Breeding a mare is usually a roll of the dice. You never can say what you are going to get, but you can follow one or two rules to help you lower your risk. Breeding a foal that checks all the boxes on your wish list is more than just picking a stallion out of a catalog. Selecting stud stallions requires a large amount of research, but when you get the foal of your dreams, it is always worth it.

Choose Your Discipline

This is an easy rule, yet so many folks make this error. If you want to breed a foal with Grand Prix jumper potential, you are not going to reproduce your mare with a short horse. Understanding what discipline you need your foal to participate in helps with stallion selection. Some bloodlines produce great jumpers and other bloodlines produce great dressage horses. Therefore step one comprises identifying those bloodlines which are tailored for your discipline.

Know Your Bloodlines

Naturally, not all bloodlines are made equal and the most suitable time to discover that is before you breed your mare. Do you need an amateur- friendly foal with good gaits and a great mind or are you wanting the super talented fire-breathing dragon that screams “professional rider with death wish required”? There are stallions which are famous for breeding talented but difficult progeny and there are stallions that produce talented and level headed progeny. It all comes down to what you have mapped out for your foal’s future.

Don’t Forget the Unknowns

It isn’t uncommon to need a horse with a show record, but infrequently unlucky accidents occur and a stallion must be retired before his competition career has really started. If you like a stallion without a show record, look at that stallion’s offspring. The young will tell you the stallion’s dominant traits and it’s not unknown to have a stallion without a show record siring highly talented progeny.

Yet, with the great selection of stallions with good conformation, glorious gaits and amazing temperaments, there is no deficit of options for mare owners everywhere. Now get out there and breed the next Darco!

Ashley Kantter is a longtime freelance author and columnist, concentrating on topics connected with horses and equestrian matters.

Harthill Stud is a stud farm based in the UK. Focusing on breeding sport horses, it offers a variety of horse breeding services in up to the minute premises.