Stallion Ideas for My Mare

[phippsie62]

I have a KWPN mare: Joop 111/Diarado/ Diamant de Semilly on the sire side, Friesian Miss/Zirocco Blue/ Corland on the dam side. I would like suggestions for a stallion that might underscore her desirable qualities and correct for others I’d like to moderate.

I bought my mare as a jumper, though with more experience I would have seen that she was better designed for the hunters. I would like to produce a foal with qualities suitable for eventing.

My mare’s good qualities include good conformation (though not, perhaps as a jumper), a kind and sensible temperament, and extremely good rideability featuring a metronomic canter, excellent jumping form and scope.

What’s not so desirable is her size–she’s huge at 17.3–and also her preferred way of going, an easy rhythmic “lope.” She has a big stride and can easily make the lines in hunters, but riding her in jumpers, I’ve struggled to get the engine I need, and trying to do a neat rollback is like trying to make a sharp turn on an ocean liner.

I’ve been thinking a smaller, lighter stallion would be good for her–perhaps a Holsteiner? I’m looking for something with a good brain and rideability in addition to a moderation in size. Any suggestions much appreciated!

[weixiao]

I can’t think of many Holsteiner stallions that are really strong candidates for a lighter, smaller event horse type. I don’t event anymore but it sounds like you might need a stallion with a lot of blood and a good gallop for an UL event horse.

A few fresh ideas:

• Saketini xx
• Road to Happiness xx
• Billy Mexico (I think most of his offspring eventing at the ULs are out of full or close to full TB mares but still worth a look and could refine)
• Quiberon (but I’m not sure how big he is or if he is a refiner, he does have blood though)
• Tatendrang
• Utopie

If frozen is an option:

• Sweetwaters Ziethen
• Duke of Hearts xx
• Britannia Mail
• The Future stallions https://www.futuresporthorses.co.uk/stallions/ I believe Future Prophecy is a carrier for FFS, so you should test your mare if you are interested in him.
• Contendro I maybe

A couple of other more ideas coming from the jumper side:

• Vangog du Mas Garnier - no idea if he is a good event-type stallion, but he is expected to be a refining stallion. New Normandy is distributing him this season.

• Rahotep de Toscane - also available through New Normandy. Not many foals but I think he could bring some blood. I think you want a mare that doesn’t have too low a neck and isn’t too downhill in her balance though, if you want to have the dressage scores.

• Solid Gold - not a lot of blood, at least on paper, but this is the first stallion I thought of for her.

I think a lot of it will depend on what level of eventer you want to produce.

[phippsie62]

Thank you! I actually need to revise my breeding goals. Instead of centering on a specific sport, eventing, I should have said I’d like to produce a horse with an aptitude for jumping, a straightforward uncomplicated ride, and maybe an “iron” horse in the bloodline–that is, maybe a stallion with a reputation for passing on sound, durable horses built to last. This is not necessarily an upper-level horse in jumpers or eventing, but one with some talent who’s a good match for, let’s say, an intermediate/advanced amateur in a program.

Thanks for the idea about Saketini–everything I read suggests he’s lovely.