The Agony and The Ecstasy of … Frozen Semen.

I really struggle every few years when it is time to re-stock the semen tank with frozen semen. Owning horses is risky, breeding them even more so. But breeding them with frozen semen can be both extremely convenient AND extremely risky financially speaking in this case…. The ecstasy: The choices Frozen semen can truly be the candy store of the Sporthorse world. The selection and variety are just incredible. You can breed to old favorite stallions as well as the up-and-comers. Olympic caliber stallion, or their sire. You can breed to stallion stationed in Europe or in Australia. Rare breed or rare colors not available anywhere near you....

Speak stallion to me…

  This the season. Stallion service auctions are in full swing, the glossy magazines are being printed. You are casually looking at some stallion to maybe breed your mare and you come across an ad that advertises a good-looking lad for what looks like a very reasonable stud fee. Before you think this might be a good deal let’s understand the meaning of what is really being advertised here. Like everything horse breeding has its lingo. Here are some terms to help you keep track of all the glossy advertisements flashing around if you are considering breeding your mare. Stallion: what is in a word? Stallion: a male...

Shame in the breeder’s mind.

I recently came across the work of Brené Brown. Nope, she is not a pedigree expert or a famous dressage rider you never heard about. She is a scientist that studies strong and complex emotions, such as shame, the same way other scientists study supernovas or platypus. She wrote a whole book about it, about shame called “I thought it was just me.” Like any scientist, she first defined what shame was, found what its natural habitat was and where we were more likely to find it. She also studied how it is created and how it adapts to its environment. She went further and also proposed ways...

Why are we making this so hard? (and so expensive!)

I read a discussion thread online the other day that made me sad on three levels. Someone (a somewhat experienced breeder and trainer) was asking how to best price her young warmblood gelding. By all indications, this was a good-minded young horse that was easily learning his A-B-Cs. Uncomplicated, willing, same horse at home than away: you know the type we would all like in our barn? I will add that he was also well-bred with proven, known bloodlines. Definitely not a shot in the dark here. The advice started pouring in and yes; I know that this is the internet and that the advice one can get...

Evaluating the conformation-Dutch style.

The systematic scoring of conformation carried out by the Warmblood registries is one of the things that really set them apart from other breed evaluations. What are the main differences?   Contrary to breed shows such as those for Arabians, Morgans, or QH that are often filled with politics and disagreement since the judging is mostly left to the discretion of a judge, the Warmblood evaluations are carried out by trained inspectors. The whole process is also geared toward evaluating breeding stock more than seeking a sash or a “Grand Champion” title. Horses do not campaign over many shows in order to gather a certain number of accolades...