[angie j]

Originally Posted by taliacristianna

My main concern is that the foals I produce or help produce live happy, healthy, productive lives. Show experience is nice and it is very good for business but it's not my main concern. ......If one of my foals spends 35 years bringing his owner joy as a weekend trail horse - happy, healthy and well cared for in a big pasture - then I think that is absolutely wonderful. Mission accomplished. That horse is happy as can be and I guarantee he isn't mournfully longing for the show ring while he ambles leisurely down the trail - and neither is his owner.

I smiled when I read this..... Mostly because I now own a horse that was imported to Canada from the U.S. with a $10,000 price tag; Born and bred to show and, oh baby, what a looker!! She hated the show ring, was retired after 2 years and sold after a year of 'schooling'. Now I'm retraining her as a trail horse and boy.. is she 100% happier than when I brought her here!

You can plan... you can pick the breeding lines.. but you can't forsee their future, realy.... can you? lol.

[Rumonek]

Would you turn away a mare that YOU personally felt did not compliment your stallions conformation or movement?
Absolutely. I already have- multiple times I do not want foals out there in the world sired by my stallion that look like conformational train wrecks. Especially when you are just starting to stand him to the public.

Would you turn away a mare whose bloodlines and performance thus far are geared toward something completely opposite of your stallion (ex. barrel lines to pleasure lines)?
No, I would not. Not all horses excell where their bloodlines say they should. I would first look at how the horses compliment eachother, and what the mare herself excells in.

Would you turn away a mare owner who might not express interest in showing the foals at anything more than a local level?
No, I would not. There are many people in this world that have absolutely NO interest in showing- let alone on the breed circuit, and a great many more that cant afford it. I don't see foals being shown only at the local level "bad". It at least shows the foals are youth/ammy/beginner friendly.

Would you turn away a mare owner who did not have an idea of exactly what event they were breeding for or what they wanted the foal to be competitive in?
While I would prefer an owner that knows where they want the foal to excell, I would not turn the mare away. Instead, I would sit down (or email, whatever) with the owner and see what they enjoy doing themselves. Not everyone breeds for a specific discipline in mind- I for one do not breed for ONE specific discipline. I let the horses decide for themselves what they will be. Of course, I have HOPES of what the foals will excell in, but we never really have any guarentees.