British Breeder Magazine May 2020

Feature - ARTICLE
Je T’Aime Flamenco, one of many British based stallions standing at stud this year.
Breeding in
2020 By Sacha Shaw
As the foal crop of 2020 emerges into
the world, breeders are left in a difficult
position with many questions on their
minds about the future. Breeders are
asking themselves ‘Can I afford to run on
my animals that make up my breeding
herd until demand picks up? How many
mares should I put in foal while the future
market is uncertain?’
Regardless of whether your business
plan is to sell all your stock as foals, or
run them on till they are under saddle,
the effects of an economic downturn will
be felt across all sectors of the breeding
industry. Of more immediate impact
is the availability of semen, access
to veterinary services and the ability
to transport mares. At present semen
coming in as freight from mainland
Europe is unaffected, and many large
studs and stallion centres in the UK are
also able to have in place the protocols
needed to continue to collect and
ship. These centres may also able to
take in mares for foaling, to scan and
inseminate.
The terrible situation the world finds itself
in should also be a time for all breeders,
large or small, to look at their reasons for
breeding. It costs just as much money to
breed a bad horse as a good one, and
it is hoped we don’t see inexperienced
breeders choosing to put a mare in foal
as they have no other job for her, when
the mare is not a good candidate.
If you are wanting to breed for dress
age, as a basis you are looking for
an athlete with powerful yet elastic
movement and sufficient correctness
to ensure they can stay sound to do
the job. Then limbs are the foundation
of the horse so they are important too.
The same can be said for the jumpers,
replacing the elastic movement with
scope and jumping technique. And
eventers cannot lose the bravery and
ability to cover the ground. For all these
disciplines, soundness combined with
ability and a trainable temperament are
fundamental aims of any breeder.
If the mare is a good enough candidate
then the job of choosing the right stallion
begins. Stallion grading is a benchmark
for young unproven stallions to help
mare owners make decisions over
suitability. An older stallion that is proven
in sport has shown he can cope with the
stresses of travel, training and of course
competing. Hopefully he will also stock
on the ground so the mare owner can
assess his merit as a producer.
Clements Equine in Suffolk is one of many major
centres able to offer breeding services this year.
A mare or stallion with a bad
temperament should never be used for
breeding.
There is little advantage to be gained
by using a cheaper, ungraded stallion
when the stud fee is only a small part of
the cost of getting a healthy foal on the
floor. Even if a breeder wishes to only
produce a single foal for their own use
and enjoyment, the future uncertainty we
all face from the global pandemic means
every breeding needs to be a measured
and thoughtful decision. Every foal born
must be bred with soundness, ridability
and ability in mind, so there is a market
for that foal in a worse case scenario.
We wish all breeders the best and look
forward to hearing about both this year’s
and future foal crops.
www.breedingbritish.co.uk
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