Arabian horses are used for a wide range of purposes, from show to endurance riding to pleasure riding and breeding. But it can be said that breeding an Arabian horse is one of the most common purposes of this horse breed, simply because they are a treasure – and a worthy investment indeed.
Why Arabian Horses are Ideal for Breeding
Breeding Arabian horses is as popular as ever, especially for those who have a special affinity for the breed. Arabian horses are known for their mild temperament and sharp intelligence, and their athletic prowess is second to none. Arabian horses are also known for their willingness to please and for having a gentle and loyal disposition.
What you need to consider when Breeding Arabian Horses
First of all, you need to know that if you would really like to become a serious breeder, your ultimate goal would be to improve your breeding stock’s overall quality – and this takes time, often a few generations. In order to be a success at breeding, you need a vast amount of patience and commitment and the dedication to learning all you can about the breed.
Consider what Type of Horse you would Like to Breed
Once you have made a clear commitment to breeding, the next step is to determine exactly what type of horse you would like to produce. For this, you must find out which horse bloodline has successfully created the type of horse you want and which horse bloodline may likely produce it in the coming years.
Come up with a Well-organised Breeding Programme
It is also important for you to create a well-organised breeding programme for mating particular individual horses (or horse families) in order to reach your goals and objectives. Remember that skilful and experienced horse breeders will always adapt and change their breeding programmes for successful mating and to eliminate the risk of bad crosses. Adjusting your programme from time to time also allows you to introduce more bloodlines.
Knowledge about your Horse’s Pedigree goes a Long Way
Obviously, your Arabian horse’s pedigree is a big factor when it comes to breeding. But you should make it a point to learn more about your horse’s entire pedigree or family tree – not just the good points, but also the negative points, as these can easily be passed on or inherited.
Make it a point to study your Arabian horse’s genetic traits (or genotype), which can be passed on to the progeny whether they appear in that specific horse or not. You should also make it a point to analyse the appearance of your horse or its phenotype. Of course, any Arabian horse used for breeding purposes should be a prime example of that specific breed.
Know more about Weaknesses which can be Inherited
As a serious horse breeder, you should also make sure that your Arabian horse does not have any weaknesses or conditions which can be dangerous – or even fatal – when passed on. One of these conditions is SCIDS, or Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome. To know if your Arabian horse has this weakness, you should have a medical test carried out.
In breeding Arabian horses, it is better to begin with a good breed with an easily-identifiable pedigree. When looking for ideal Arabian horses, choose only the sites featuring Arabian horses for sale which give comprehensive information about each horse and its ancestry so you will already be able to assess its breeding potential from the beginning – and you will have better peace of mind knowing that you have made the right choice.
