Help! horse decision

[Sheka]

Well, i have 2 horses. Brownie is dark chestnut arabian with a white spot on his head and angel is an arabian also, but shes a light chestnut. Angel is about 4, and Brownie is a little older at about 6. My trainer keeps on telling me over and over that i should breed her and let brownie stud They are both extremely healthy, come from wonderful lines. My dad had them both shipped in from europe, Angel is a great dressage horse and a great jumper and brownie's main thing is jumping but he is the best jumper ive ever seen (no offense angel) But the thing is, i dunno if i want to breed them. is that really what having a horse is all about? hAving a baby is dangerous for horses, i dunno what id do if something were to happen to angel. angel is one hell of a dressage horse and a pretty darn good jumper 2 ,shes won countless shows and has ribbons n trophies all over the place. her parents were champs also. but does that mean that its my "duty" to keep the line going? My dad paid alot for her, so he wants me to breed her but, he sais its my decision. ive never even thought about breeding and have no idea what it entails, but im pretty much just brainstorming now. Angel has a wonderful temperment, will that change? Shes always been adventurous, 1st one jumping over the stream and checking out that mysterious creater on 4 legs and that squeaks (the cats lol) She loves to be pretty and reminds me so much of the horse in the book "animal farm", molly. she loves bows and braids and loves groooming and water ,which is really rare on horses. and she has a thing for candy. I dont want my horse to be diffrent after..if thats the case then ill forget about breeding her.
I just dont know what to do or expect or w/e, so anything would be great

 

[LabBreeder]

It might be better if you went to a horse forum with that question unfortunately.
I'd say if you're worried about Angel then don't do it. I've never heard of it being as difficult on a mare as you think it is. If there are complications, yeah...but it's like any other birth. There is pain, pushing, and barring any problems, a healthy mom and baby. They are your horses and you shouldn't let your trainer try to coerce you into doing something you don't want to do. JMO

 

[Ashlea]

No offence to you at all but it sounds to me like you do not know all that much about horses. A white spot on the forhead is called a star and many horses love water, it is more uncommon for a horse to not like water.

I would leave it to the experts to decide if they should be bred.

 

[Gig 'Em Ags]

You should also consider the short and long term expenditures involved with the new addition.

 

[Snark]

Breeding your horses isn't what having horses is all about, and you're not obligated to do so. Actually, I'm kinda surprised you kept Brownie a stallion - most stables don't like to deal with them and quite a few counties have certain fencing requirements for turning out stallions in pasture or paddock.
Is the place where you are keeping them even set up to handle a mare in foal? Are you prepared for the extra vet expenses? Ready to keep 24 hour surveillance on your mare when her time is due? What are you going to do with the foal? Keep it? Sell it?
I've seen some mares' personalities change when they're expecting - it's the luck of the draw. Some mellow out, some become quite aggressive, others don't seem to change at all.
Bottom line... if you're undecided about doing this, then don't.

 

[cowgurl6254]

I've bred many horses and I've also seen many horses have major problems giving birth I would definitely wait to breed her if you don't want to risk losing her. She is still young and you could wait a few years to make that decision. As far as leaving your stallion intact, be prepared! A stud horse is not easy to handle, and you need to make special precautions around your barn. They will jump fences, tear down doors, etc to get to a mare in heat.
Also, don't think that just because you allow them to mate, that you will get a foal with their same personality. Breeding horses is a huge gamble and it is also VERY expensive. I would definitely advise you to do a lot more research on this.....

 

[LabBreeder]

No offence to you at all but it sounds to me like you do not know all that much about horses. A white spot on the forhead is called a star and many horses love water, it is more uncommon for a horse to not like water.

I would leave it to the experts to decide if they should be bred.

There is no "you all" to this at all. If you are referring to the OP, since that is the only person that made the references you are speaking of, then you need to specify otherwise you WILL offend people. Not all "spots" on the forehead are called stars either. It depends on how big and long it is as to what it is accurately called. I believe the OP may have been talking about her horse liking bows and braids vs other horses not liking it and water was simply included in the sentence. JMO

 

[Snark]

There is no "you all" to this at all. If you are referring to the OP, since that is the only person that made the references you are speaking of, then you need to specify otherwise you WILL offend people. Not all "spots" on the forehead are called stars either. It depends on how big and long it is as to what it is accurately called. I believe the OP may have been talking about her horse liking bows and braids vs other horses not liking it and water was simply included in the sentence. JMO

Psssst! LabBreeder... there's an 'at' between 'you' and 'all'. I believe they were just addressing the OP...

