Help me pick a dressage stallion for an Arabian mare!

[_grits]

I’m in the process of negotiating a lease on a mare that I have loved for 6 years and I’m eagerly anticipating breeding her for my dream foal. I’ll be ET’ing her next year for a purebred foal and letting her carry the second.

She is 17 and has produced 5 foals – the majority who have gone onto successful performance careers. All of her foals have been very athletic and with good dispositions so I think she’d be a great mare to breed for my Half Arabian dressage prospect. This is a breeding that I’ve wanted for many, many years and I want to pick the best stallion that I can.

I’d like to add size (she’s right at 15.0 hands) and elasticity and keep the good work ethic and disposition. I’d be very interested in stallions who have successfully crossed on Arabian mares in the past.

Thanks!

[stripes]

I would LOVE to help you choose, but I need more info. Do you have a good conformation shot of her that you can share. Its so important to really look at the mare before you start to look for a stallion. Also, do you have a registry in mind or a type? I’ve been breeding Arabian/Warmbloods for a little while now and have been lucky enough to get excellent advice from some of the best breeders in the industry. Breeding an Arabian to a WB can be tricky and sometimes the stallion you love is not the best choice for your mare. I have found that many of the WB stallions that have been popular with Arabian breeder’s are not actually the best choices for the mare. I took 2 years to educate myself about my mare’s strengths and weaknesses and looked for stallions that shared her strengths and were also strong where she is weak. I was also told over and over again to never choose a stallion that had less than an 8 for the walk & canter. I could go on and on, but I would love to see you mare first. =)

What is the mare’s pedigree?

My first crosses have been very successful in keeping the Arabian pretty and the Warmblood gaits, which is my goal.

Here is my Escudo II filly out of Caraechstrodinair - she’s a lovely dressage type, which was my goal.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1096467809939.2015506.1173902979&type=3

The 2 colts from this year

Magic Aulrab(Arabian) x Fine Tune (Hanoverian) - excellent dressage type
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=428851943799753&set=t.1173902979&type=3&theater

Landkoenig x Caraechstrodinair
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3531173996072&set=a.3531173596062.2139338.1173902979&type=3&theater

[Jmarcan]

Depending on her bloodlines, have a look at Susan McAdoo’s (Tobruk Farm) half-Arab warmblood crosses…and also look through approved stallions in the various registries that accept half-Arabs to see what crosses seem to work best. Type to type is recommended if possible as you dont want to end up with the less desirable characteristics of both parents…ie weaker hindquarter with less refined head…however a good half arab warmblood or anglo can be both beautiful and athletic.

[Bravestrom]

ES Donavan I believe has produced some really nice sport horses out of arab mares. Only frozen is available and he should add the size you want.

[Sonesta]

We sure liked the foal we got from our purebred Arabian mare when she was bred to UB40. Maybe the foal (now two year old)'s owner will weigh in here.

And the mare was 15.1 hands. Her UB40 son is already 15.2 at just barely 2 years old. Should go well over 16 hands.

He is also the highest scoring horse in all the Young Horse breed show competitions right now. Picture from the Wellington show below.

[SamWerner]

ADDED- posted as the same time as Sonesta…Great minds think alike

I used UB40 on an Arabian mare (Bask/Aladdin bloodlines) and am extremely happy with the results. Mare is 15.1, UB40 is 16.2, and my boy at 26 months is 15.2, so he should reach at least 16-16.2 hands I think. He beat out all the warmblood and thoroughbred/warmblood crosses at the Wellington Young Horse Show in January, with a score of 8.85, and ended up the high scoring horse of the entire show The judges loved him, and he got 8’s and 9’s on gaits! I was approached by one of the judges at the end of the show and he told me he LOVED my boy and that he expects great things from him, and even compared him to Apache, UB40’s approved son over in Europe.

Obviously I can only base my thoughts on this one horse that I bred, but so far, I am totally happy with him, and if I won the lottery I would repeat the cross again in a heartbeat. UB40 is a “refined” warmblood in my opinion, so I felt like I was crossing more type to type which I like.

Good luck!

[DennisM]

Take a look at – Frohwind – USA Equestrian Leading Sire for Half-Arabians
2000 and 2003 http://www.woodridgefarm.com/stallions/Frohwind.htm
Also, High Point Hanoverians has success with one or more of its stallions with Arabian mares – http://www.hphanoverians.com/index.html

[JWB]

I also remember seeing a REALLY nice UB40/Arabian cross and it was a stellar foal. He does well with them.

[stoicfish]

http://americantrakehner.com/Mares/ATATB&ArabianMarePilotProgram.htm

I suggest looking into using a Trakehner. If your mare is approved, it will give your foal (especially a filly) papers and an opportunity to have registered foals herself. Plus Traks and Arabs are a more common cross then some of the other WB types.

UB40 X foals really do look nice also!

[Oakstable]

Rosenthal has crossed well with Arabian mares.

Jean Brinkman at Valhalla Farm in Florida has a stallion with Arabian up close in the pedigree. Give her a call, too.

[_grits]

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice! One of the best things about COTH is that almost everyone is willing to pitch in and help each other.

I don’t have any conformation pictures of her yet. I’ll be picking her up in a couple weeks and I’ll take several then. I’ve seen her in person and I owned her youngest son. If I had to pick one thing to really want to improve on her, I’d pick her rear end. She’s a touch weak back there, but she’s been bred to stallions that have always improved on it.

