OK, this is just a general survey question---there are lots of half and
three-quarter Arabs out there, but you hardly ever see half-Arabs being
used as sires in this country. I think it's more common in UK, but might
be wrong. The Europeons use cross-breds all the time to produce
various flavors of Warmbloods and are more concerned with "type" than
strictly breed. Why don't we? My question is this---would you consider breeding a
mare to an endurance sire that was not a purebred Arabian? (BTW, this
is just for interest, not an ad for a stallion!)
Let's assume the stallion in question is an Anglo-Arab (half each of Arab
and TB), stands 16 to 16.1 hands and has all the qualifications that
would justify his being a stallion in the first place---good temperament,
impeccable conformation, substance, typey, fertile, etc., with a reasonable stud fee.
Assume he's pretty and doesn't look like a Bakersfield potato patch on a rainy day.
Let's also say his TB side is from very good racing lines and the Arab
side is from excellent endurance lines, with top horses really close up.
Also, this stallion has proven himself in endurance to some decent level---
a few thousand miles, some Top Tens or wins, maybe some National standings.
Overall, a good horse that almost anyone would lust after.
Purebred Arab mares bred to this stallion would produce 3/4 Arabs, registerable
as half-Arabs. Anglo-Arab mares would produce foals double-registerable as both
half-Arabs and Performance Horses (the Jockey Club's registry for half-TB's).
Foals out of non-registered half-Arab or grade mares would not be registerable
as anything unless through some other registry, like EHRA or Pinto Horse Registry.
Would you send a mare to this stallion, even though he's not a purebred?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Susan, also Cato, Katy, Lady and Dakota the Terrible