Buying A Successful Broodmare

We went to see Art Series and Miles today and they are both in fine fettle. Art is lovely, an absolutely stunning stamp of a horse and a little feisty with a big backside and a very muscled chest. She knows she is pretty.

Miles is just an absolutely adorable, kind, laid back mare with very bad feet - hence her price probably. The farrier was due up this afternoon to see what could be done as they have cracked very badly. They may stick some front shoes on her just to help stop the cracks spreading. She is so easy to handle. We took some new rugs up for them to try on, and thankfully they both fitted perfectly.

Art is in season at the moment, so with a few calculations she could be going to Phoenix in February. Art is absolutely beautiful. I wanted to bring her home with me. :)

Miles is happily in foal and looks every inch a happy and contented mare taking everything in her stride.

I took a couple of photos with my new camera, which I am still not sure how to use... or which settings to use. :blink:

I'll try and post some up later.
 
Kathy, Just wanted to say good luck to you and your two new mares. I am not an expert either but have found in my few years of experience and many years of watching and listening that sometimes your gut instinct is better than any advice anyone can give you. I read all of the books, and take advice but then over-rule them all and have had very happy results from that. The best bloodstock people also often work on instinct.

The only thing I believe in completely is that for me temperament is foremost since as a broodmare you will be doing a lot of handling of her, or someone else will anyway and if she is uptight or high strung this will be doubly difficult. Also, a high strung broodmare sometimes does not make a very good mother.

It is a pleasure working with a mare who is kind and sensible. It has not been our experience that good natured mares do ont produce competitive racehorses either although some people think a mare needs to be spirited to get good horses. One mare I knew well was a real looker with a great pedigree but high strung. She did not bond well with her foals and all offspring are a little mad, have trouble in stalls, get easily over the top etc. So far she has only produced one winner, mostly because they all have so much trouble getting to the track without boiling over.

But it is not even difficult to find fantasic examples of broodmares whose owners were advised against breeding from them and they then produced a superstar.

Desert Orchid for example, they were advised to shoot his dam! And See More Business - his dam was considered too small to produce a proper chaser.


So go for it!

Will be interested in hearing your future adventures.
 
Thanks for your input, Isinglass :)

I am under absolutely no illusions about this breeding lark. There are a few of us involved with several different mares and we will all be following each others progress closely and no doubt sharing in each others ups and downs.

As long as people don't mind, I will continuing posting our progress on here as I am sure it is not all going to be plain sailing and I will be asking the experts on here for their advice along the way.
 
I'm a 'virgin' breeder too and have loved hearing from everyone, think it helps me greatly and hope one day I can say something which proves I've been listening and learning.

It is nice to have others to go forward with...... think we will all need each other as we go to the sales and the track.

Anyway for those who bet we may be giving you tips for the future, who knows! One thing I did way before I tried to breed and still do is watch mares I cannot afford at the sales and then track down their offspring to bet on. I have been very successful in that venture. Same is true of horses on the track that you admire, like Imagine and her colt Horatio Nelson. (okay know that ended in sorrow but he was good) Denman's dam is becoming a great broodmare too, his brother Silverburn has just won, and she has another due to debut next term by Overbury. A real gorgeous boy, big and nearly black. Old fashioned chasing type so will need patience to back this one but may pay off one day.

Maybe we can have a broodmares to follow section and keep it on the forum to track the progress? I am willing to share my highly guarded list with you guys...... Crazyhorse knows a lot about great broodmares too.
 
OK, my apologies again. Horses both fresh out of the field complete with lots of mud and as the farrier was due it was a rushed few photos. It gives you a vague idea of what they look like if nothing else. :)

Gorgeous Miles
ARTSERIESANDMILESATWINTERBECKMAN-3.jpg

I asked Art what she thought of me being her new owner. :blink:
ARTSERIESANDMILESATWINTERBECKMAN-2.jpg


Art, still chatting away whilst her new rug was being fitted.
ARTSERIESANDMILESATWINTERBECKMAN-1.jpg

Art, managing to face the wrong way :blink:
ARTSERIESANDMILESATWINTERBECKMANOR6.jpg
 
Thanks for posting those. Miles has a nice, expressive head on her.

Any chance of a conformation shot?
 
What is ART SERIES' breeding, Kathy? And who is she in foal to? (Sorry if you've told us, I can't find references here.) MILES has a charming head - look forward to seeing the rest of her anon!
 
Thanks, Diminuendo.

You can see a bit more of Miles and her tummy in this one
ARTSERIESANDMILESATWINTERBECKMAN-6.jpg


I asked Barney to pose for a photo with the girls ... and this was his response. :blink:
ARTSERIESANDMILESATWINTERBECKMAN-5.jpg


Barney loved being surrounded by all the horses today and was as good as gold. He was on the muck heap, in the mud, chasing the wild cats.... a perfect day out for him. :D
 
Originally posted by krizon@Dec 6 2006, 10:38 PM
What is ART SERIES' breeding, Kathy? And who is she in foal to? (Sorry if you've told us, I can't find references here.) MILES has a charming head - look forward to seeing the rest of her anon!
Click to expand...
Krizon, Art Series (2003) bay filly:

Sire: Kalanisi (IRE)
Dam: Prima Voce (IRE)

She is unraced. I wish I could find out why.
 
Venusian, I have some other conformation shots, but as Ardross is being extremely rude this evening, I did not want to post them up as these are people I know. I just wish he would grow up.
 
Tell him with shots like that, he looks like one of the girls! :(

Oops, sorry, of course ART SERIES is your bay - not in foal yet! :shy:
 
Originally posted by Diminuendo@Dec 6 2006, 10:42 PM
:lol: :lol: How the devil can Barney be a dad? :blink:
Click to expand...
He had them removed 2 weeks ago, Tracy. Keep up, love! :P
 
Originally posted by Kathy+Dec 6 2006, 10:44 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Kathy @ Dec 6 2006, 10:44 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Diminuendo@Dec 6 2006, 10:42 PM
:lol:  :lol: How the devil can Barney be a dad? :blink:
Click to expand...
He had them removed 2 weeks ago, Tracy. Keep up, love! :P [/b][/quote]
Argh, sorry about that Kathy, finding it to difficult to keep up .....i am full of cold. :(

So Barney has a high pitched bark now!

By the way, i think ART is great. :)
 
Originally posted by Kathy@Dec 6 2006, 10:43 PM
Venusian, I have some other conformation shots, but as Ardross is being extremely rude this evening, I did not want to post them up as these are people I know. I just wish he would grow up.
Click to expand...
Nice to see your sense of humour is in full working order as usual . As Dave Cameron no doubt noted :rolleyes:
 
No, it's no good trying to hide - I can still see you. <_< There, that's better - a touch of reiki music and a couple of incense sticks... everyone, breathe deeply, relaxxxxx... calmdowncalmdown...













... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
 
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
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This is the dawning of
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This is the dawning of
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Hey! Just a minute - we're well off-track here, Obi Wan, and are likely to be terminated with extreme prejudice if we don't get back to the topic...
 
Yes on this thread, please try and only discuss broodmares, breeding or as Krizon has now recently christened him, Barney Ballsoff. :blink: :lol:
 
I am now on the trail of Miles' progeny. Brendan managed to get me some information last night. I'll hopefully report back as soon as I have further info.
 
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