have been a poplular name!

Carry on...

[clint]

It sounds as though you haven't bred this mare before? If you don't know how the mare produces, I would remove one unknown and breed to a stallion with known production. Otherwise, you are really just guessing how the cross will work.

[siegi b.]

The way I would do it is by narrowing down your choices first.....

- the mare is 20 years old which doesn't make frozen a very good choice
- the mare is most likely a heavier and older style horse, so do you want to stay with that or go to a more modern frame?
- the mare could be improved by ........
longer front leg
more shoulder freedom
better hindleg, etc. etc. etc.?

All those things will (or should) affect the choice of stallion. Once you've done all of your homework, THEN you can ask your question - Flavor of the day... or Proven?

The flavor of the day may only be available by frozen semen... :-)

Good luck!

[Reiter]

That's why I love this forum! The wealth of knowledge and you never know what kind of a surprise answer you might get! Bornefreenowexpensive you have a PM! :D


I think that stallion prospects are best with blood that isn't so common, something that sets them apart from what is available stateside.

Great bloodlines on your mare :)

Railmom, any particular bloodline or stallion you would suggest?
Clint, the mare has been a competition horse her whole life and as far as I know is a maiden. So you are very right, I don't know what she would throw. And her age... well, let's not go there... I should have my head examined! :lol:

[TKR]

I agree with Clint and some others -- a proven stallion on a maiden mare is probably the best way to go. If you plan to keep the foal I would choose a stallion that appeals to you and also would be complementary to your mare without worrying about "popularity". Good luck!
pennyG

[Reiter]

The flavor of the day may only be available by frozen semen... :-)
Good luck!

The quoted part is why I have decided to really throw all caution in the wind and actually try the frozen. No, she's not an ideal candidate being older and a maiden, so I will definitely need a good dose of luck! :yes:

As far as her improvement. She's actually not too heavy but could use a good dose of blood in the temperament departement. She's a bit on the lazy side and could use more jump in the canter. Not sure if that part is due to conformation, her lazyness or her age. Other than that I can find no faults with her! ;)

[Reiter]

If you plan to keep the foal I would choose a stallion that appeals to you and also would be complementary to your mare without worrying about "popularity". Good luck!
pennyG

Yes, I plan to keep the foal, but popularity is still a factor as I plan to use the foal in my breeding program, possibly as a stallion prospect!

[Signature]

I would definitely go with proven. They are proven for a reason and it will only serve you well down the road to advertise that a horse has well-known breeding, vs. a stallion that was hot for one year until for whatever reason he dropped off the earth. There are many good choices in the US available via fresh!

[STF]

The hot young guy's foals sell better as foals, trendy.

I have to agree too.
Everyone wants something some else does not have, no matter if the stallion has proven offspring or not. So, the "HOT NEW" stallion is usually the talk of the town and gets the most attention.
Thing is, those "hot newbies" usually get replaced in a few yrs and we hardly hear about them anymore.
So with that said, Id rather go with proven to increase the odds of getting what my breeding goal is.

[railmom]

Reiter - do you have a picture? And a super repo vet? ;)

[talloaks]

I was thinking that the OP will really need an excellent repro vet to get this mare infoal and to keep it the 11 months plus. Trying to get a maiden mare, 20 years old, is a real challenge. I don't think many really good repro vets will want to try it. The OP would have a much better chance of getting the mare in foal if she used a stallion not too far away with excellent semen. What I mean by not to far away, is not to have it shipped across the country since she will probably be doing quite a few cycles in trying to get this mare in foal. I would hope that I would be wrong but I think breeding a 20 year old maiden mare is a real long shot. Good luck with what ever you choose to do.:)

[Signature]

Agreed that many times the "hot stallion's" foals do sell better. We have also found that a good horse is a good horse.

Here comes the breeding dilemma. Do you breed to a "hot" stallion as a breeder breeding to sell foals, knowing that there are better stallions out there to produce a better foal, but being trendy the foal will be more likely to sell?

Or do you breed to produce the best horse possible, knowing that if the stallion is not as popular at the moment but has a proven history, that you may be keeping the foal until 3 when people really don't care what the breeding is as long as it can do the job well?

If I was breeding something for myself, I would definitely go with proven over hot. There are many many stallions that have their one year of fame and then you don't hear about them again to any degree.

Same goes for breeding trendy color - right now being tons of chrome. I have seen many just breeding to sabino stallions where it is not a good match for the mare, just to get 4 high whites. The foal may sell quickly because of the color but again, are you bettering the breed by doing this? Or suiting yourself and your pocketbook? Breeding IS expensive but there is also some moral obligation I believe.

[Peg]

I posted this answer on the wrong thread:o! I'll repeat it here though. Unless you really have to have one of this mare's foals, have you considered leasing a proven broodmare or purchasing a foal? For what you are looking to invest, that may be the most successful and least expensive way to go. I understand about breeding an unproven mare that you love, though. Good luck and I hope it goes well for you. If you are going to breed her though, I wouldn't do frozen and there are some nice stallions to choose from here now- all the best! Peg

[carolprudm]

I breed Irish horses so won't comment on particular stallions, however, given her age I would first have a BSE done, with biopsy, and then pick a stallion with a LFG