Would this be wrong?

Question

I want to breed my mare. Not now, not in the next year, but sometime. I know there are a lot of perfectly good horses that go to slaughter everyday and more foals is not what the world needs right now i know, but i thought i would ask for others opinions.

She has nice lines (http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/zipsintwojackstime) 82% foundation, good conformation, good movement, quick learner, and shes all around a good horse. if i did breed her i would be very pick about who i bred her to. i wouldn't breed for color or anything like that, but for quality. She just turned 7 only a few months ago and is in the very peak of training and showing career so this would not be for a VERY long time.

But thinking about breeding her kind of makes me feel guilty because of what i mentioned in the first paragraph, should i feel like this or no?

And this idea is not set in stone. so please don't jump down my throat about it, i was just wondering.

thanks.

Answer 1

I think it comes down to temperment, if she is quality and has a nice temperment then I would deffinately breed from her. I think many mares are put to sires because they are pretty but not ridable. So if you have pretty and ridable - that's the one I'd breed from.

Good luck, what a lovely interest to have. :)

Answer 2

I always wanted to breed horses! But before my parents bought me my first stallion 9years ago i was feeling like you are now! When i got my first foal from my first stallion my whole mind of thinking changed. If its what you want to do with your mare go for it. I now have 4stallions and 34 mares and loving it. I try and save as many horses that are going to go to slaughter as i can.

Just follow what you want and try and think of the lovely foal you will get =)

Answer 3

There is nothing wrong with breeding good quality horses. There will all always be a market for quality horses despite the economy. That said, you have to take a step back and honestly judge whether your horse and the stud you choose have awesome confo., perferrably some kind of performance record, good bloodlines, and a great temperment. It sounds to me like you are looking at your horse realistically and from your description she sounds like a quality mare that could contribute to her breed, however I would still have others, like a respected trainer and/or breeder, look at your horse and give you their opinions about breeding your her. All and all don't feel guilty about breeding a quality mare.  

Answer 4

No you shouldn't feel guilty if you going to look after it proply. I was tossing through my head when i was lookign for a horse if i should get a mare to breed but then i felt so guilty and ended up buying a gelding because of that but im glad he turned out to be such a great horse (abused horse)

But you have fun breeding her.

Goodluck Paige

P.S. is your horse's grandad Zippo Pine Bar on the yahoo answers, this is a link to the contacts profile http://answers.yahoo.com/my/profile;_ylt...

haha just curious.

P.P.S. How did u change your display pic?

Answer 5

If you're going to be able to keep her foal for their whole life, go for it. I just have problems with people who get rid of their foals because they aren't perfect, or breed when they won't be able to provide for them no matter what conditions they may be born with/ develop.

If you can ensure that the horse will be happy and comfortable for the span of its life, I have no qualms with that.

Treat the foal like you would a child; if it has a club foot, an extra leg, or is insanely vicious, you're stuck with it and are responsible for training it.

Answer 6

You have a excellent bred horse. You should bred her and bred her to a SKipper W bred stallion. In my opinioin.  

Answer 7

There's nothing wrong with breeding a horse, if it's for the right purpose, by the right person who is well prepared and can afford the years of time that go into it.  I think if you're thinking this far ahead about all the hundreds of things that play into such a decision and you're willing to listen to all opinions, taking what's meant for true education and experience sharing and simply ignoring and discarding the rest of the opinions without "meat" behind them, you'll make a good decision.  Let me share my experience with you from the last decade.  It might help.

I have had horses all my life - not exaggerating - my mom had them when I was a kid.  My babysitter while she was working at the barn was a big ol' Tennessee Walker spud of a horse - solid as a rock.  I sat upon him before I could walk while she fed the other horses.  There never ever has been a day I couldn't walk out and get on one and ride any time I want in 40+ years.  I've been on many of them.  My mother got into racing then othre performance disciplines, bought a racing QH mare and started a breeding program to attain a good racehorse and then produce good performance horses.  She raised a few, bought and sold.  She now stands a stallion, has about 6 broodmares - in total probably 20 horses.  Sadly, decisions in her life and her current situation is 60 years old, 20 horses to find a home iwth and a sudden divorce.  Unfortunately she's got a superb stallion, but she's not built a market for the babies, doesn't have the knowledge to start and train them herself much past yearlings nor the money to hire them all trained well enough to say they are valuable horses.  they're great blooded horses with tremendous bloodlines that she can't sell for what she's got into them.

I purchased my own "first" horse using my own money when I was about 18.  he was greenbroke, I finished him and he's been my best buddy for a good 23 years now - I bought another horse about 10 years ago to barrel race, so I had two horses I rode a LOT.  They were both getting older, I wanted a horse of a higher caliber and thought since I knew so much and rode so well, I'd purchase a foal due to be born to a friend - it had PERFECT performance bloodlines.  So I bought her.  She was about two when I met a great guy and moved in with him on his farm.  I considered I had two old horses and one young, we needed another young one for him, so I bought my filly's full sister.  Her owner was getting out of breeding so offered the mare to me pretty cheap as I was one of very few who LIKED her and she seemed to tolerate (a mare of Grade 1 stakes bloodlines - bitchy, race raised - great body type and lines).  So I gave in.

