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Selecting a Stallion for Breeding

Before searching for a stallion to breed you need to evaluate the mare you are going to use for breeding. The value of mare in terms of breeding depends on the mare's conformation, performance ability, performance record, and prior reproductive record. Mares that are not trainable or has a heritable unsoundness should never be used. Rarely does an unworthy mare magically create a brilliant foal.

Purebred or Crossbred

The first step in selecting a stallion is to decide what breed you are looking for in a foal. Do you want a purebred foal or is a crossbreed going to be okay. Choosing to stick with a purebred line means that you are much more likely to get the characteristics of the particular breed in the foal. If your emphasis is more on performance however than choosing to crossbreed may work better for you. Crossbreeding can result in horses that are better than either of the foal's parents, or it can go the other way and result in a mediocre foal.

Make a Checklist

Before visiting any prospective stallions make sure you have a checklist of the traits that are most important for the stallion to have to complement the mare you plan to use for breeding. You want to be sure to choose a stallion that is capable of enhancing your mare's best qualities so that they are hopefully passed onto the foal. Having a checklist of the traits that are most important to you will help keep you focused while you are looking at stallions. Things that should be included on your checklist include balance, symmetry, height, weight, and quality and soundness of the horse's legs and hooves. Take the list with you when you visit stallions.

Evaluate the Stallion in Person

Visiting the stallion in person, if possible, is important. It is also important to check out the stallion's offspring if that is possible. Seeing the horse, and hopefully his offspring, in person and watching them move is far better than relying on advertisements or videos. If it is not possible to see the horse in person a video can work, but remember that videos can be edited and may not show the horse's negative traits. If it is possible for you try to at least speak to some of the people who have used that stallion and see how their foals turned out. When you are checking out the stallion make sure to look him over carefully in hand. Make sure the horse has everything you are looking for, using you checklist as a reference. Watch the horse move as well to make sure that the horse moves well and doesn't have any major faults.

When you are choosing a stallion pay attention to the stud farm that they come from to ensure that the horse's handlers are good and professional. This will make dealing with the stallion's owners easy later on.

Learn more about this author, Megan Worley.
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