# Match my Mare



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm in the process of potentially selecting a stud to breed with my mare this upcoming spring and I would like opinions on her conformation. I know that it's important to keep potential "flaws" in mind when matching a mare with a stud. I must admit however that in my potentially very biased view, our mare doesn't have any glaring faults.

Let me know what you think of her conformation, and if you have the time to look at them, which of these two studs would you select for her? (The links look the same, but they'll take you to two separate studs' pages.)
Quillane Apollo : Welsh Cob Sport Stallion
Quillane Apollo : Welsh Cob Sport Stallion

This is our most recent image from last summer. I realize that she's a little pudgy. It's tough keeping her trim!


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## lahorsewhisperer (Mar 6, 2009)

I like them both...but if I were going to breed I would probably go with Apollo. He is proven as a competitor and stallion. Just my opinion...BTW I LOVE YOUR MARE!!! She is BEAUTIFUL!!!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I prefer that second stallion, he is lighter and will bring refinement to the foal


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## Piaffe (Jan 11, 2010)

I like Gallod Auryn a lot. Not just his color (though it is lovelllly) but his overall body and everything! They are both seem like nice studs though. 

P.S those dappling? spots on your mare's barrel in the second pic are SO cool!


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

yep. i picked stallion #2 immediately. i also think with the two colorings (your mare and the stud), you will get a really flashy foal.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

Personally I like stallion number one the best, I have a thing for horses with lots of chrome, and I like the way he is built. However, I think the best choice would be stallion number two because he has a proven show record and quite a few babies on the ground and under saddle all ready so you know what you will be getting.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks for the input!

So am I getting agreement for the most part that my mare doesn't really have any "faults" that need making up for? It's more a matter of personal preference as to which stud?

I'm also preferential towards Gallod Auryn... I'm glad that several of you agree, despite his not being quite as proven.


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## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

I don't like how your mares neck ties into her body. There's little definition between the neck and the chest. Also, her hind end looks a little weak (however that may be because of the angle)

Both stallions will give you that, but yeah, I like the second one more.


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## GreyRay (Jun 15, 2010)

I like the first one better. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TheLastUnicorn (Jun 11, 2010)

Before I answer which stallion I like better, I'd really like to hear your "plan". Every breeding should have a game plan behind it - not just because you love your mare and think she'd produce the most awesome cuteness of a foal. I'm assuming you have a valid reason to breed, or you wouldn't be posting here, but you didn't share it... and that game plan can alter which stallion you'd choose. 

What do YOU hope to get from this breeding? What is your plan for the foal, what points do you feel should be improved in your mare (and don't say "nothing"... EVERY horse has a weakness that could be improved conformationally - and neither of your photos of her are great critique shots). Be critical of the stallions too - what weak points to they have, make sure they don't mirror your mare. 


Next up, what has she got going for her to make her broodmare worthy? Has she competed and done well? Is she registered? Even if you plan to keep the foal "forever and ever" it's a good idea to make sure your butt is covered if you ever should have to sell. It's never something we want to seriously consider when we plan to keep a horse forever, but things happen, and sometimes personalities really don't mesh - so keep it in mind, and make sure you're giving this foal the best chance to be "marketable", for the first 3-4 years of it's life the ONLY thing going for it will be the successes it's parents have had. 

In the second photo it looks like she has something hinky going on with her knee - is that an old injury... or an optical illusion? In the first photo, I initially saw a pony who needs to lose weight (make sure that's gone before you breed her! There are increased risks to breeding an overweight horse), the second thing I immediately notice is I think she has a longish loin (so pick a stallion with a short, strong loin - regardless of what you want to do with the foal) - the photo isn't good, but I don't like how she stands behind in either photo, and I have to wonder if a totally straight shot would show us some weakness in the hindquarter. 

I'm not crazy about her neck, but that would probably change a bit if I saw her less overweight. The crest on her is not doing her any favors in terms of being feminine... it actually makes her whole neck look short and thick. It's also making it looks like she has poor neck/chest, neck/shoulder attachments. 

So... to sum it up, with these two photos I don't see any glaring faults that would make me say "don't ever breed that horse"... but I also don't see a lot recommending her as a broodmare either, and honestly, some of that information will need to come from you in placement of better photos.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I was waiting for someone to come into the thread and really grill me on what the heck I was thinking of doing. Good thing you came along, Last Unicorn. 

The Game Plan:
My mom, sister and I are going into this on a joint sort of thing. However the main intent is for the foal to be largely my responsibility. My intent will be to keep the foal and train it primarily in dressage, though perhaps also doing some trail riding and minor jumping. In terms of improving on her, the biggest thing I'd like is a little more height. As such, I've been looking at some of the taller studs available. 

Mare's Worthiness:
She has competed and done well in dressage in the past. She was also ridden in eventing for a while, though none of this has been super recent as competition has never really been one of our priorities. Panache is a registered Welsh Cob Section C and has largely imported and very well recognized bloodlines. I'm not sure if you're familiar with Welsh bloodlines and their significance, but she has Nebo, Parc Welsh, and she's registered Gallod... all of which are well recognized lines. The foal will of course be registered. Youngsters with similar bloodlines that I've been looking at are being sold for anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 without any training beyond basic groundwork, so the foal should be perfectly marketable if something should cause us to sell it.

