Words from a First- and Last-Time Breeder
While I was interviewing theriogenologists Drs. Ben Espy (DVM, Dipl. ACT) and Ryan Ferris (DVM, Dipl. ACT) for the Responsible Breeders feature, several of their tell-it-how-it-is statements hit close to home. Their overarching message was along the lines of, “Please don’t breed your mare if she’s not going to contribute anything positive to the equine industry.” Ironic, considering breeding exams and broodmare care are these practitioners’ bread and butter.
Even so, they’ve likely seen enough drained bank accounts, disappointed owners, and unwanted offspring to justify their advice. Heck, I wish someone had convinced me not to breed my retired Brandenburg hunter, Alice, eight years ago. I went down that road not once, but twice.
The first endeavor was laughable, now that I think back on it. Alice, although beautiful and well-bred, was bull-headed and tough to ride, with a chronically late lead change. Her baby-daddy-to-be was a local aging dressage stallion that I picked for sentimental reasons–he was a half-sibling to one of the most successful hunters I’d ever shown
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Alexandra Beckstett
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