To Breed or To Buy? Part 1 - Page 2
© Sally White
Slight conformation problems can be corrected by careful choice of stallion. If your mare is prone to weak hocks, for example, choose a stallion with the most beautiful hocks you can find. An over-delicate build, too, can be corrected by a father with a deep, well-developed chest and strong back. But always remember that breeding is a lottery. There is a limit to what can be achieved by corrective breeding, and you always risk that it won't be corrected at all. With really serious problems - brittle hooves, or weak lungs, for example - you are better off sparing yourself, and your mare, the trouble.
Breeding is also important: a horse with a Shetland pony for a mother will never make the grade in Grand Prix dressage, however well-trained. You must be prepared to look critically at your horse's makeup and assess whether you are likely to get the foal you want from the raw material in front of you.
So now you have decided that your mare is good enough for breeding, and you have picked a stallion to complement her. Now you have to look long and hard at your bank balance.
Sending a mare to stud involves fees for the stallion's services, and for the mare's keep, as well as transport. Even artificial insemination usually involves the mare travelling to the stud. You can spend as much, or as little, as you like on your stallion - but you get what you pay for.
It doesn't stop once the mare has returned home, either. After giving you the initial good news that your mare is pregnant, your vet will become a regular visitor, especially if there are any complications (details on avoiding unnecessary problems can be found in this article from the Vet College at the University of Illinois). You will need extra food for your mare, of the best quality you can find. And then you will have more visits from the vet when the foal is born, again, especially if your foal is weakly or suffers from any of the many ailments that can affect youngstock.
You must be prepared for the long haul of three years' work looking after your youngster but being unable to ride him. There is plenty of training that can be done in this time (see my previous article, "First Steps for Foals"). However, if you don't like looking after horses at least as much as riding them, then this option is not for you.