Photos:
I recognize that they aren't the very greatest pictures. I'll try to get some better ones soon, but it's very challenging to get her to stand square. We've been doing all that we can to keep her weight down (soaking hay, grazing muzzle). Now that winter has rolled around she's doing better. She hasn't got any kinkiness in her knee (it's a weird camera angle) and has always been very sound. I feel that her potential can be better seen when she's in action. She has a nice length of stride (doesn't move like a pony despite being one) and can really move out.

More pictures of her can be seen here:
Panache the horse
They aren't great conformation critique shots though. As I said, I'll try to get some better ones.


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## TheLastUnicorn (Jun 11, 2010)

Thanks... that actually does help.

With your goal in mind, I think I like the second stallion better for your mare... of course better photos of her might change that. 

What I really like about the second stallion that he's a bit shorter through the loin than your mare (the first stallion looks like he's about the same as her... at least from the photos presented of both of them). The second stallion is a little lighter framed, but I don't think you risk losing too much bone as your mare is pretty solid herself.

I also like his neck better - the first stallion has a shorter, thicker neck from the looks of things, not what I, personally, would cross with your mare - who also seems to have a bit of a short thick neck. While neither your mare or the first stallion are "too" much so - I think you might get better balance from the second stallion. 

Both are nice looking boys, I doubt you'd go seriously wrong regardless of which you chose.... Overall though, I do think that second stallion would bring more of a dressage "image" to the foal than the first stally. I quite like the Welshies - very solid athletes!


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## lildonkey8 (Dec 12, 2010)

i like them both for color but i think #2 will give you a flashy foal


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

In all honesty, even tho you have a plan I would not breed this mare (based on her photos). She has a steep shoulder and a long back and she stands too straight behind (toes should point out slightly as the hind leg is actually a spiral). Her photo jumping shows her limitations physically (she is not round, her steep shoulder prevents her from getting tight in front so he knees drop below level). 

That being said, (and most people do not listen.. they are going to breed anyway) I would want to see the PROGENY of the stallions to see if the shorter coupled stallion tended to pass that on. I would want to see what the prepotency of each is. Some stallions will tend to give you specific traits in off spring (they are that prepotent). 

The point of breeding is to improve what you have and while these stallions LOOK good, you need to know what their babies look like.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I respectfully disagree with your assessment of my mare, Elana. Particularly on the point of having a long back. I do not believe that this is the case. Perhaps my pictures were not of a good enough quality to really represent her. I've dug up another photo that I feel shows her back actually tends towards the shorter side of things, and her shoulder is at an acceptable angle (though I don't know as much about the shoulder slope as I do about long backs). I do know however that one of the effects of a steep shoulder is a short choppy stride, and she most certainly has none of this. She moves more like a larger horse and has a rocking horse type canter. Her hind toes are slightly angled out in this photo as well.

She is not round in the jumping photo because I was intentionally giving her her head at the time and riding on a relatively loose rein. Her previous owner had been forcing her into a headset going over jumps previously and I had to go to the opposite extreme to avoid triggering her tendency to rush the jumps and take them too hard and fast. Also consider that the photo may have been taken not as she was reaching the peak of her tightness in jumping form, but as she was just beginning to "unfurl" her legs in preparation for landing.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Your girl is lovely, and for your intended goal, I would go with the second stallion.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

I would definately say the second stallion. You have a very nice mare! It's nice to see someone who is thinking about breeding a horse that actually has alot of potential. Just seeing all of these backyard horses being bred all the time irritates me. 

Good luck! Not that you will need it, because either way you should have an amazing creature! Well, another amazing creature. ^^


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

That photo is soo much more flattering.
I would go with the second stallin as well. 
Are you intending on breeding this year or next year? Did i skip over completely or how old is your girl?


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

We keep bouncing back and forth in terms of whether or not we're actually going to breed her. Probably not this year... possibly next year. She's 12 year old or so now, I actually can't remember exactly. This wouldn't be her first foal though, she was bred before we bought her a time or two.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

do you know what her previouse foals look like/how they're doing? That might be something to look into. Especially if you know the foal's sires.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

No, we haven't really been able to get much information from the previous owner about the foal's whereabouts and so on. I believe that I heard he was being used as a lesson horse.


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

That last picture shows a more true image to your mare than the originals  Personally, I love her. Yes her neck is a little short, and I agree that her back is a tad short as well, but you say her movement is to die for and thus far nothing has held her back. I think your breeding plan is reasonable and the marketability of the foal as a registered baby will be more than respectable - as many others have said, I'd go with stally #2. I like him better overall to add the refinement and height you're wanting to your mare. I like that you're not gung ho to breed either, if it takes you a year or two to find the perfect stally and right timing, so be it! Your mare not being maiden helps as well! Good luck and let us know who you go with and when!


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks for your input EveningShadows... actually I've just recently uploaded some images that I think show some of the scope and beauty of her movement. Take a look!

There's more images of her here: Panache the horse


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## myyky (Sep 8, 2010)

I'd go with Gallod Auryn.. Can't remember whether it was the first or second one though haha 
Good luck with the breeding!


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