At 3, I took my filly to a trainer with a great reputation.  Let's just say due to his situation and my ignorance, it didn't end well I got an unbroke horse with less confidence than she had when she went to him.  About 3 trainers later, getting thrown on my rear more times than iI ever wanted to even think about, after about 2 years, I found this ol' cowboy and some real different ideas - he took her for 30 days and put a LOT of confidence in her.  We still aren't solid, but we're farther along than we were last year.  I've put a lot of time and money into learning all I can about how horses think, why they do what they do and how to interact with them on their level.  I still woulnd't consider myself a professional by any means because I haven't the experience with many different horses practicing what I've learned - only two - additionally, my patience and personality type are NOT the level required to work successfully with a horse of this caliber (yet), but I'm working on those.  I've lost a ton of confidence through getting thrown and hurt even though the extent of my injuries has been bruises and pride mostly.

But I've got years of work ahead of me getting any of these horses to the point where I can saddle up and take off.   I haven't a horse right now I can get on and take a leisurely ride and won't for years to come.  It's become a job to get them to this point and I'll have at LEAST twice what I could have bought a perfectly broken one for of the caliber that fit me 7 years ago.

It's taken me MORE knowledge about how to interact with horses than it would have for me to have taken on a somewhat solid horse and worked through his shortcomings at a clinic or two by trusted horsemen.  There's so many things one can inadvertently teach a foal for the first 2 years of their quickly-learning impressionable lives that always stick with them.

with a human kid, you've got the first about 4-6 years to affect their behaviour patterns, build their ideas of ethics and morals.  With a foal, you've got about the first 3-6 months to build and mold it's behaviors - and you must do so with an animal that thinks and learns completely different than humans do.  Just simply allowing them to put their nose in your face teaches them something - your reaction thi

Answer 8

Responsible breeding I have no problems with.  If you have a plan for the resulting foal in question, and in this day and age, if you are planning to market it, if you have the means to keep it until you find a suitable home for it, then your plan sounds reasonable.  One thing in your plan that could be problematic, you say that your mare is seven now, and she's at her peak of training and showing, and you would not consider breeding her for a VERY long time.  As mares get older, their fertility level  wanes.  Older maiden mares in particular can be very hard to get in foal.  With that in mind, if you wait a VERY long time, she may prove difficult to settle.  So long as that doesn't worry you, then your plan sounds pretty well thought out.

Answer 9

You defineltley should not feel guilty about breeding your mare alot of the horses that go to slaughter are ex race horses that cant find a home and horses that are abandoned by there owners so just make sure that the foal goes to a good home and you should be fine.

Answer 10

Breeding a mare is nice if you can afford to take care of her and her foal forever. Once a baby horse is born I am positive you will love it forever as I have done so a few times. for me all of them passed on and I was always glad I had one to fall back on as my best friend to comfort me and give my loving care to. I always say it is best to own two horses in case of an accident. I know some people may feel terrible about horse slaughtering as I am one who feels sad and would adopt them all if there was a way to save them all. I know that is impossible though but that is a horse lovers thoughts. guilt should not be an issue about breeding your own mare. It sounds like it has a fine bloodline and you may possibly win money showing your mare and maybe even your foal one day. If you do you can always donate some to saving the wild ones or possibly volunteering to help with them and trying to save them that way. do not feel bad about it as unfortunately it is a fact of life that may one day be changed. I do not know how but you do not need to feel guilty if it is not your fault. sadness I understand and feel it too. many others do and try to change it with websites offering adoption. If it was in hawaii i would be at their door in a heartbeat. tell friends about adopting horses and just pass it on and maybe you will help those horses and some people wanting pets as well. Hope you feel O.K. and just go for it but take care of your animals well as I am sure you will. aloha taz

Answer 11

What do you mean you don't want to risk it? Every horse owner should be able to train horses as well. That doesn't mean you have to be at the level of a horse trainer or be able to go out and train everyone else's horses. But in my opinion you should be able to handle horses effectively and do a lot of the training on your own, only using the professional trainer for guidance. Too many people want to just jump on and ride.

Start working with your mare now so that you learn some training techniques before you breed her.

As far as breeding, I think its fine as long as you're careful with what happens to the offspring.

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 12

dnt feel so guilty. thats all ur choice. and if u do feel bad take that other persons advice and make a donation. as long as u can take care of ur horses and if u do need to sell check out where ur horse will be takin and wat kind of care will b givin to it.

Answer 13

I don't think you should feel guilty if you just know that you wont abandone your horses or sell them to some unknown buyer. I think if your sure that you'll take care of your own horses you have no reason to feel guilty.

If you still do, donate some money to a horse rescue fund or something. Or maybe in the future adopt a horse!

Answer 14

you dont need to feel guilty. Its not ur fault that jerks kill horses for meat. If your feeling super guilty, make a donation to a rescue center that specializes in slaughter.

Maybe donationg money for horses in need will make u feel less guilty.

Answer 15

Like a couple of other people mentioned, you didn't say what you were going to do with the foal. If you planed on selling it, I wouldn't breed her for reasons you mentioned. If you wanted to keep it to use and ride, I think it would be ok. You would be taking responsibility for what you bred.

Answer 16

i dont think you should feel guilty. you obviously care about your horse and her (possible) future foal. you WOULD be right to feel guilty if you were letting your mare breed with random stallions producing an unwanted foal that would probabally end up in a slaughter house. but your not, so you shouldn't feel guilty at all! you sound like a good caring horse owner who wants what is best! good luck making your decision and finding a nice stallion (if you decide to breed her)