05/11/2026
DISCUSSION TIME!
Another breeder in another breed brought this up. In thinking about it, do you agree?
----ABOUT KEEPING BLOODLINES ALIVE
It is my opinion that since Artificial Insemination became successful bloodline diversity has been shrinking because of access to the most popular stallions of the day. Not only is this decreasing diversity but many top quality stallions aren't getting a chance to prove themselves. Every effort to keep the breeds best older bloodlines should be made, even if it's getting frozen semen stored.
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In some ways we think we could get access to stallions we wouldn't normally be able to, which is where my thought went. But it also means what she said and that's to the detriment of the breed. We see it in very good but dying lines. People who only rely on performance are missing a key point. Many times those who excel aren't by chance. It's been careful and selective breeding over decades that brought the intelligence, disposition, conformation, heart etc that allows the individual in front of you to do their job. The next thing is that there are some really good old lined horses out there who don't have big bank accounts behind them but have been carefully and selectively bred that are gold. I personally look at both pedigrees and the horse before making decisions. If you can see progeny, even better. I always look at the 3rd generation back, because that's usually what is brought forth down the road. One of the biggest tools I use is a pictorial pedigree going back as far as I can. My office wall is used for this. In doing so, you see what these horses, even if unknown have behind them and where they should be going.
Inbreeding coefficients are another issue. Inbreeding and linebreeding are not the same. Line breeding and inbreeding are both methods of mating related animals to concentrate desirable genes, with line breeding generally considered a more distant, strategic form of inbreeding. While inbreeding involves close relatives (e.g., siblings, parent-offspring), line breeding focuses on bringing a specific, superior ancestor back into a pedigree through more distant relatives (e.g., cousins, half-siblings). If you keep going back to the same well, you will end up with a closed genetic pool and a nightmare. You must have some diversity. But too much just gives you inconsistency.
Today, we have another tool, ICSI. Intracytoplasmic S***m Injection (ICSI) is a specialized equine breeding technique that involves injecting a single s***m cell directly into a matured egg (oocyte) retrieved from a mare's o***y, usually conducted in a laboratory. This method is highly effective for addressing fertility issues, utilizing limited semen, and producing embryos from older or subfertile mares. Problem is, it's expensive.
I really encourage people to look at the horses in your back yards. There are some really good small breeders. Some of them have been doing it for decades. Not big and showy, but small and working and getting the job done with really good horses. As fuel prices go insane along with everyone else, It might benefit breeders and mare owners to start visiting and meeting those in your area. Going and visiting horses and their people is one of my most favorite things to do. And I appreciate all types for who and what they are.
