Stallion prospect, please critique!

DreamRidgePaints · Weanling Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 5

I'm currently looking at this little yearling to be my herd sire in a couple of years. Sorry for the not-so-good photos, the current owner sent them to me...let me know if you can get anything out of them!! Also, what about his pedigree? I'm switching from TBs to Paints/QH and am not to familiar with QH pedigrees. http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/sisco+spotlight+doc Thanks!!

JR · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject:

that is a very nice gelding. Nothing blaringly wrong that you can see in the pictures, but he's nothing out of the ordinary or spectacular either. He's just there. Not much up close in the pedigree. All around he's just very plain.
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Roantree · Member Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 95 Location: Canada

Agreed. Cute face, but nothing special about him, and to be honest there are far too many mediocre horses being bred. It's not as if good QH/Paint studs are scarce at all. He looks long in the back to me.

Just out of curiousity, and I really don't mean to sound rude here, but shouldn't you know a little more about QHs and their lines before you jump into breeding them? As I said, they're not exactly scarce. Are you breeding for barrel horses? Halter? WP? Reining? Cutting?

Joker w · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:41 pm Post subject:

sorry, I have to agree with the others, he will make a much better gelding.

Identify what you want in a breeding program and find something that fits the program.

I went to a sale in Clovis NM a couple years ago where colts with pedigrees and looks like this were going for $500.00 to $700.00 as 2 year olds and ridden thru.

Please tell us you haven't already paid top dollar for him.

skipitgirl · Member Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 85 Location: Ohio

Jesus! Please study up before you switch. And this colt is FAR from being anything near a stallion prospect! If you really want to breed, spend the extra money and buy an established stallion with a good produce record. There are plent of sales offering such. It is a worthwhile investment.

2TPaints · Yearling Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 21

He screams gelding in these pictures.... Maybe with some cleaning up and conditioning he might be a diamond in the rough. As far as pedigree.... I breed QH and Paints and if you want to make a go at it you need you bloodlines more closer up.

That all being said I have been on the recieving end of a simular thread and told that my prospect was no good. If you feel that he is what you are looking for then don't let "Others" change your mind, but just remember that the "Others" are the ones that maybe buying your services in the future. Wink

dctrainingandlessons · Very Active Member Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 548

Why in the hell would anyone send out pictures like these to a prospective buyer!?? WTF?!? They must not have read the do's and dont's of selling etiquette on this website!

No where near a stallion prospect IMO. Unless you are looking to never be taken seriously as a breeder. As already stated he looks to be a gelding.

He looks very unkept. Dried manure and mud hanging from his coat, and a possible big goop of junk in his eye.. A bit of a wormy look.. He's long in the back, butt high, too thick in the neck, his legs look all over the place, cute head, but that's about it. I feel bad for saying these things about him, he looks like a really sweet little guy and I feel like I'm talking smack behind his back.. But this colt looks more like the type you'd buy at auction for $75, clean up real good, put a couple month's worth of good feed and conditioning, geld, then turn around and sell for a few hundred dollars profit.

pfrsue · 2 Year Old Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 30

At those photos' angles and with the fuzzy/wet hair and caked mud, it's hard to fairly judge this guy. It's an awkward sort of age too. (Am I allowed to express shock that anyone selling a horse as a stallion prospect would send out pictures like those? And is it me, or is there gunk coming out of his eye?)

To be honest, unless he looks much better in person, I'd move on. Stallion prospects should really knock your socks off in all respects - pedigree, conformation, movement, etc.

JMO though.

Sue

(Edited to add: Looks like DCTraining and I posted very close together - thus the similarities.)

horsewoman1965 · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:49 pm Post subject:

poor little guy Sad

I sure hope they don't keep that halter on him. It is WAY TOO SMALL for him!
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DreamRidgePaints · Weanling Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 5

Thanks for being so honest! I had a feeling that's what everyone would say. I'm actually going to buy him and geld him...poor thing needs a good home. Thanks everyone!!

dctrainingandlessons · Very Active Member Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 548

That sounds like a great idea. I'm sure he'll make a great little buddy for you! I'd love to see some before and after pictures on this little guy though! Keep us updated!

cutters456 · Weanling Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 8 Location: Alberta

WOW that little guy looks rough. I dont think I would even take a seconds glance at him in the condition they are showing him to you. He's nothing out of the ordinary i'll have to admit. Its hard to say something about this horse because the pictuers aren't too great and his pedigree is all over. What I mean by that is horses with breeding like that are everywhere, and their nothing special. You might get some good showing out of one, but nothing too spectacualr. Althoguh don't get me wrong he's got some pretty nice bloodlines. I'd wait to see what this little guy can become before you use his as your stallion prospect.

I really hope i didnt offend you, I just want you to make the best decision possible with all the different views Very Happy

Pedigree Fanatic · Member Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 120

I'm going to be totally honest with you. If you are going to buy a QH and switch from TB's I congratulate you.

BUT please please please do some research on what constitutes a good Quarter Horse before you get one...and particularly if you are thinking of breeding. There are plenty of good quality horses out there that can be bought for reasonable prices, especially at that age.

Get one with great breeding and great conformation. The only reason any horse should be a breeding stallion, in my opinion, is so that he can make foals that pass on his awesome qualities. Do you see any awesome qualities in those photos?

Just for starters - think about this: There are certain qualities you want in any Quarter Horse, regardless of whether he's going to barrel race, trail ride, jump, race, cut a cow, stand at halter, or breed mares. Look for these things when you see something advertised as QUARTER HORSE and then compare the potential horse to this list:

Quarter Horses should be well muscled. You should be able to look across a field and see that it's a Quarter Horse by its build.

You want a strong frame with powerful hips that are as wide across as they are high (imagine a big X as you look at his hips from the side).

You want a balance between his hips and shoulder, with neither being way bigger than the other. That is called balance.

You want a short back. The length of his back (withers to croup) should be short. The underline of the belly should be longer than the back.

You want a deep girth with wellsprung ribs.

You want the topline of his neck to be longer than the underside of his neck.

You want a classic QH head with a shorter muzzle than a TB with powerful jaws and a big, kind eye and little fox ears. This isn't necessary, but its the ideal, what most people are looking for. So in a stud that would be important.

And most important, you want good hooves on straight correct legs with clean knees and hocks, both set low to the ground. Think about it as long upper arms and short lower arms (called cannonbones) and that is what you are looking for.

All this about the structure is not just cosmetic, it's important in how a QH does his job. QH's are made to be a quick powerful horse able to do a lot of lateral motion (like cutting or barrels) and he uses those massive muscles, low set legs, strong frame, and balance to do that work.

So look again at the photo of that little guy and see if he fits any of that I wrote above. I think you'll see why most of the replys suggested you make him a gelding, if you decide to get him at all.

Pedigree Fanatic · Member Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 120

I have drawn some lines on a photo to show you what I mean about the short back, hips, cannon bones, etc. These proportions are what you want to be looking for in a good QH. Some QH's might be more bulldog stock types, some might be more like hunter jumpers. But no matter what type of QH it is, these rules still apply. See if this helps!

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/Texashorselady/QHExample.jpg