[SeaSide81]

I know we had something similar a while ago, but I was thinking about it and wanted to ask.

Theoretically, for what reason would you breed your grade horse (if you had one)?

Now, in general, I am strongly against breeding unregistered and crossbred horses just because there are many, many horses out there that need homes so if the horse is not registered and pedigreed, I generally think there is no reason to breed it.

However, I was thinking of scenarios where I might breed a grade/unregistered horse. I can’t really think of a good reason to breed a grade stallion honestly, but I could see a grade mare IF it was my mare and I was really, really in love with her and her conformation was good. I might breed her once or twice to keep the foal(s) myself as MY horses, not for sale. You know, so I could "keep a piece of her" even after she was gone. I could see breeding a grade mare if the foal would have a "forever home" with you, or maybe with a close friend of yours that really liked her or something.

Anyone else feel the same way or have other thoughts on the subject?

[BestofPrincess]

I agree on breedin grade mares over stallions. Some people consider my mare grade because she is a quarab. I breed her to diffrent breeds, one was a baskhir curly, the other was a friesian, they both have homes, but even if they had to be sold there are already tons of people who would want them

[3WishesDun]

get ready to duck--Just kidding--my sister bred her 17 year old QH mare to a grade Palomino stallion to do just as you said....have a piece of her. Missy died a few years later and Dawn(my sis)was crazy for the baby, Jack.
I now own Jack and in a way "have a piece" of my sister. and he definately has a forever home.

~April
Pics
1-Jack, Missy & Dawn
2. same
3. Jack
4. Missy (sorry this pic is old! probably from the 80's)
5. Jack now -13 years old.

[Huntseat123]

I do agree with you, if the horse has a forever home, I believe its FINE to breed a grade mare. But I don't think that grade stallions should be up for stud, it just creates more and more grade horses and not many people care for grade horses. I personally don't care what breed (or if its registered or not) the horse is as long as its GOOD at its job. However, I believe it would be wrong to breed a grade stallion. Just my opinion though..

[3WishesDun]

huntseat123 -that makes perfect sense...as with a grade mare you are more limited in the # of offspring, but with a grade stallion... -there is a potential for mucho babies. great post-didnt think of it that way.


April

[spyro1]

If Katie Pony werent so old, I would breed her. With her temperment and personality, I would have one awesome little shetland to carry on her legacy.
If Moose were a stallion, I would NOT breed him. He is massive, so he does have size on him, but he has a club foot and he doesnt have the greatest conformation. That's why he's gelded.

[crazi4horses]

If I found the right stallion, and if she were at my house, I would breed Honey, but only because of her temperment, conformation, and how she responds undersaddle. I believe in breeding to better a horse that is already close to perfection; if that is a grade horse, okay, but I don't believe you should breed for the sake of reproduction, OR to hope for a better baby out of grade parents with awful conformation.

[SeaSide81]

Jack is a nice-looking guy, 3WishesDun. I personally would have chosen a registered stallion if the mare was registered, but as long as you and your sister are happy, I can't really comment . You love him, you are happy with him, and you will hopefully always have him; that should be ever horse's fate in my opinion, regardless of breeding .

Again, I really have nothing against horses without pedigrees or who are unregistered; I just would hesitate a lot to breed one. And if I did breed, I would do it very, very carefully and then only if it was a mare. Like HuNTSeAT123 said, a grade mare can only have a very limited number of babies, while a grade stallion can potentially have a hundred or more!

I still don't think any mare should be bred just because she happens to be a fertile female, but if I had to choose, I would rather breed a really nice grade mare than put a really nice grade stallion to stud.

Just my two cents though .

[harli36]

The only reason that I think is a good reason to breed a grade horse(and it should be one of the reasons for breeding a purebreed too) is if you have an excellent example of a performance horse. This horse while it may not have a pedigree, should also contain all the qualities that a breeding purebreed does, excellent conformation for a specific disapline, excellent temperment, excellent movement etc.

I have no problem with people who breed grade horses, BUT they have to be excellent performers, you need to be breeding for a specific purpose and you need to be breeding to make something better.

[Cowgirl2135]

Well, I have a grade(well more like lost papers) breeding stock paint, that throw beautiful babies. But I know that she is papered.
Some of them are champion reiners, cutters, and english horses.