Choosing the Right Stallion: What I Learned After 25 Years of breeding horses

Twenty years ago, I thought I knew what made a good stallion. I had bred a couple of foals using other people’s stallions, and like many new breeders, I was focused on the obvious markers of success—show records, popular bloodlines, and impressive stud fees. Then my riding instructor mentioned a stallion that would change everything I thought I knew about breeding horses.

“There’s this horse,” he said during one of our monthly lessons, “most underrated stallion in the country right now.” The horse in question was Carrick, a son of the legendary Voltaire, whose offspring were competing successfully all over the world. Carrick had been imported as a yearling by one of our country’s most prestigious studs, produced up to 1.30m jumping, but somehow wasn’t being appreciated for what he truly was.

We arranged to see him, and I’ll never forget that first ride. The moment I sat on Carrick and felt his mind, his willingness, his natural balance over a jump, I knew. Before we’d even left the property, I turned to my instructor and said, “We have to have him.”

Buying Carrick was the best decision I ever made. Our stud farm began in earnest after that purchase, and more importantly, he became my greatest teacher. Through him, I learned the hierarchy that still guides my stallion selection today: temperament is everything—without the right mind, you have nothing to work with. Next comes conformation, because his offspring need to stay sound throughout their careers. Only then do bloodlines matter, providing the talent that separates good horses from great ones.

What follows are the lessons learned over two decades of breeding, the mistakes that taught me the most, and the principles that now guide every stallion selection I make.

The Evolution of My Selection Criteria

In those early years, I was guilty of what most novice breeders do—chasing trends and impressive names on paper. If a stallion was winning at major shows or carried fashionable bloodlines, he must be the right choice. I was seduced by glossy advertisements in breeding magazines and the allure of popular sires whose books filled quickly each season.

Carrick changed that perspective entirely. Here was a stallion that wasn’t making headlines, wasn’t commanding enormous stud fees, yet possessed something far more valuable—the ability to consistently pass on his exceptional temperament and athletic ability to his offspring. My first few foals by him opened my eyes to what really mattered in a breeding stallion.

The mid-career shift came when I started paying closer attention to the horses themselves rather than their marketing materials. I began spending more time observing stallions in their daily routines, watching how they interacted with handlers, how they approached new situations, how they carried themselves when they thought no one was watching. The flashy movers didn’t always produce the most trainable offspring. The horses with the biggest wins didn’t necessarily pass on their talent.

Today, my approach has evolved into what I call “practical breeding”—balancing proven performance with functional conformation, mental reliability with genetic diversity. I’ve learned that the best stallions often aren’t the most obvious choices, and that sometimes the most valuable qualities can’t be measured in prize money or show records.

Conformation: Beyond the Pretty Picture

Carrick taught me that a horse can be beautiful on paper but useless in practice if the fundamental structure isn’t correct. His conformation wasn’t near perfect with an exceptional topline that he passed onto his offspring. Every part of him was functional, balanced, and built to last and he consistently passed on this structural integrity to his offspring.

Structural soundness has become my non-negotiable foundation. I’ve learned to look past the pretty head or impressive topline to examine the angles that actually matter—the shoulder that allows proper extension, the hip that provides power, the pastern angles that will determine how well joints absorb concussion over a lifetime of work. A stallion might have the most beautiful neck in the world, but if his shoulder is too straight or his hocks are weak, his offspring will struggle with soundness issues.

The red flags I’ve learned to spot immediately include any asymmetry in the horse’s movement or stance, overly straight hind leg conformation that puts excessive strain on hocks, and front leg conformation that places uneven stress on joints. I’ve also become wary of extreme conformation in any direction—horses built to an extreme often produce inconsistent offspring, with some inheriting the best aspects and others getting the worst combinations.

What matters most is how conformation translates to function. I’ve seen plenty of stallions with textbook conformation that couldn’t produce athletic offspring, and others with minor flaws that consistently passed on soundness and ability. The key is understanding which conformational traits are truly limiting and which are merely cosmetic.

