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Re: [RC] [Heidi & Kat] Endurance lines and breeding endurance horses - Beverley H. Kane, MDFantastic thread! Thanks to both of you for your contributions. It's great to hear from the real old-timers, too. Wrt buying endurance horses, is it not true that the average, majority of, endurance riders like me don't know jack squat about bloodlines and breeding, possibly not even much about conformation? And, knowing nothing, we are unlikely to contribute to the social Darwinism of correct and responsible breeding? Are there enough serious competitors in the US to sustain excellent breeding programs? I do think someone, Heidi I think, nailed it when she said that the US breeders lack the state-sponsored support and subsidies that many foreign breeders enjoy. My experience w/ elite/Olympic athletes both in the US and Europe hums the same refrain. To paraphrase an old 60s bumper sticker, "What if breeders got federal funding and the Pentagon had to have a used tack sale?" I find myself a) about to buy my first horse in the next year or so; b) wanting to support good breeders the way I support organic farmers--not because I think organic foods are healthier, or programmatically bred horses are the only good horses, but b/c I appreciate people who try to do the Right Thing. As someone pointed out, if I buy a great gelding 5th hand, I am not exerting selection pressure on the best genes. In truth, I am looking for my Soul Horse. For me, the relationship is everything. So the first thing I look at in a horse is his eye. Does s/he have that big, sweet, lustrous, intelligent, tuned-into-me eye like my current old, leased Arabian mare? For conformation, I look, indirectly of course, at his amygdala and pre-frontal cortex--that is, temperament. Is he the type that easily bucks, rears, spooks, lays his ears back, bites, withdraws and checks out? Is there a heart connection there, even if it's not love at first sight? I haven't seen these things mentioned in this thread at all. Being new to horses and feeling too old and inexperienced to learn to train a young horse, I will be looking for a seasoned horse that can comfortably do 50s and 100s. I imagine my process will be something like--find a horse with that Eye and heart vibe and at least 1 100 and have Michelle Roush or Melissa Ribley do a conformation eval and pre-purchase vetting. If you know of some other way to both support good breeding programs and find my Soul Horse, I would gladly attempt to do so. The other thing that concerns me is the frequent references in the wonderful book, "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin, to the unintended consequences of breeding for desired traits--rapist roosters, ASH (heart disease) cats, dogs with hip dysplasia. Are we producing Franken-horse too at some turns? --- Also: Is there a list of all the initials from breeding programs? Many of the ride results in Endurance News and other places list horses as "SMR Fifi" etc. But AERC apparently doesn't have an abbreviation key and Google turns up nada. Anyone know where there's an abbreviation key to Arabian ranches and breeders? Beverley =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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