 

[casablanca1]

Well, i have 2 horses. Brownie is dark chestnut arabian with a white spot on his head and angel is an arabian also, but shes a light chestnut. Angel is about 4, and Brownie is a little older at about 6. My trainer keeps on telling me over and over that i should breed her and let brownie stud They are both extremely healthy, come from wonderful lines. My dad had them both shipped in from europe,

Apart from the other issues, won't you miss having a horse to ride/compete with if you breed them? I know you can ride the mare while she's pregnant, but there will be a period where that's limited and, I imagine, a period of time when it's best not to ride her. I get the impression that stallions are more complicated to deal with in general, and particularly after they've bred. It seems like a nice idea, but one you need to put a lot of thought into.

 

[Roxy's CD]

I've had many a good horse in my day, but breeding was never a thought. I mean there are already so many good horses out there, I didn't want to go through the trouble and the long wait of working with a foal. My own came from one of the best Western Pleasure confirmation lines known to "man" ROFL, the Impressive line.

He was gelded. I've worked with stallions and yes some are manageable but it's a pain. You can't put them out to pasture with other males, as cowgurl said breaking down stall doors, just a pain the a$$.

As for breeding your mare. A foal is a lot of work. A pregnant mare is a lot of work. Giving birth is a lot of work.

I'd say don't. You seem to be enjoying what your doing with her. Leave it at that. I've never really heard of "keeping horses lines going". I mean, with artificial insemination it's not really an obligation of yours... If a horse has good lines than there is NO worry what so ever that it's lines will be carried on. Impressive died over a decade ago and is still having foals now... There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of "Impressive" horses out there. I was not worried about "carrying on the Impressive" line when I gelded Riley.

Ultimately it is your decision, but from the sounds of it you don't really want to. ANd I definitely would not breed if you don't want to... *sigh* There's so much more I want to say but don't know exactly how.. LOL

 

[Saje]

Well, i have 2 horses. Brownie is dark chestnut arabian with a white spot on his head and angel is an arabian also, but shes a light chestnut. Angel is about 4, and Brownie is a little older at about 6. My trainer keeps on telling me over and over that i should breed her and let brownie stud They are both extremely healthy, come from wonderful lines. My dad had them both shipped in from europe, Angel is a great dressage horse and a great jumper and brownie's main thing is jumping but he is the best jumper ive ever seen (no offense angel) But the thing is, i dunno if i want to breed them. is that really what having a horse is all about? hAving a baby is dangerous for horses, i dunno what id do if something were to happen to angel. angel is one hell of a dressage horse and a pretty darn good jumper 2 ,shes won countless shows and has ribbons n trophies all over the place. her parents were champs also. but does that mean that its my "duty" to keep the line going? My dad paid alot for her, so he wants me to breed her but, he sais its my decision. ive never even thought about breeding and have no idea what it entails, but im pretty much just brainstorming now. Angel has a wonderful temperment, will that change? Shes always been adventurous, 1st one jumping over the stream and checking out that mysterious creater on 4 legs and that squeaks (the cats lol) She loves to be pretty and reminds me so much of the horse in the book "animal farm", molly. she loves bows and braids and loves groooming and water ,which is really rare on horses. and she has a thing for candy. I dont want my horse to be diffrent after..if thats the case then ill forget about breeding her.
I just dont know what to do or expect or w/e, so anything would be great

If you aren't ready to breed then you just aren't ready. Breeding horses can be dangerous just like any other species but for the most part it's a lot easier. Angel's temperament probably won't change after the pregnancy but her body probably will and she'll start to look more like a broodmare. Particularly if she has more than one. Arabs aren't really jumpers and I have a hard time imaging you competing at any higher level jumping competitions. They just don't have the height or build like some of the other jumping breeds.

If it was me I wouldn't breed her yet. Let her grow some more. She's still a baby. You never know what kind of genetics either horse will have. They may be pretty good examples of arabs but they might pass on all of their faults. You never know what you'll get.

However, if you decide to breed I don't think it will be the worst thing in the world. Maybe a bit stressful and costly but chances are after the foal is weaned you'll be able to get back into training.

As for the stud, I don't know why they are letting a young girl ride a stud. They are very unpredictable particularly during breeding season and need a strong, experienced rider (which you probably will be some day).

JMO as well

 

[Sheka]

this isnt something i was gonna do now, or even ever. 1st of all, sorry for the improper horse lingo, I always call brownie's marking a spot, guess the dog person in me is used to calling markings that, w/e. Well, speaking of brownie, forget the breeding. I asked some of the staff ect.. at the stable about brownie and they said since my family has alot of horses here, they didnt want to complain, but brownie is being a handful. Ive decided against breeding Angel, i went to see her today.And i read about the risks ect.. of breeding a horse,and ive decided against it, i dont want to put her through that, it looks like it hurts LIKE A MOTHER lol . Brownie is causing trouble with his macho attitude, and even tho the stable sais its "no trouble" having a stallion in there, i know they are just saying that, so i think its time for brownie to be de-stallionized lol ;p, Both horses are doing well, and my sister finally getting a pony, so im just gonna leave well enough alone.

 

[Sheka]

As for the stud, I don't know why they are letting a young girl ride a stud. They are very unpredictable particularly during breeding season and need a strong, experienced rider (which you probably will be some day).