Bloodlines and Genetic Considerations

The breeding world loves to talk about bloodlines, but I’ve learned that understanding pedigrees goes far beyond recognizing famous names in the first two generations. Carrick’s success taught me to dig deeper into family patterns, looking at what traits consistently appear across multiple generations and how different bloodline crosses have performed historically.

Popular sire syndrome became a real concern as I watched certain bloodlines become oversaturated in the breeding population. While it’s tempting to breed to the stallion everyone is talking about, genetic diversity matters more than following trends. Some of my most successful crosses have come from combining proven but less fashionable bloodlines with my mares.

Genetic testing has revolutionized how we approach breeding, but it’s important to understand both the power and limitations of these tools. Testing for known genetic defects is now standard practice, but the absence of known genetic markers doesn’t guarantee genetic health. I’ve learned to use testing as one tool among many, not as the final word on a stallion’s breeding value.

The most valuable lesson about bloodlines came from studying the maternal families of successful horses. Great racehorses and sport horses often trace to exceptional mares that may not be famous but consistently produced quality offspring. Understanding these family patterns has helped me identify stallions whose pedigrees might not be fashionable but carry the genetic foundation for athletic ability.

Temperament and Trainability

If Carrick taught me one thing above all others, it’s that temperament trumps talent every time. A horse with moderate ability but an exceptional mind will always be more valuable than a supremely talented horse that’s difficult to train or dangerous to handle. This lesson has saved me from making costly mistakes with stallions that looked impressive but carried mental baggage that would inevitably pass to their offspring.

Evaluating a stallion’s temperament requires more than a single interaction. I’ve learned to spend time observing how horses handle routine activities—being groomed, handled by different people, introduced to new environments. The stallion that’s calm and focused during everyday interactions is more likely to produce offspring with similar mental characteristics than the one that’s only manageable under perfect conditions.

Mental characteristics absolutely pass to offspring, often more consistently than physical traits. I’ve seen it repeatedly with Carrick’s progeny—that same willing attitude, the same eagerness to please, the same ability to handle pressure without falling apart. Conversely, I’ve watched breeders struggle with entire crops of foals that inherited their sire’s anxious or aggressive tendencies.

Working with difficult but talented stallions has taught me valuable lessons about when the risk is worth taking. Sometimes a stallion with challenging behavior can be managed well enough to produce exceptional offspring, but only if the mental issues stem from management or training rather than genuine temperament flaws. The key is honest assessment of whether the behavioral problems are fixable or fundamental to the horse’s character.

Performance Records: Reading Between the Lines

Show records tell only part of a stallion’s story, and I’ve learned to read between the lines when evaluating performance credentials. Carrick’s moderate show record initially concerned me, but his riding instructor recognized something the show world had missed—this horse had all the tools to be competitive at the highest levels but had simply never been given the opportunity to prove it.

The difference between ability and opportunity became clear as I watched Carrick’s offspring compete. Many of his progeny achieved higher levels of competition than he ever had, proving that his genetic potential had been there all along. This taught me to look beyond what a stallion actually accomplished to what he was capable of accomplishing.

Stallions with limited show careers aren’t necessarily less valuable than those with extensive records. Sometimes the best genetic material comes from horses that were retired early due to minor injuries, sold before their potential was realized, or simply never paired with the right rider. The key is understanding why the performance record is limited and whether it reflects the horse’s ability or circumstances.

Performance of progeny has become far more important to me than individual achievement. A stallion might have been moderately successful himself but consistently produce offspring that exceed his own accomplishments. This pattern often indicates a horse that possesses the genetic components for success even if they weren’t all expressed in his own career.

Financial Realities

The economics of stallion selection have taught me that expensive doesn’t always mean better, and bargain breeding rarely produces the results you’re hoping for. Carrick was reasonably priced when I bought him, not because he lacked quality but because the market hadn’t recognized his value. This experience taught me to evaluate stallions independently of their price tags.

