Admire the Shire Crosses? Thinking about owning a warmblood? Have visions of a darling foal frolicking in your paddock? The Shire Crosses are highly sought after. Good examples are expensive (not to mention rare). The Shire is such a rare breed with such unique qualities that many folks are considering breeding their own warmblood. For some people, this is a highly rewarding endeavor. But...there are many things to consider before breeding your mare --- not the least of which is whether or not you should buy a foal rather than breeding one. This document will attempt to shed light on some of the things to be considered in your decision. The best place to begin is to think about what you want from a foal. Are you breeding a jumper? Dressage mount? Trail horse? Steeplechase? Every discipline requires different qualities. If you don't begin your search with those qualities in mind, you are likely to be disappointed in the results. A shorter, stockier Shire is not going to magically produce the 17 hand dressage champion you are dreaming of. If you don't want a 17 hand mount, then don't breed to an 18 hand stallion. Start with a vision of what you want and never lose sight of that image! Your mare is half the equation. A poor quality mare isn't likely to produce a great foal, even with the finest stallion! Genes come from both parents and there is no changing the fact that each foal receives 50% of the genetic information from each parent. If you want your foal to be a great trail horse, then perhaps your retired race horse isn't the best place to start. The qualities that made her great at the track may not be what you want in your foal. You cannot change what your mare is - you can improve qualities and augment qualities, but you still are building on what the mare is. One of the most common misconceptions is that you'll gain height by breeding to a Shire. This just isn't necessarily so - you're likely to gain bone mass, but you may not get a lot of height. So, if you want height, don't make the mistake of breeding your 15 hand mare in hopes that the stallion will put on two hands. Breed to a stallion that passes height but start with a mare that has most of the height you want. In the end, if your mare doesn't provide the foundation for what you are breeding toward (your vision), then your best bet is to either lease a mare that does or to purchase a foal from a breeder that specializes in the style that you admire. Your quest for a stallion won't be an easy one. Here are some pointers: Look at the stallion's prior foals. A reputable breeder will be able to show you the stallion's foals and/or photos of the offspring. A good stallion produces consistent results. Take a look at Norton's foals - they all have a set of consistent traits. The qualities are recognizable and predictable. A good stallion will produce predictable results. Make sure the qualities the stallion is passing match your vision of what you want. If you cannot see prior foals (including recent photos), then you must assume the stallion is unproven and stud fees should reflect such. Remember to ask the breeder why they selected the stallion -- they will know what qualities the stallion passes. This is no time for guessing games! Look at the mares the breeder is using with the stallion. Ask why the breeder is using such mares. Compare those mares to yours. Does your mare share any of the traits with the mares that are producing foals you admire? If the breeder isn't using their best mares with this stallion, you must ask yourself why not. Make sure to look at the economics. Make sure you know what the market value of the resulting foal is. While you may not be planning on selling the foal, things can happen and it's better to have a marketable foal. Don't select a stallion based on pedigree alone! Pedigree only documents the gene pool and does not indicate how those genes are arranged in a given stallion, or how the stallion is passing traits! Two full brothers can produce dramatically different results from the same mare! Don't assume that any stallion "will produce like his sire." It's a 50-50 shot whether or not a sire's trait will have been passed to the son, and then a likewise percentage to determine whether or not the son will pass the trait. Do not fall for the "it's in his genes" story (or the "he won't pass that" story, either). If a trait is "in his genes" and you don't see that trait, then assume it's a recessive trait and you will only have a chance of seeing it in your foal if your mare also has that trait. It's seldom a good bet to count on a stallion passing recessive traits. There are many good articles on genetics -- take the time to learn enough to understand what the stallion has and is likely to pass. For example, our stallion Norton carries the sabino trait (white stockings and blaze). This is a heritable and dominant trait. If a person wanted a solid foal, Norton would be not be a good choice for a stallion because it isn't likely that he will produce a solid foal. Take a hard look at the stallion