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| What would you do? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 3 2007, 06:36 PM (290 Views) | |
| hunt-jump | Apr 3 2007, 06:36 PM Post #1 |
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Schooling
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Ok, let me start out with an apology for writing a novel, but here it goes... I am in what I expect is a somewhat unusual position...As many here probably know I used to own a stallion. I only owned him for a few years (he was purchased as a resale horse), but he was just one of those really special horses. When my trainer called telling me that I needed to buy this colt that I had never seen she told me that she knew a horse was a special one when you lost sleep over it. Her next comment was, "I am losing sleep over this colt." My father and I drove up for the vetting and there was this gangly colt that just stole your heart with one look - he had that illusive "it" quality in spades. Ok so obviously I adore this horse. He is the one investment horse that I really, really tried to figure out how to keep - but reality and the amount of $$ involved won out and he was sold. When he was sold the new owners had him collected and promptly gelded him. Fast forward 8 years to 2007... A month or so ago I was contacted with the opportunity to purchase frozen semen from this (former) stallion. He has had a decent show career (partial show record - not complete and doesn't include anything since he moved out west), but most of his career has been as a gelding and he never hit the status of a BN horse. I know he throws nice babies - I just sold one that is a packer and my trainer has bred two including one showing in the pre-adults. As is common with his sire line he really stamps his look on his foals too. On the other hand, I don't think many if any of his foals have been registered as he was never presented for approvals (I do know that foals are eligible for papers if out of half or full trakehner mares, but I don't know that his foals would be eligible anywhere else). So, if anyone is still reading, what would you do? Is it crazy to think about purchasing semen to breed for purely sentimental reasons (I'd love to have a clone any improvement would be icing to me)? At this stage in my life I expect that it is going to be several years before I see a show ring again, but I would love to have something to bring along for the future. So, crazy or something I should start running the numbers on to figure out the $$ side of the possibility? BTW, I posted some old videos of him today - if anyone is interested and still listening to my insanity. ![]() ![]() ![]() And here is his son that I just sold
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| CBoylen | Apr 3 2007, 08:20 PM Post #2 |
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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I used to ride that horse a bit. He started out interesting, but ultimately didn't quite come through. If you want to do it for sentimental reasons, and you're happy with the offspring you've seen, then go for it. Presuming you have an appropriate mare and all that ;). |
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| hunt-jump | Apr 4 2007, 04:52 AM Post #3 |
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Schooling
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Chanda, since you knew him and rode him may I ask an honest opinion (and while I am still obviously attached to him emotionally I do really want an honest - not sugar coated - answer)? Why do you think he never quite came through? Do you think his problem was needing a better jump, or do you think he never quite got over his attitude, or something else? I actually don't even have a mare at this point... my first thought is that he would need a good moving mare with a very nice jump that is easy to work with - obviously correct, and as I remember his conformation was fairly good, but a tad straight behind. Thoughts/Opinions? The two offspring I am familiar with are out of very different mares. The gelding that I just sold was out of a big bodied WB mare that was a former dressage horse. I don't see that gelding being a world beater, but he is a very useful type as he is an amatuer type horse. The mare that I know is out of a TB mare and is a bit smaller. I think she is probably the best jumper of the bunch style wise (her dam had a very nice front end over the jumps). Again, she is a very useful type amatuer horse. I must say that IME they don't start out as true amatuer horses, but given time to mature they get there. Since this is an offer to purchase frozen semen if I decide to purchase it I don't know if I will breed now or wait, so I probably have time to wait until I find just the right mare. |
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| WalkTheLine | Apr 5 2007, 08:12 AM Post #4 |
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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I think he looks lovely, if you find an exceptional mare why not breed? |
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| Fred | Apr 5 2007, 04:06 PM Post #5 |
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Thomas H. Cruise!
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I think he looks lovely too, but more importantly, you love him, and he is special to you. In a way you have answered your own question, because you said that you want a project for the next few years. The frozen semen is most likely not expensive (or at least it shouldn't be). It wouldn't hurt,for the $$ it would cost to buy some, to buy it, store it, and in the meantime the right mare will come around. Of course, as we know,the stallion is only a part of the equation,and even if he is exceptionally prepotent for his own type, you may not get 'him' again. But really, what have you got to lose? Good luck with your decision. |
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| CBoylen | Apr 7 2007, 06:45 PM Post #6 |
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We're on a bridge, Chaaaaaaaaarlie!
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Sorry Hunt-jump, I thought I had gotten to this, but my computer has been acting up and I guess it didn't post before. He had a good jump when he was purchased as a stallion, and it unfortunately really deteriorated over time, especially when the jumps went up. He was a bit short on step, so that definitely didn't help. I don't remember clearly, but I want to say he was also a bit hard to get to the ring. To be fair to him, he didn't have the greatest program for a period of time, a non-professional situation, and I really think that ruined him to some extent. He started out as a very interesting horse, and that's hard for me to say, not being much of a trakehner fan in general ;). |
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| hunt-jump | Apr 7 2007, 07:14 PM Post #7 |
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Schooling
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Thanks for the encouragement WalktheLine and Fred. Chanda thank you again for your thoughts, they are always greatly appreciated but especially since you knew him. Oh, and given your general opinion on the breed, it seems quite the praise I only had the opportunity to see him one time after he sold (in the regulars at WEF). I have always thought that they probably assumed he would smooth out after he was gelded, but from the one time I saw him that did not happen - he seemed very much the same horse as a gelding that he was as a stallion. I would agree that he was not the easiest to get to the ring as he was particular about things. He was a horse that had to be asked to do something, not told - I think that while that was typically attributed to him being a stallion that it was actually more his personality. I know that at least one of his babies was a bit difficult to start, but pretty matured out of the tough attitude to become very much an amateur horse. Step is something that had not really come to mind, but now that you point it out I agree he needed more step. I always wished he'd had a bigger trot, but he could have used a longer step in the canter as well (though I loved his canter in style and rhythm). It would lend to why he has had a better career as a 3' horse even though he showed a ton of scope as a youngster. I have to admit he made a fabulous eq flat horse though - I think I won more equitation flat classes on him than any horse I have ever ridden
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I only had the opportunity to see him one time after he sold (in the regulars at WEF). I have always thought that they probably assumed he would smooth out after he was gelded, but from the one time I saw him that did not happen - he seemed very much the same horse as a gelding that he was as a stallion. I would agree that he was not the easiest to get to the ring as he was particular about things. He was a horse that had to be asked to do something, not told - I think that while that was typically attributed to him being a stallion that it was actually more his personality. I know that at least one of his babies was a bit difficult to start, but pretty matured out of the tough attitude to become very much an amateur horse. Step is something that had not really come to mind, but now that you point it out I agree he needed more step. I always wished he'd had a bigger trot, but he could have used a longer step in the canter as well (though I loved his canter in style and rhythm). It would lend to why he has had a better career as a 3' horse even though he showed a ton of scope as a youngster. I have to admit he made a fabulous eq flat horse though - I think I won more equitation flat classes on him than any horse I have ever ridden

12:31 PM Jul 11