Bloodlines

["Kathy Mayeda" <Kathy_Mayeda@atce.com>]

Title: Bloodlines

Okay – I believe you should breed for correctness 1^st, beauty 2^nd, and type 3^rd.  Yes I believe they can come in the same package.  And remember, it is sometimes as much who is showing the horse than the horse itself!  I bet a horse that is shown by a top name trainer will place a lot higher than he would with a relative unknown unless the horse is absolutely spectacularly showy.

Doesn’t matter what “strain” it is – just breed the best to the best – and breed to complement each others strengths and try not to double up on weaknesses.

A lot of today’s show ring horses are a blend of several strains and almost becoming a strain itself (read “giraffe”).  I don’t think that you find too many straight CMK, Spanish or Egyptian Arabians consistently winning in the show ring, although fads do come and go.  And it seems that breeders go for breeding big.  (Being that I’m short and have tall halter bred horses – I do have a problem with this!)

The Russian breeding program seems to produce athletically tested and beautiful horses, but seem to get away from Arabian type.  And I’m sure that a lot of people would take exception to breeding away from type.

K.