Sonesta - I LOVE your UB40 baby. Wow! He’s now on my short list for sure.

SamWerner - Do you have photos of your foal? This mare also has a line back to *Aladdinn. She’s a Fame VF daughter out of an Alada Baskin daughter who was out of an El Hilal daughter.

I like the look of the Frohwind babies, too.

[Sonesta]

grits, my UB40 baby is the one that belongs to Sam Werner! She leased my mare to breed to UB40, so she owns the son.

[SamWerner]

[QUOTE=JWB;6357737]
I also remember seeing a REALLY nice UB40/Arabian cross and it was a stellar foal. He does well with them.[/QUOTE]

Are you talking about my boy or have you seen another UB40xArabian cross?!?!?! I have never seen another so I would LOVE to see pictures or videos!!!

[QUOTE=grits;6357953]Thanks for all the suggestions and advice! One of the best things about COTH is that almost everyone is willing to pitch in and help each other.

I don’t have any conformation pictures of her yet. I’ll be picking her up in a couple weeks and I’ll take several then. I’ve seen her in person and I owned her youngest son. If I had to pick one thing to really want to improve on her, I’d pick her rear end. She’s a touch weak back there, but she’s been bred to stallions that have always improved on it.

Sonesta - I LOVE your UB40 baby. Wow! He’s now on my short list for sure.

SamWerner - Do you have photos of your foal? This mare also has a line back to *Aladdinn. She’s a Fame VF daughter out of an Alada Baskin daughter who was out of an El Hilal daughter.

I like the look of the Frohwind babies, too.[/QUOTE]

As you see Sonesta and I are talking about the same horse. And thank you, I think UB40 gave me even beyond what I could have expected or wanted, along with Sonesta’s wonderful mare. My boy Uphoria takes my breathe away every time I see him (ok, I may be barn blind )

Here are two albums of him.

2 weeks old. All photos by Bob Langrish.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.617174525475.2165576.33401537&type=3

2 years old at the Young Horse Show Series. All photos by The Equine Media Project.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.906485199565.2262163.33401537&type=3

And a video from the same show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzgQKT58Tqg&feature=relmfu

[Sonesta]

To be fair, the mare actually belongs to a client of mine! But yes, she is a wonderful mare.

[fairtheewell]

UB40 or something Mahagoni

[DownYonder]

and keep the good work ethic and disposition

I am wondering how many of the stallions already suggested have multiple offspring under saddle and are known for good rideability, etc. UB40, for instance, has a bit of a checkered past in this area, and his sire and grandsire are not known for throwing quiet temperaments or ammy-type rideability.

Rosenthal has produced some stunning foals from Arabian mares, and I believe his youngsters already under saddle are proving to have the kind of generosity and willingness the Rubinstein line is known for. Rosenthal will not typically produce fancy, flashy gaits, though, so that may be something the OP will want to consider.

[stripes]

[QUOTE=DownYonder;6358840]
I am wondering how many of the stallions already suggested have multiple offspring under saddle and are known for good rideability, etc. UB40, for instance, has a bit of a checkered past in this area, and his sire and grandsire are not known for throwing quiet temperaments or ammy-type rideability.

Rosenthal has produced some stunning foals from Arabian mares, and I believe his youngsters already under saddle are proving to have the kind of generosity and willingness the Rubinstein line is known for. Rosenthal will not typically produce fancy, flashy gaits, though, so that may be something the OP will want to consider.[/QUOTE]

Exactly! The stallion of your dreams may not be the right one for your Arabian mare. I have been through this myself and after breeding a few I know my market is not going to the Olympics. They need to be Ammy friendly, correct, forward moving, light & pretty. The flashy big movement gets peoples attention, but most of us will have a hard time riding it.

Depending on the OP’s goal & abilities, it sounds like she is breeding for her own personal horse, she will choose what is best for her and her mare. I took 2 years in making my first choice - my trainer kept telling me to pick a stallion that is producing Ammy horses and to quit looking at socks - LOL

If the OP wants my research, I’ll be happy to share. They are all Hanoverian stallions due to my mare being AHS approved, but they are good choices for Ammy friendly HA babies. =)

[gailbyrd]

Happy Hour
http://www.happyhour1.com/home.html

has been bred to Arabian mares. There are a couple under saddle so you could get an idea of how they are going.

A Sandro Hit son, Stedinger, has produced a nice stallion and I believe the cross was repeated,

http://www.goldenventurefarm.com/1GVFNSSPedigree.htm

That site also has a couple more arab/WB crosses so you can get an idea of how each mare crosses with a particular stallion.

I’m a little partial to D’light as I owned her mother (Egyptian lines) when she was bred to the stallion:

http://www.weatherleawarmbloods.com/

Then know that it is all a crap shoot!!!

Good luck!!

[DownYonder]

A Sandro Hit son, Stedinger, has produced a nice stallion and I believe the cross was repeated

I have misgivings about Stedinger for the same reason I have misgivings about UB40. While he does produce fancy, flashy, big moving offspring, he is not noted for producing horses with ammy type temperaments and rideability.

[columbus]

I just want to say thanks for breeding her to an Arabian as well. Good riding Arabians are a very rare thing these days. PatO