How do you deciede who your mare is going to be "married" too?

I was wondering how you all experienced breeders deciede who your mare is going to be bred too? I want to bred my mare,Dawns Dee Lite(Midnight Sham x Golds Sahara) during in 2012 indefinetly but I want to make the right choice. I do not know blood lines real well so to know what her lines would cross well with is of no help. On her Dam's side she has *Bask but on her Sire's side I do not reconize anyone. UGh.

Well let me know what you think.

I am not a big breeder in terms of numbers of babies, but the ones I've had are just what I wanted. Your mare has quite
a variety of coiuntries in her pedigree if you go back further than the initial result. So you would decide what it is you want
from her baby. Then you would see what she has and what she lacks. You would breed to a stallion who passes those qualities
on to his foals. I like Polish, larger size, well-proportioned sporthorses, so I pick Aladdinn lines. One of my mares is classic old
Polish with short legs, so I breed to a stud that throws leggy foals, not overlooking the rest of the package. If you are going to show
halter, the trend is toward the typey head, so you would want to thing about that. If you are more interested in performance, and a
specific type, you would bred to a stud that is known for producing that type.

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Like the others have said, it depends what you want. Your mares lineage is quite mixed. You may want to dive in and learn about that lineage, before you go any farther.

First and foremost have you had any experience around foals and raising them. If not look into learning from a breeder first. I've done time at both a larger facility and a smaller selective breeder. There is a lot to learn. Choosing the stallion is usually the easy part, its being prepared as an individual that means a lot.

- know what your mare is good at, this will factor in.
- know what you are breeding for, do not breed just because you have a mare and you think foals are cute.Are you going for western, hunt etc etc.
- know the stallions strengths and pedigree
- Many breeders require uterine tests for mares their stallion will be breeding, keep costs in mind. Stud fees are not the expensive part of breeding.
- Do you have the knowledge and ability to take that foal from birth through training?
- Do you know what the signs of birthing problems are, especially if your mare is a maiden (never been bred).
- Do you know signs of a foal in distress?
- Do you have the room to turn mommy and baby out away from other horses?
- Do you have the money to pay for a newborn and any complications, ultrasounds?

Yes there are serious questions involved in there, but you must be able to answer them and truthfully before you set in stone when you plan to breed. Yes some folks get lucky, but a smart breeder tries to prepare as much as possible.

I was attempting to breed my Thoroughbred mare this year, for an Anglo-Arabian foal that would have been a killer hunt/sporthorse. Found the perfect stud and everything. Got all the tests done, she was at the facility, ultrasounds and the works to find out she has a serious hormone imbalance, good chances from steroids when she raced(not me that did it). She would start to produce an egg but it would never release to be fertilized. All said and done I am out about $1500-2000. I could have bought another horse so far. But I wanted to breed for what I wanted.

There is soooo much involved beyond picking a stallion.

Educate yourself as much as possible.

I totally and completely understand about costs. I've been saving for the past 2 years. I'm not planning on breeding Rana just to have a foal. I want a sport horse type that I can train and show one day, the next go out and do a "Fox" Hunt. I am going to have a breeding consult done. But at the same time trying to learn all I can. I want to strive for perfection but at the same time have the foal keep my mare's willing attitude.

As for what my mare is good at. This Show season will be a key factor in that. I know she can jump but at the same time I know she'll never be a saddle seat horse(sorry but I dont mind that). I wont be breeding her until 2012.

I have worked at many a stable and have had to help some mares out with the Labor and even had the nasty luck of a mare NOT accepting her foal. I pray Rana does not do that. I did find out where Rana's full sister is living and contacted the owner. I guess her sister did not want to accept her one foal. So I know it could be a possibility. I also know her sis's foal was gorgous!

I was just curous how other people select "husbands" for their mares.

That's great you have had that experience!

Do you want a PB or Half-Arab sport horse?

Nothing wrong with not wanting a saddle seat horse, I myself am after a PB hunt/sport horse (actually I think I found him, my decision will be made today). And my current Crabbet boy is a do it all but is going western now that he has finally grown up and come into himself at 12, lol. And this is coming from someone who LOVES saddle seat, just my knee does not love it.

If you want a PB sport horse, look into a nice Egyptian stallion. The Egyptian on the top and CMK on the bottom usually make for killer sport crosses. If a HA is what your after, you have a large variety of choices. I would probably pic a HA stallion that exceeded in sport horse before looking completely at other breeds. You'll keep more type with a 3/4 Arab. I also know of a really nice Arab stallion that is sport horse built to the hilt and is 16HH. Only bad thing the owner does not do shipped semen on him. Live cover only. He was my pick for my TB mare, it would have been a killer Anglo for hunt/sport horse.

Horse husbands and how to choose. I wish there was an exact science to this, but there isn't. When I'm looking I know I want a stallion that is strong where my mare is strong and strong where my mare may be weak. Always breed up. I know my mare has great legs and feet, a neck that all those halter people want, good sloping shoulder and and very good hind end. Her weakness is her walk and she could have a more feminine head. Since I breed for performance, I want a performance sire too. I also look at the bloodlines, my mare has Bey Shah in her sire line and Salon in her dam line, so I like to stay away from stallions that carry these lines - just my personal choice. For this year's foals I went with a total outcross (hard to find!) and bred to an Aulrab son for the mare mentioned and for my PP mare is bred to a polish/crabbet stallion with old bloodlines that will be an outcross for the next generation. I think that is also important, looking at how they will breed on if that's in cards for them.

Good luck!