Broodmare for Dressage Prospect

[NightMare]

We are looking for a Dressage horse. The parameters are:

1. Very kind, tractable temperament, with work ethic
2. Sound
3. Good movement (for competive Dressage)
4. Big (the rider, my daughter, is 5’10" and not “petite.”)
5. Budget is under $20,000.00 to include transport, vet, etc.
6. Not too many miles; unbacked or very green is okay
7. Mare preferred but will look at geldings as well.

Due to the budget, we might do best with very young / green. Also she doesn’t want to “fix” training problems, which again might exist with trained horses within this budget.

What are your opinions on including unbroke broodmares for consideration? I have seen a couple that are 5 - 6 years old and have never been under saddle, but have all of the qualities we are looking for.

I don’t have any personal experience, but I have seen a couple of broodmares brought into work and they were pretty independent minded and difficult to get going under saddle, though all ground work and handling was absolutely perfect. I was told that this was because they’d developed their “free thinking” ways by rearing their babies in a herd environment for years.

Any opinions or experiences to share?

[Bronte]

A concern I would have is in regards to the early athletic development of the horse. (Or lack thereof). My experience relates to an unbroken 6 yrs old gelding. He turned out to be a nice horse, but never developed the level of suppleness and flexibility desired. On talking to a very experience trainer, she said that the lack of early development placed the horse at a disadvantage and in her experience you are never really able to compensate for missing out on the foundation work.

A survey of one, FWIW!:eek:

[eventer_mi]

I would have to agree, with my very limited experience (only three mares), that broodmares do not appreciate being brought back into work after a lot of time off having babies. I had a lovely mare who was never bred, and she was just like my geldings, only a lot friendlier, but the other three mares I’ve had that took time off to be a broodmare really resented the work - to the point where I am steadfastly NOT a mare person, even though I had the one lovely one.

[Sancudo]

I have one mare, bought for very similar reasons above, who even had training in between foals. She’s can be very very tricky, hard to get “into the mode” and is talented, but physically very tough, perhaps from having the babies. We think she also had questionable prior training, so who knows which is which. I don’t know if I would go this route again.

[mjhco]

It depends on the mare. I certainly would check them out if available.

I have ridden and owned LOTS of mares. Love them. One mare hadn’t even been halter ‘broke’ when I leased her at the age of 12. I had her bred. Brought her home. By fall my niece was riding her around the property with a halter and lead. By mid winter she was solid enough she could have done a training level test. Have no idea how she would have progressed because the owners demanded her back after my foal was on the ground. She was a good one.

[Kyzteke]

I think there might be some truth to some of it.

I am a breeder and my mares get bred more often than ridden. I have a coming 7 yr. old Hanoverian mare who had two babies before she was started u/s at 6yrs.

She was easy to start in that she did not buck, shy , bolt or be stupid, but she hollered like a banshee during her training for the first 45 days…she was missing her “herd.” Then she settled down and went right to work. By the time she came home the trainer loved her because she was so even tempered. But this is her breeding.

My Arab mare was started by myself at a 3 yrs. old, then took the next few years off to have babies. I ride her now and she is a bit more fussy, but still safe on the trail. Not sure how she’d do at dressage, but she wasn’t crazy about it before <g>.

I think it takes time, and the more babies the have the longer it’s going to take… if to get back in physical conditioning if nothing else.

However, for $20K, I really don’t think you have to go the broodmare route…unless you are in CA I’m sure you can find suitable horses currently going u/s for less than that.

[NightMare]

Kyzteke,

I think we will too, though we are not finding much of anything near by. We’re not in CA, but in OR. It’s not so much that they are too expensive here, but just not what we are looking for, so far. So our geography is expanding rapidly, and we may end up not even seeing the horse we buy before we buy it, which we have never done before.

Thanks to those who have responded so far. Any more?

[BC5098]

Many riders do not like mares - I think you have already heard from some of them. I ride mares - and breed them - and then ride them again - and I have not had any problems with them that I would attritibute to having had time off to have a baby - or getting started late. If she started with a good temperament - she will still have it - and if she got put into broodmare service because she was difficult - she will still be difficult.

I would not be very concerned about a mare that had not been started - or barely started and turned out in the brood mare band. Unless she is solidly middle age. A mare that has had two or three foals and comes back in to go to work at 6 or 7 - has several advantages. She is old enough to be fully mature - physically and mentally mature. She can go to work - and with good training should advance faster than a horse that is started at three - because she is physically and mentally mature. She should, all other things being equal - be sound later - because she was not worked hard as a youngster.

[columbus]

Love my mare

I have a 8 yo Irish Draught mare. She had 2 foals. There was a light start for a couple of months between the two foals. When we started her this year she has been wonderful. I agree that the issue is suppleness and flexibility but I have no idea if this would have been “her” issue anyway as she is a big muscular mare. She loves work, works hard and is advancing rapidly though these are traits of Irish Draughts in general. I will say that she was never a deadhead of a brood mare. She lead the youngsters on their morning and evening gallops…attendance was mandatory…and has alway had a lot of vigor. A great mare…try an Irish Draught PatO

[STF]

A lot of breeders breed their young mares early rather than start them under saddle. Like for Hanoverian mares to get their elite status they have to do a mare preformance test and also have one foal withing 3 yrs of the test.
Another reason is the best bred mares are needed for broodmares. We need to pass on those bloodlines so many dont get ridden.
They ARE out there and I would not shy away from a 5-8 yr old that has been a broodmare, mostly if it was with an established breeder who was trying to get the mare’s status upgrade.

[Home_Again_Farm]

I would not recommend a mare that had never been started. I believe that a work ethic is best established early. I would not rule out mares that had solid starts as 3-4 year olds and then went on to have a few foals. On the other hand, I’d not want one for serious work that has had more than 4 foals, as I believe they will have a very hard time regaining the pelvic strength needed to sit in dressage.

But, a nicely started mare that has had a few foals would be a great possibility IMO.

[NightMare]

Thanks to all who replied. We have found too many to consider that are not in this category, as it happens, so there is no need to go there. Now we have a different challenge … how to make a decision?

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[QUOTE=NightMare;3356021]
Thanks to all who replied. We have found too many to consider that are not in this category, as it happens, so there is no need to go there. Now we have a different challenge … how to make a decision?[/QUOTE]

Grin, you will have to go with your heart. THE horse will tell you it’s the right one.
We sold a lovely four year old filly to a perfect young lady (Pony Clubber) who was moving up from her pony - those two knew they were made for each other at the first meeting, and have been proven right (despite the adults’ minor misgivings about a young horse and a young rider.)

Meeting the horses in person can’t be beat - though we have bought both ways, for ourselves.

[hessy35]

IMO- I understand the need to pass on excellent bloodlines, but why would anyone want to breed a mare that hasn’t been put u/s? Backing them tells you soooo much about their personality, athletic ability…etc. If you want to breed the best, then back the mare and see how she does BEFORE you breed her.

[ahf]

[QUOTE=STF;3355302]
Like for Hanoverian mares to get their elite status they have to do a mare preformance test and also have one foal withing 3 yrs of the test.[/QUOTE]

Not anymore. We changed the rules last winter. THe EMC now has an indefinate amount of time to have that foal.

ETA - I agree with HAF. Work ethics are best established EARLY. IF the early training is there, it will be again later. Though I think the cap on foals to start a mare back into a rigorous training regimine is two foals.