JMO as well

ive been warned about that, and i keep telling them that i trust brownie. but their have been some pretty close calls, hes getting really unpredictable and unlike himself

 

[Saje]

ive been warned about that, and i keep telling them that i trust brownie. but their have been some pretty close calls, hes getting really unpredictable and unlike himself

I'd be worried. It'll be better after you get him gelded but his action aren't because you can't trust him. It's because he's a boy and gets ideas in his head lol

 

[LabBreeder]

Psssst! LabBreeder... there's an 'at' between 'you' and 'all'. I believe they were just addressing the OP...

Oops! My bad...gotta love it when you miss a small word and make an @$$ of yourself. My other points do still stand though.

 

[Snark]

I've had many a good horse in my day, but breeding was never a thought. I mean there are already so many good horses out there, I didn't want to go through the trouble and the long wait of working with a foal. My own came from one of the best Western Pleasure confirmation lines known to "man" ROFL, the Impressive line.

Impressive? I agree he was a beautiful horse but that HYPP syndrome would probably make me think twice. I have seen breeders advertising that their stock is HYPP negative so I wonder if they're managing to eradicate it from the line...
My old QH had King P-234 as his great grandsire on his sire's side, and Wimpy P-1 as his great grandsire on his dam's side. One more generation back and there was Old Sorrel, Little Joe and Oklahoma Star... Not that any of it mattered a fig, since he was a gelding.

 

[Roxy's CD]

I have his papers He's HYPP negative, He had papers when I got him and I had him tested myself.

From what I understand they don't live very long if they are double positive, so his age alone shows that he doesn't have it, even though I do have a set of tests done by Guelph University and a place in Bobcaygeon does that equine blood work.

ROFL@ Snark..

He's actually one of the "new breed" QH as opposed to the old wimpy style. Much taller, leaner (well he's supposed to be lean! ROFL). And of course, seeing as he's a confirmation horse, he has horrible feet... Just plain horrible feet, we thought he had navicular for a few years... but it turned to out to just be bad feet. He's had them all, the super-ultra light shoes, the bar, the heart, the dressage pads, everything. LOL


Sheka- You said the stallion was 6? I'm afraid that gelding may do nothing for him at this age... It's like dogs, if done late you have a 50/50 chance of it calming them/lessening horomones etc. I worked with a guy named Sunny, great guy, gelded late though. He could only be put out with mares, put him out with another gelding and it would be a fight to the death.

I've worked with 2 guys that were gelded late, and they were both great schoolies, but they were a pain when working out which horses to put in which pasture.

 

[Sheka]

Sheka- You said the stallion was 6? I'm afraid that gelding may do nothing for him at this age... It's like dogs, if done late you have a 50/50 chance of it calming them/lessening horomones etc. I worked with a guy named Sunny, great guy, gelded late though. He could only be put out with mares though, put him out with another gelding and it would be a fight to the death.

I know, but its worth a shot, im not going to breed him anyway so might as well. hes such a good boy but ive only had him for about a year. i can make arrangments for him to only be put with mares Thanks for the help

 

[Saje]

Sheka- You said the stallion was 6? I'm afraid that gelding may do nothing for him at this age... It's like dogs, if done late you have a 50/50 chance of it calming them/lessening horomones etc. I worked with a guy named Sunny, great guy, gelded late though. He could only be put out with mares, put him out with another gelding and it would be a fight to the death.

I've worked with 2 guys that were gelded late, and they were both great schoolies, but they were a pain when working out which horses to put in which pasture.

I don't agree with that. A lot of horses that were gelded late will have certain behaviours but gelding will always help calm them down. Part of it is behaviour and the other hormones. It sounds like this stud hasn't even been bred yet so there's a very good chance that gelding will help substantially. He'll probably still be a little cheeky anyway. lol

I've never met a stud that was gelded late who couldn't be put out in a pasture. My sis' horse had 30+ foals before he was gelded and he still had some stallion qualities but didn't have the behaviour of most studs at all including the hormone surges in the spring. JMO of course but I have worked with horses for years.

 

[Sheka]

I don't agree with that. A lot of horses that were gelded late will have certain behaviours but gelding will always help calm them down. Part of it is behaviour and the other hormones. It sounds like this stud hasn't even been bred yet so there's a very good chance that gelding will help substantially. He'll probably still be a little cheeky anyway. lol

I've never met a stud that was gelded late who couldn't be put out in a pasture. My sis' horse had 30+ foals before he was gelded and he still had some stallion qualities but didn't have the behaviour of most studs at all including the hormone surges in the spring. JMO of course but I have worked with horses for years.

THANK GOD! i asked the stables and they said they have horses that were gelded later than brownie that are now in pasture and get along well with erveybody. They said they still have the stallion "im the man" strut, and love to show off, but otherwise are very good.