owner and/or manager. Have they been involved for a period of time or is the stallion effort a "flash in the pan?" Are they honest and open about the strengths and weaknesses of their stallion? Read the fine print. Check out the breeding contract in detail. Make sure you know what you are getting and be wary of any "dubious" guarantees. A "double-your-money-back" guarantee won't do you much good if you cannot collect it! If the stallion is not owned by the original breeder, find out why. Talk to them, if at all possible. They undoubtedly know about the stallion and his history. Breeding is an expensive undertaking. Consider the following: Stud and booking fees are really only a small percentage of the total cost. Your mare will require a reproductive check before breeding to determine her health and prognosis for success. This is likely to include laboratory costs, in addition to the vet costs. Your best success rates come when your vet is closely involved with breeding. Ultrasound helps pinpoint the best days for breeding - a VERY important consideration. (Covering too many times can actually reduce your chances as the mare will develop a "rejection" mechanism.) Each ultrasound involves the vet visit, the cost of the exam and any necessary sedation. Your mare should be checked about 18 days post-cover for pregnancy and to make sure she has not conceived twins. This requires ultrasound. Your mare may require assistance to maintain the pregnancy - particularly if she is over 15 years old. Your mare will require inoculations at 5, 7 and 9 months of pregnancy. Your mare will require substantially more food during the last trimester. Unless you have appropriate facilities, you will need to send your mare to a foaling facility. If you do have facilities, you may still want to install remote cameras and use other tools to assist in pinpointing foaling time. The mare and foal will require a vet check during the first 24 hours. The costs of breeding can quickly amount to more than the cost of a foal...with the added benefit of the breeder's knowledge of the stallion's performance with particular mares. There are many reasons to consider breeding your own...but cost is seldom a good one.
Admire the Shire Crosses? Thinking about owning a warmblood? Have visions of a darling foal frolicking in your paddock?
The Shire Crosses are highly sought after. Good examples are expensive (not to mention rare). The Shire is such a rare breed with such unique qualities that many folks are considering breeding their own warmblood. For some people, this is a highly rewarding endeavor.
But...there are many things to consider before breeding your mare --- not the least of which is whether or not you should buy a foal rather than breeding one. This document will attempt to shed light on some of the things to be considered in your decision.
The best place to begin is to think about what you want from a foal. Are you breeding a jumper? Dressage mount? Trail horse? Steeplechase? Every discipline requires different qualities. If you don't begin your search with those qualities in mind, you are likely to be disappointed in the results. A shorter, stockier Shire is not going to magically produce the 17 hand dressage champion you are dreaming of. If you don't want a 17 hand mount, then don't breed to an 18 hand stallion.
Start with a vision of what you want and never lose sight of that image!
Your mare is half the equation. A poor quality mare isn't likely to produce a great foal, even with the finest stallion! Genes come from both parents and there is no changing the fact that each foal receives 50% of the genetic information from each parent.
If you want your foal to be a great trail horse, then perhaps your retired race horse isn't the best place to start. The qualities that made her great at the track may not be what you want in your foal. You cannot change what your mare is - you can improve qualities and augment qualities, but you still are building on what the mare is. One of the most common misconceptions is that you'll gain height by breeding to a Shire. This just isn't necessarily so - you're likely to gain bone mass, but you may not get a lot of height. So, if you want height, don't make the mistake of breeding your 15 hand mare in hopes that the stallion will put on two hands. Breed to a stallion that passes height but start with a mare that has most of the height you want.
In the end, if your mare doesn't provide the foundation for what you are breeding toward (your vision), then your best bet is to either lease a mare that does or to purchase a foal from a breeder that specializes in the style that you admire.
Your quest for a stallion won't be an easy one. Here are some pointers:
Breeding is an expensive undertaking. Consider the following:
The costs of breeding can quickly amount to more than the cost of a foal...with the added benefit of the breeder's knowledge of the stallion's performance with particular mares. There are many reasons to consider breeding your own...but cost is seldom a good one.