Stud fees often reflect marketing more than merit. I’ve learned to look at what’s included in those fees—some stallions offer live foal guarantees, multiple services, or other benefits that add real value, while others charge premium prices for little more than a famous name. The most expensive stallion isn’t necessarily the best choice for your mare or your budget.

Hidden costs can quickly turn an affordable breeding decision into a financial disaster. Shipping costs, veterinary requirements, insurance, and breeding contracts all add up. I’ve learned to calculate the total cost of breeding to a stallion, not just the advertised stud fee, and to understand exactly what’s covered in case of problems.

Geographic considerations matter more than many breeders realize. Breeding to a local stallion you can evaluate in person, whose offspring you can observe regularly, and whose breeding practices you can verify firsthand often provides better value than shipping to a famous stallion hundreds of miles away.

Mistakes That Taught Me the Most

Not every stallion selection has been as successful as Carrick, and my mistakes have often taught me more than my successes. Early in my breeding career, I bred to a stallion primarily because he was winning at major shows, ignoring warning signs about his temperament and the inconsistency of his offspring. The resulting foal inherited all of his mental issues with none of his talent—an expensive lesson in the importance of thorough evaluation.

Fashion trends in breeding led me astray more than once. I remember being convinced that a particular bloodline cross was the key to success because it was popular in Europe, only to discover that what worked in one environment with specific management practices didn’t necessarily translate to different conditions. Following trends rather than trusting my own evaluation cost me both time and money.

The stallion I passed on that I shouldn’t have still haunts me. He was an older horse, not particularly fashionable, but with an exceptional track record of producing sound, trainable offspring. I let his age and lack of current popularity influence my decision, and he went on to produce some of the best sport horses of his generation. This taught me never to dismiss a stallion based on factors that don’t actually affect his breeding value.

Learning to trust my instincts over popular opinion has been an ongoing challenge. The breeding world is full of experts with strong opinions, and it’s easy to second-guess your own judgment when faced with conflicting advice. Some of my best breeding decisions have come from following my gut despite being told I was making a mistake.

The Modern Breeding Landscape

Technology has dramatically changed how we evaluate stallions, but it’s important to understand both the benefits and limitations of these new tools. Video evaluation has made it possible to assess stallions from around the world without traveling, but nothing replaces seeing a horse in person, observing his daily behavior, and getting a feel for his actual presence and movement.

DNA testing and genetic markers provide valuable information about health and some performance traits, but they’re still just tools to supplement, not replace, traditional evaluation methods. I’ve learned to use genetic information as confirmation of what I observe rather than as the primary basis for selection decisions.

Social media has had an enormous impact on stallion popularity, sometimes elevating horses based more on marketing savvy than actual merit. Instagram-worthy photos and viral videos can create demand that has little relation to breeding value. I’ve learned to look past the social media presence to evaluate what really matters for breeding purposes.

The democratization of information through online databases and video libraries has made it easier for smaller breeders to research stallions thoroughly, but it’s also created information overload. Learning to filter through the noise to find relevant, reliable information has become a crucial skill.

Building Relationships

The breeding industry runs on relationships, and some of my most valuable education has come from the people I’ve met through horses. Building trust with stallion owners and managers has opened doors to horses I might never have considered and provided insights that no advertisement could convey.

Honest communication with stallion connections has saved me from several poor decisions. When I ask direct questions about a stallion’s strengths and weaknesses, temperament issues, or breeding challenges, the answers I receive often reveal more than any marketing material. The best stallion managers are honest about their horses’ limitations as well as their strengths.

Finding mentors and trusted advisors has been invaluable throughout my breeding journey. My riding instructor’s recommendation of Carrick started it all, but over the years I’ve built relationships with veterinarians, professional trainers, and experienced breeders whose opinions I trust. Having people who will give you brutally honest feedback about your breeding decisions is worth more than any amount of research.

Building a network in the breeding community has provided opportunities I could never have created alone. Some of my best stallion discoveries have come through casual conversations at horse shows, recommendations from fellow breeders, or connections made through social media. The breeding world can be surprisingly small, and reputation matters enormously.

