Knowing a horse’s ancestry can help a potential owner decide whether to purchase full or partial ownership of a horse. However, having great parents is not the be-all and end-all of buying a racehorse. A good horse is much more than an appealing pedigree, and many ex-racehorses that excelled on the track may not produce extraordinary offspring and much relies on which mare that horse is mated with to locate that champion.
How Racehorses are Bred – Breeding racehorses is both a science and an art, with breeders and horse owners devoting endless hours to researching pedigrees and determining the “best” sires to send their mares to. Some look at data like the “dosage index,” a statistical measure predicting how far progeny will run. It considers numerous generations of a horse’s lineage as well as the performance of the family. Others arrange their matings using the TrueNicks technique. Based on the degree of affinity between the sire and broodmare sire, this method awards a grade ranging from A++ to F.
Some Stud Farms rely on their knowledge to determine which stallion will deliver a superstar foal with their mare. Aside from quantitative calculations, other considerations include the size of the mare and stallion, the stud fee, the performance of the mare and stallion, and past matings. For example, a breeder with a petite mare would likely pick a tall, large-boned stallion to mate with to produce a larger foal.
The Index of Dosage
Dosage is another effort to assess a horse’s pedigree’s speed vs stamina. Chefs-de-race, or prominent sires, are classified into one of five categories: Brilliant, Intermediate, Classic, Solid, and Professional. “Brilliant” sires have the most speed and the least stamina, whereas “Professional” sires have the most negligible speed and the most stamina. A “Classic” sire provides the speed and endurance historically associated with winning classic races. The dose profile for every horse is constructed by awarding points to each horse in the pedigree. The total number of points will be based on the generation in which the horse appears.
The Dosage Index may be determined, with a higher score indicating a more speed-oriented lineage. For horses seeking to win classic races, a Dosage Index of less than 4.00 is regarded best. Because the Dosage Profile and Index are publicly available, breeders may choose mates for their mare based on these numbers, particularly if they want to sell the foal at auction. If the mare has a Dosage Profile geared to speed, the breeder may hunt for a sire who delivers stamina impacts, as with Average Winning Distance. The resulting foal would have a better Dosage Profile.
The Art of Breeding a Stallion to a Mare
A breeder may match his sprint-type mare to a sprint-type stallion to create a speedy, or he may mate his sprint-type mare to a classic distance-type runner to improve stamina impact. Horses with the highest dose indices and the most famous family lines do not always live up to expectations. Horses with unusual pedigrees may achieve remarkable success on the racecourse. That is what distinguishes breeding as an art form.
Once a mare owner has decided on a stallion, the mare is submitted to the breeding farm for acceptance. After analysing her genealogy, racing record, and offspring, the stud farm may approve or reject the mare. Some stallions cover more than 200 mares every season; like with anything, some are more in demand than others. The phrase “booked full” indicates that no other mares will be admitted to mate with a particular stallion.
Horse breeders use thoroughbred breeding theories to arrange matings that result in successful offspring in horse racing. Bloodstock specialists depend on these notions when buying young horses or breeding stock. These ideas may also assist the racing public in understanding the theoretical genetic potential of a horse. Breeding theories are based on the notion that meticulous bloodline analysis may help anticipate breeding results. A well-planned mating boosts the likelihood of progeny success, although many other variables also have a role.
Many thoroughbred breeding ideas are based on other animal breeding stock procedures, such as “fixing a type” via inbreeding. Some breeding theories are qualitative in nature, depending on human judgement. The statistical examination of the sire and broodmare sires is the focus of quantitative breeding theories. The most well-known classification system for mares was created in the late 1800s by an Australian called Bruce Lowe, who studied the data of significant race winners and graded the distaff or mare lines based on their level of performance. Some breeders still use this and similar rating systems today.
Breeding the Best to produce the Best
The most straightforward breeding theory is the most sound: “Breed the best to the best and hope for the best,” a term possibly coined by John E. Madden in the first part of the twentieth century. Studies have shown that excellent racehorses create the finest breeding stock in general. While not all top male runners become stallions, it is even more uncommon for a mediocre racer to become a well-proven sire. A poorly raced mare is likelier to outbreed her track record, particularly if she comes from a solid pedigree and is mated to excellent blood. On the other hand, statistics demonstrate that high-quality racing mares generate an abnormally high proportion of high-class runners.
The Racecourse Test denotes that the skill shown on the racecourse is the most critical selection factor for breeding Thoroughbreds. The Racecourse Test assesses a horse’s capacity to win, which depends on the race in question and needs a precise mix of speed and endurance. Racing also tests the horse’s strength, soundness, and desire to win, all heritable to some extent.
The ultimate objective is to win top races, notably The Derby in England or the Kentucky Derby in the United States, and breeding has evolved to meet that challenge. Due to low athletic ability or a lack of racing enthusiasm, horses who fail the Racecourse Test is considered poor breeding stock choices. When an unknown racehorse becomes a successful sire or broodmare, a closer examination most times reveal that they had significant training ability but were forced to retire due to an unfortunate event, generally an injury. These horses often have above-average pedigrees and are considered gems in the Breeding Industry.