[Solsalia]

Have you heard the saying if Momma aint happy... nobodys happy! I think environment does have a big impact on how a foal will be BUT then throw some personality and some Sires/Dams just throw awnry offspring. Genetics. I've seen it in cows. We had Foghorn and The Other. Nice names . Foghorn tended to have more aggresive offpsring but they were very nice for butchering. The Other was more timid and her offspring was the same. She didn't produce as nice. Eventually we had Mooey.. yup, another nice name and some other cows. Like Legs, she came from the registered bull next door.. OOPs and these were both Foghorns produce. They all had attitudes. She had an impact whether it be genetic or environment, I don't know, just interesting to see the differences.

[Canadian Sage]

When I was thinking about breeding to Mr Tramp, I had sent the owner an e-mail WITH a picture of Sage (she did not ask for it, nor was I inclined to send it) so the owner of the stallion could SEE for herself that I wasn't going to be breeding a not-so-worthy mare to their stallion and that I wanted quality. She e-mailed me back thanking me for sending her that picture and SHE was excited for that cross as she thought Sage was a gorgeous mare, that, and this will be Mr Tramps FIRST Canadian bred(ok well out of a canadian mare lol) and born foal next year.

Mom obviously has to pass down something. I didn't know Sage's mom, but I definitally think she got most of dad's personality and easy going attitude as he throws that to almost ALL of his foals (there is the odd one where there is a screw lose).

Monica...I am not sure how dads temperment is and they don't advertis his offspring very well, but she definitally inherated (sp?) his movement and stride, and I know her dam and she definitally got her dam's personality and attitude.

[Lindsayanne]

Originally Posted by Canadian Sage

When I was thinking about breeding to Mr Tramp, I had sent the owner an e-mail WITH a picture of Sage (she did not ask for it, nor was I inclined to send it) so the owner of the stallion could SEE for herself that I wasn't going to be breeding a not-so-worthy mare to their stallion and that I wanted quality. She e-mailed me back thanking me for sending her that picture and SHE was excited for that cross as she thought Sage was a gorgeous mare, that, and this will be Mr Tramps FIRST Canadian bred(ok well out of a canadian mare lol) and born foal next year.

Good for you. I definitely think stallion owners should pay more attention to the mare! When I was making the deal on my new filly the lady was a little reluctant to give me a deal on including a breeding to the stallion, when I mentioned it was Regal's mom and linked her to a page showing his dressage and jumping videos, she included a breeding with the sale and agreed to cover all shipping and container charges!

[ryu2832]

Originally Posted by minilove

I don't know a lot about genetics or breeding, but wouldn't the genes have to be 50/50 from sire and dam? If an animal has 64 chromosomes 32 of them will be from the mother and the next 32 from the father. A parent always gives half, at least that is what I learned in my highschool Bio class So why would the mare or the stallion give more?.

The foal inherits the cellular machinery from the mare which contains DNA. So while they inherit half of their chromosomes for Sire and half from Dam, they inherit the cytoplasm and all cytoplasmic organelles from mom. The cytoplasm can had a profound effect on gene expression from the nucleus. I'm pretty confortable saying that the mare has a 65% genetic effect on the foal.

Originally Posted by minilove

I could see a certain horse producing certrain traits, but that isn't do to their gender, just dominent traits over repressive traits, correct??.

Certain traits are s.ex-linked--meaning inherited through x or y chromosome (for example heart size).

There are many other different modes of inheritance. Simple Dominance (one copy of gene needed for expression, simple Recessive (two copies needed), over-dominance (where 1+1=4), epistatic effects on expression (inheritance of a gene at one locus effects expression of another gene at a different locus)--the list goes on and on.

Originally Posted by minilove

Okay just my little highschool two-cents. I dont really think one parent can contribute more. Broodmares should be choosen carefully, just like the stud.

I just smile when people complement the stallions my mare has been bred to. Five different stallions, five champion offspring--they completely overlook the common factor--the carefully linebred mare!

[Mutrok]

While I think all the discussion about the environment affecting the temperment of the foal is very valid it brings home even more the point that the mare should be carefully considered. I don't think that the feeling that just becasue someone has the money to pay the stud means that their mare should be bred or that stallion owners should let them.

it seems like the mares have taken such a back seat in the lime light when it comes to producing quality. Yes you could take a border line mare and breed her to a fantastic stud and get an above average foal but think about what you could get if the mare was fantastic bred to a fantastic stud that complemented her well.

I think as horse breeders we need to strive more for excelence instead of average or above average. The only way to do that is start with an exceptional mare!