[Cheeky Monkey]

I dont know that I would breed this mare, I am not fond of her breeding or her conformation, but the stallion you picked looks quite nice (from the pictures).
I would think it is also a good idea to stick to either QH or morgan, and I would go with QH as you have and not Morgan.

[PrettifulPonies]

acme acres-i'm looking for any color

cheeky monkey- she's been bred twice before and the foals have come out with very nice comformation

[kantakay]

Originally Posted by Dancinglite

To breed to a stallion because it is the best of a color is the last reason I would put on selection priorities. I would also point out you may not get the color you hope for.

I just said "a little hard on him" Color = money. Anything that is rare, is valuable, and grullo plus halter is very very rare.

As a halter horse, he needs some serious muscle and a lot of time in a necksweat, but otherwise he's not bad and crossed on strong halter mares would throw very competitive babies.

This mare needs a stallion ( of any color) that will improve the whole front end especially the neck shape and the connection to the chest as well as the hip angle and structure from the second thigh down............I am just not so sure this stallion can do that.

I agree, I'm not sure this is a good cross. Sure some halter horses ride and some riders halter, but you've got much better odds breeding a rider to a rider if you want the foal to be a rider.

To the OP: A lot of the pleasure horses cross over easily between western and english. But pleasure horses tend to be long and lean, and barrel/pole horses tend to be short and compact, so you might need to prioritze which features you prefer. Would you prefer a taller horse that does huntseat & jumping? or a shorter compacter horse for barrels? Are there any horses you've seen that you look at them and think "WOW, that horse is PERFECT". maybe comparing them to your mare will give you an idea of what you're looking for to complete the picture?

Breeding can get really expensive and most of the time its cheaper to just go out and buy what you're looking for than to deal with the hassle of breeding, waiting, getting a live birth, raising the baby to riding age. I think you have to REALLY want to breed and know in your mind exactly what you're trying to get out of it. When you're looking at horses you can walk away from the ones you dont like, but you cant stick them babies back in their mamas because they didn't come out right

Char

[Rockhaven]

Josie, maybe a sport Morgan would produce a more suitable combination. It would produce a lighter horse and would probably accentuate Penny's movement. Plus, Morgans are notorious for passing on most traits to their offspring. http://www.sportmorgan.com/stallions/ has some you could look at, I haven't really looked too closely at them.

Or maybe not, that's my personal opinion. I think a lighter stud would just be a better idea.

[PrettifulPonies]

soph, of course you want me to breed to a morgan

i definetly want to breed my mare, and i know i want either a barrel racer or a jumper. thank you everyone for the help

[Rockhaven]

Originally Posted by PrettifulPonies

soph, of course you want me to breed to a morgan

Even without the bias, I think you're looking at much too heavy horses. To be honest, you really can't have both a barrel/gaming horse and then have that same horse jump into the hunter ring and perform well in both areas. You know how you fight with Penny on those days. I think that it is much more realistic to breed for a horse in the pleasure/hunter areas than for gaming. Since you're not as big into the gaming and speed events right now, it would be best not to breed for them. And Mama Pen may not produce that kind of foal, no matter how much stockier you're looking. You could end up with a mediocre horse that really isn't good for much except spooking on the trails.

[PrettifulPonies]

Even without the bias, I think you're looking at much too heavy horses. To be honest, you really can't have both a barrel/gaming horse and then have that same horse jump into the hunter ring and perform well in both areas. You know how you fight with Penny on those days. I think that it is much more realistic to breed for a horse in the pleasure/hunter areas than for gaming. Since you're not as big into the gaming and speed events right now, it would be best not to breed for them. And Mama Pen may not produce that kind of foal, no matter how much stockier you're looking. You could end up with a mediocre horse that really isn't good for much except spooking on the trails.

but then again, Penny is pretty good at both, i can't barrel race not because i am at school and Katelyn is going to be taking me to shows this spring and summer, but i do see what you're talking about

[JBandRio]

The 2nd stallion is better, but still not what *I* would call stallion quality. Take that for what it's worth, as I think most halter horses aren't stallion quality Maybe it's just bad timing in the walking picture, but he looks like he can hardly walk. His hind foot looks like it's 2' from the track of the front foot and his front foot has not made a huge reaching stride. But if that's what trips your trigger, then I'd chose this guy over the grulla stallion.

[Acme Acres]

With your mare's conformation, I think you'd be better off leaning towards fences as opposed to barrels. However, a good horse should be able to do both. The verstatile quarter horse has pretty much been forgotten these days with all the specialized ones out there. 10 yrs ago you could find a horse that would halter in the morning, ride the rail in the afternoon and go rope or run barrels later that night.

Perhaps you should look at stallions websites and find one that has produced all around types? There are a lot out there if you look in the right place. Just be sure to make sure that his good points offset your mare's weaker points. A good stallion will stamp their foals with something that makes them look a certain way (or act a certain way). Sonny Dee Bar horses have pretty much been always associated with the classic chromed 4 stockings and blaze on a cherry red body. Sonny Dee Bar/Mr Norfleets are notorious for being a very good click genetically to produce all arounds.

[goldendryad]

I like the Morgan stud. He's pretty and fairly refined and will add balence to your mare. Versatility is a big part of the Morgan breed. Crossing to a Morgan will offer some nice smooth gaits, a nice head and neck set and self-carriage.

Both those QH studs look too chunky and muscular. I don't think it would flatter your mare. They look like halter types, which doesn't always mean they will be worth using to breed a horse you want to ride. The only thing they having going is colour.

If you want colour you can find Morgans that are coloured and will throw colour.

You could also paper the baby as a part-Morgan...adding value and a market. There's a good market for Morgan part-breds.