Breeding with your Mare

Breeding a horse should be taken seriously, and the owner should be willing to invest the time and money into the endeavor. It is agreed by most that the one area where an owner should not cut costs is the stud fee, which is generally the area in which most amateur breeders try to save money.

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If a mare owner is not financially able to breed without cutting back on the stud fee, it is oftentimes best to wait to breed the mare.

A mare should not be bred for the sake of it, but instead have valuable qualities to pass on. The mare owner should in an honest and in an unbiased manner consider the mare’s temperament, conformation, performance record, soundness, bloodlines, and health. Only a mare of good quality should be bred. Many times a mare is bred because the mare owner is in love with her, rather than because she is of good quality, producing a disappointing and unathletic foal. The mare owner has a great responsibility in this aspect.

Mare owners should also recognize the fact that they will probably not make a profit off their breeding. Top breeding farms know where to cut costs, and are producing in bulk, so are better able to make a profit. The average mare owner, however, should generally aim to break even.

Choosing a Stallion:
The stallion should be chosen to complement the mare, improving on her poorer qualities. A bad crossing between to otherwise superb horses may produce an average foal. However, a good crossing between two above average horses can result in a very nice foal.

Generally, the stallion should have proven himself in the discipline or sport the mare owner wishes to breed for. An owner intending the foal for jumping, therefore, should not breed the mare to a cutting horse or a local backyard stallion that has not competed.

Bloodline are often considered when choosing a stallion, as some bloodlines are known to cross well with others. For example, it is well-known by warmblood breeders that crosses between Donnerhall offspring and Pik Bube offspring produce horses of great quality. If the stallion has not yet proven himself in the breeding shed or while competing, the bloodlines of the horse are often a good indicator of his quality and possible strengths and weaknesses. Some bloodlines are known not only for their athletic ability, but also for a conformational default, poor temperament, or for a medical problem such as roaring or scrotal hemorrhages. Some bloodlines are also extremely marketable, which is an important consideration should the mare owner wish to sell the foal.

The mare owner should consider the size of the stallion, as larger stallions will tend to produce large offspring. A small mare may therefore not be a good cross with a large stallion, as she may have foaling problems due to the great size of her foal. Size may also affect the intended use of a foal. A large horse is often preferred for jumping and eventing, while smaller animals are often considered better cutting horses. If the breeder intends the horse to be used as a child's mount, it is generally advisable to breed for a smaller animal rather than a larger one.

Temperamentis often a critical factor to consider when choosing a stallion. This is especially true if the mare owner is intending to breed a horse for a child or amateur, as a good temperament is oftentimes a top priority by nonprofessional horse owners. Poor temperament may also be detrimental to performance when the horse competes, if he is constantly fighting the requests of the rider. However, Thoroughbred racing usually favors horses that are aggressive because they tend to intimidate their opponents while running, and many "mean" racehorses have been excellent on the track.

The conformation of the stallion is of utmost importance. Conformation is easily passed on, and poor conformation may ruin a foal’s chance of ever succeeding in his intended discipline. The stallion should have especially strong conformation in the areas where the mare is weak. So a mare with slightly crooked legs but a powerful hind end might cross well with a stallion with exceptionally straight and well-conformed legs, but a weaker hind end.

The fertility of the stallion should be noted, including the motility of his sperm if he is to be bred using AI. A stallion may not be able to breed naturally, or old age may decrease his performance. It is important not to assume that a stallion with a good competitive performance career is a fertile stallion: the great racehorse Cigar was infertile despite his fantastic career on the track. A mare owner should ask the stud to supply the stallion’s breeding statistics, including the number of mares that he bred and the number that were actually impregnated.

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The offspring, or “get,” of a stallion are often excellent indicators of his ability to pass on his characteristics, and the particular traits he actually passes on. Some stallions sire fillies of great abilities but not colts. Secretariat was known as a broodmare-sire: his sons and daughters never performed particularly well, but the offspring of his daughters had talent. Some stallions are fantastic performers but never produce offspring that win in their sport (this has been seen in history with several racehorses, such as Babamist, who produced offspring that excelled in the sport horse disciplines, especially eventing, but never succeeded on the track).

The breed of the stallion is usually secondary when breeding for a sport horse. However, a pure horse is often worth more than one of mixed blood, especially if it is registered. Several disciplines prefer a certain breed of horse as well, such as American Quarter Horses for the western disciplines. Racehorses must usually be of pure blood to race. However, when breeding for sport, performance is considered more strongly than breed.