Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I believe what the poster was refering to ( we've emailed a bit back and forth privately), is that she doesn't want to risk the horse due to it's value.  She didn't say that her horse(s) were not otherwise proven in their areas of discipline.    And would probably agree to your position over all.

She is capable of speaking for herself, I am sure.  However, that is my undestanding from emailing with her.

Thanks

Jackie

"Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVM" <suendavid@xxxxxxx> wrote:

>Any of my Andalusian horses could do endurance but you won't see them out there, they are much too valuable back home creating more babies.

Speaking ONLY for myself, I have a problem with the concept that a breeding animal is too valuable just making more babies to first or concurrently prove themselves in high-end performance BEFORE putting them into a breeding shed.  Not that trail riding,  training level schooling, a Spanish walk <insert beginning disciplines here> aren?t good skills to possess, but again speaking only for myself (and having owned some high end broodmares <not a Spanish bred>), I personally would not consider breeding to any stallion that had not thoroughly proven himself in upper echelon performance---endurance, jumping, eventing, third-level or better dressage at the national level, etc.  For that matter, I would not breed the mare in the first place if she hadn?t earned the right to do so with something better than just a pedigree.  Especially as there are MANY excellent stallions that have the ability to be competing at national performance levels, and going about their reproductive business at the same time (Remington Steele comes to immediate mind, but he?s just one of many in many different disciplines).  Same goes for mares, with some obvious limitations.

But, that?s just me, though it?s also the general policy of most of the European breeding programs, as well as that of many American breeders.  It occurs to me it?s a lot easier to say any horse ?could? do endurance (or other high level performance disciplines), but are too valuable to put it to the test, than to actually go out and demonstrate it to be true, and thus let the horse?s record speak for itself.

JMO.

Susan Garlinghouse, DVM

 

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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