Spinoff - Starting or recognizing a new mare line

[EquusMagnificus]

you can't, and the odds are against you.

go ahead and try to pioneer one, but to me the family counts more than the individual.

While I agree, what's a new breeder to do when we can not afford the best mare line but perhaps a good mare?

For instance, I have a good broodmare. She produces great foals and the oldest are being started under saddle with success.

Her dam only produced one live foal and was a TB, albeit a good one. Her granddam was a successful racehorse and so on.

Reading some threads, given that for SPORT, she is a F1 success, what's a breeder to do? Discard the mare because her mareline is perhaps not YET successful and proven?

Also, when do you consider that a mare line is successful? I bet each others definition varies a lot...

[grayfox]

Why would you want to replace a mare that's produced well for you? I don't necessarily believe in the family vs the individual. If your mare is producing well be happy. Unless your breeding to sell to breeders I think your mare sounds nice.

[EquusMagnificus]

Thanks Grayfox. :) I didn't mean to replace MY particular mare but I was wondering about the theory behind it. :)

I am just trying to understand the "good mareline at any price" mentality as I realize that many breeders, myself included, still produce very nice horses without necessarily having the super mareline...