Stallion temperament

I am very lightly daydreaming about breeding again and wonder, when shopping long distance how do you evaluate temperament?
With video one can perhaps evaluate, at least like or dislike movement, pictures and video can portray conformation but unless one knows someone who happens to know the man in question, how do you determine temperament?
I have never seen an add boldly proclaim, breed at your own risk, known to produce sensitive firecrackers! :slight_smile:

Find and call/email owners of youngstock by that stallion and ask them about their temperament. I did this and found most people more than happy to give input. Of course, you must always factor in the mare, but this can give you some idea of trends or strong traits that ‘they all do/don’t have’. Also ask the stallion owner about what type of temperament/disposition the stallion throws. Many will give you useful information even if it’s not ‘they’re all difficult brats’ or ‘they require thick skin and steel constitution to work with’. I’ve asked stallion owners the average age they start youngstock by a specific stallion and I also look up show results of offspring by specific stallions, note how many are ridden by amateurs, etc. I find it more challenging if it’s a stallion’s first year in the breeding shed to evaluate their merits and if they’re worth the risk

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A very general comment, but Show Jumpers in particular now have such busy lives, moving frequently into strange stables at shows, travelling all around the globe to compete for mega money, handled by many in often less than ideal circumstances, that a breeding stallion with a poor temperament would not be tolerated. Good temperament makes the international jumping lifestyle possible.

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