Conclusion

After twenty years of breeding horses, the principles that guide my stallion selection have crystallized into a clear hierarchy: temperament first, conformation second, bloodlines third. This lesson, first taught by Carrick and reinforced by decades of experience, has never failed me.

For new breeders choosing their first stallion, my advice is simple: spend time with the horse. Don’t rely solely on videos, advertisements, or other people’s opinions. See how he handles daily routine, observe his interactions with different people, and trust your instincts about his character. The most successful breeding decisions often come from the heart as much as the head.

Patience and long-term thinking are perhaps the most important qualities a breeder can develop. Great breeding programs aren’t built overnight, and the best stallions aren’t always the most obvious choices. Sometimes the most valuable horses are hiding in plain sight, waiting for someone with the vision to recognize their potential.

The art and science of stallion selection will continue to evolve with new technologies and changing market demands, but the fundamental principles remain constant. Look for horses that combine mental reliability with physical soundness and genetic diversity. Build relationships with honest people who share your values. Trust your instincts, learn from your mistakes, and never stop asking questions.

Most importantly, remember that breeding horses is about more than producing winners—it’s about creating horses that will be partners, teachers, and friends for the people who ultimately own them. The best stallions don’t just pass on athletic ability; they pass on the character traits that make horses truly special. That’s the legacy Carrick left me, and it’s the standard by which I measure every stallion I consider today.

Read here about managing your stallions

Essential Reading

• “The Right Horse” by Deb Bennett, PhD – Excellent foundation on equine biomechanics and conformation analysis
• “Breeding the Racehorse” by Federico Tesio – Classic text on breeding principles that applies beyond racing
• “Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal” by Robert Miller, DVM – Understanding early development and temperament
• “The Athletic Horse” by David Hodges – Performance anatomy and soundness evaluation

Online Resources

AllBreedPedigree.com – Comprehensive pedigree database for research Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain (SHB(GB)) – Excellent stallion evaluation guides American Warmblood Society – Breeding resources and stallion inspection reports Your national breed registry websites – Often contain detailed stallion information and progeny records

Professional Development

• Stallion inspection events – Many registries offer public stallion evaluations
• Breeding seminars and webinars – Universities and breed organizations regularly host these
• Mentorship programs – Some breed associations connect new breeders with experienced mentors
• Veterinary reproduction courses – Understanding the science behind breeding decisions

Practical Tools

Breeding record software – Programs like EquiBreed or BreedMaster for tracking crosses and results Conformation analysis apps – Digital tools for evaluating photos and videos Genetic testing services – UC Davis VGL, Animal Genetics, or similar labs Performance databases – Sport-specific databases tracking competitive results

Networking Opportunities

• Breed association meetings and conventions
• Stallion parades and open houses
• Young horse championships – Great places to see stallions’ offspring
• Online breeding forums and Facebook groups – Connect with other breeders worldwide
• Local breeder associations – Regional groups often have the most practical advice

Professional Consultants

Consider connecting with:

• Equine reproductive veterinarians – For breeding soundness and genetic counseling
• Professional trainers specializing in young horses – For temperament and trainability assessment
• Experienced bloodstock agents – For market knowledge and stallion evaluation
• Equine appraisers – For understanding market values and trends

Recommended Continuing Education

• Annual breeding conferences (varies by region/discipline)
• University extension programs in animal science
• International stallion tours – Organized trips to major breeding regions
• Judge or inspector training programs – Even if you don’t plan to judge, the education is invaluable

Record-Keeping Resources

Encourage readers to maintain detailed records including:

• Breeding decisions and reasoning
• Foal development notes
• Performance tracking of offspring
• Photos and videos for comparison over time

Final Recommendation

Start a breeding journal – Document every decision, every observation, every lesson learned. After 20 years, your own notes will become your most valuable resource.

The key is to use these resources as tools to supplement, not replace, hands-on experience and developing your own eye for horses. Encourage readers to start with the basics and build their knowledge systematically rather than trying to absorb everything at once.