I hate it when people make blanket statements about horses with certain bloodlines because I feel like there is often an underlying agenda…but there is also often a kernel of truth… So, I have been told that Ladykiller offspring are known to be great jumpers, have lovely necks and tend to have a difficult temperament (i.e. not suitable for amateurs). Agree, disagree or anything to add?
Thanks in advance for your opinions!
This is a great read.
http://www.horsemagazine.com/BREEDINGBARN/GREAT_STALLIONS/ladykiller/ladkiller.html
Disagree about the temperament. If that was true, since Ladykiller is in almost all Holsteiner pedigrees, then the Holsteiner breed is not suitbale for amateurs, which is certainly not the case. Jumpers have to have a certain amount of ‘go’ to get over the sticks!
I’m glad to hear an alternative opinion on the temperament… I have to admit, that one came to me from someone that rarely has anything nice to say about any bloodlines except those in her own horse…
Baywithchrome2 - great link!
I have a ladykiller mare and I also disagree about the temperament statement. My mare is definitely amateur friendly! When I make a mistake the most I get is a little head shake. She’s a real cool horse! And yes, she does have a great jump. LOL
Wow! That’s quite impressive to have a Ladykiller mare! He died in 1979 and I never heard of any semen being frozen from him. Your mare must be quite old. What a find!
I’ve also never heard any but good things about Ladykiller temperaments.
[QUOTE=ThreeDays;3865223]
Wow! That’s quite impressive to have a Ladykiller mare! He died in 1979 and I never heard of any semen being frozen from him. Your mare must be quite old. What a find![/QUOTE]
No no, sorry. Not a direct but through Land of Kings. I should have been more specific.
I do always love seeing Ladykiller in a pedigree though. 
Ladykiller’s last approved stallion son Liostro just passed away in 2008 and I had the pleasure of knowing Liostro and many of his offspring quite well. Liostro himself was a sweetheart. Here are some pictures I took of him right before his death - I believe he was about 28 at the time http://www.pbase.com/finnskeeper/liostro I loved that horse and I had snuck into the turnout with him early that morning by myself (I was staying at the farm) and he was just prancing around and then he would run up and nuzzle me in the chest and then take off and show off for the mares over the fence. He was a total gentleman and very kind. I have seen a number of his offspring (probably at least 40) out of a variety of mares and they all jump like “freaks” and are easy to handle and ride. He also threw very good dressage type movement. Unfortunately he is now gone and there is no frozen semen from him… But there are several approved stallion sons…
WOW Paula!!!
Extremely impressive!!!
[QUOTE=Paula;3865523]
Ladykiller’s last approved stallion son Liostro just passed away in 2008 and I had the pleasure of knowing Liostro and many of his offspring quite well. Liostro himself was a sweetheart. Here are some pictures I took of him right before his death - I believe he was about 28 at the time http://www.pbase.com/finnskeeper/liostro I loved that horse and I had snuck into the turnout with him early that morning by myself (I was staying at the farm) and he was just prancing around and then he would run up and nuzzle me in the chest and then take off and show off for the mares over the fence. He was a total gentleman and very kind. I have seen a number of his offspring (probably at least 40) out of a variety of mares and they all jump like “freaks” and are easy to handle and ride. He also threw very good dressage type movement. Unfortunately he is now gone and there is no frozen semen from him… But there are several approved stallion sons…[/QUOTE]
That is an impressive looking boy!
I’ve heard from more than one source that you can never have too much Ladykiller xx in a pedigree. Given that statement, I’d doubt that he passes along temperament/riseability issues.
Sometimes I think the horse’s NAME influences what people think about the horse 
Ladykiller - he must be mean :lol: And, perhaps people forget, a good jumper needs a certain amount of forward momentum - that can be intimidating to a less experienced rider.
Liostro was very impressive! The other thing I wanted to say about his foals is that they are slower maturing and not “pretty babies”. In other words - they tend to be ugly ducklings as foals - just not the ultra pretty, chisled looking foals that are going to do be stars at inspections. They are more gawky looking and just not put together looking as foals. But about age three or four they really blossom and come together and its like “wow - I can’t believe that is the same horse!” I don’t know if that is typical of the Ladykiller line, but it was for the Liostro foals I’ve seen…
I’ve been a fan of Liostro and tried 3 times to breed to him a few years ago with a Cassini II mare. Unfortunantly his semen wasn’t any good and we never got the mare pregnant. Too bad they weren’t able to freeze him before his fertilty went down.
The year we bred he had great motility on collection but very limited lifespan. We had less than 8% when the semen arrived.
I always heard this too–except that you don’t want to go through Landgraf more than once. So lots of Ladykiller = good, just don’t double (or triple!) up on Landgraf.
If you look at stallions who are double Ladykiller (or more), lots of them will have one line through Landgraf, one through Laertes, or Lord, etc. Or through a Ladykiller daughter, like Landkoenig has:
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/landkoenig
Good point flashykatt! The Holsteiner Verband stallion Ariadus is another example of stallions with double Ladykiller as his dam is linebred to Ladykiller. Devise II is Latus II (a Landgraf son) out of a Laertes mare, stamm 2004.
Threedays I’m sorry you didn’t get a Liostro foal. I was dying for one too and leased a very nice mare to breed to him right before he died but she turned out not to be breedable except via ET and I couldn’t afford that at the time 
So I missed my chance too…
Thinking of Liostro I loaded a few pictures of some Liostro youngsters I have that were taken in the last couple of months that were still sitting on my laptop to show the Ladykiller type http://www.pbase.com/finnskeeper/liostro_foals I’ve taken pictures of about 40 or so Liostro foals so I can give more examples if people want to see the type.
[QUOTE=flashykatt;3866341]
I always heard this too–except that you don’t want to go through Landgraf more than once. So lots of Ladykiller = good, just don’t double (or triple!) up on Landgraf.
If you look at stallions who are double Ladykiller (or more), lots of them will have one line through Landgraf, one through Laertes, or Lord, etc. Or through a Ladykiller daughter, like Landkoenig has:
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/landkoenig[/QUOTE]
I am not a breeder but I was SO impressed with Landkoenig’s gentle disposition after meeting him out in his pasture, without even a halter on, that when the opportunity presented itself a few months ago I snapped up one of his offspring. My daughter loves this new young horse. Our other horse whom I absolutely adore is by Larome by Landgraf out of a Grundstein daughter. So, now we own two L line geldings. Trust me, I wouldn’t own a horse that was not amateur friendly.
My dear friend has a Landfrieden gelding who is a great character and wonderful horse, but has a reputation as being “the red devil” and has been spotted at many a dressage show, bucking down centerline. Often comments on test have been such like “levade and capriole not required at this level.” So we always affectionately blame it on the Ladykiller in him, but I think it’s mostly as FriesanX pointed out, because it sounds good. Of course his damsire is Welt As who is Anky’s Bonfire’s sire, and we all know how hot that horse was, so that’s probably also where it came from… He is a super horse though, I really love him.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
