Doing the right thing

Doing the right thing?

Author, Tom Bair

Being an owner and breeder of Old-Line Appaloosas, I try to educate myself in every way that I can. My reasoning is that I need to breed the best individuals that I possibly can. As a horse trainer I am faced with the prospect of training and, hopefully, making something of that colt or filly a breeder somewhere may send to me. The following, while mostly what I have learned from others, is colored by my own opinions on the matter.

I have learned the importance of line-breeding in establishing a breed. Line-breeding is the safest way of concentrating the genetics to ensure that desirable traits are reproduced in later generations. Every breed that you can think of was created by inbreeding and line-breeding of the best individuals available. For some reason Americans have gotten away from that. It is an American obsession with out crossing that has gotten us away from the breeding practices that have been successful for centuries in the Old World. Yet we see breeders reaching back to the country of origin for animals to cross into their programs with little thought that those outstanding individuals they are seeking and paying exorbitant sums for are invariably the result of generations of line-breeding.

Of course there are those who will argue at this point that in the early years of the ApHC the breeders were out crossing willy-nilly. Granted, there were a few, but a little research will reveal that many of the early Appaloosa breeders were line-breeding their horses with good results.

Then the specter of “Hybrid vigor” rears it's head. We have all heard the argument. “We need to out cross to maintain hybrid vigor" without realizing that Hybrid vigor is only a factor if Inbreeding or Line-breeding has been practiced for several generations. Continuing to cross out does not continue to produce hybrid vigor, it just creates mutts. Out crossing for hybrid vigor is just a one-time move. Then the smart breeder will continue line-breeding. And while we are on the subject of outcrossing, it's not necessary to go outside the breed, simply crossing to another bloodline within the breed is enough. In fact, the smart breeder crosses to another line-bred family for his out cross. Without line-breeding to fix the desired traits and to concentrate the genetics there can be no prepotency, the horse cannot reproduce himself.

So much is made about the versatility of the Appaloosa because there are so many Types within the breed. We have the tall Sport horse types for jumping and dressage, the short compact types for cattle work, the lanky, flat kneed types for Western Pleasure and yet another type for Endurance. I would submit that this is NOT versatility, versatility is one type, one body shape that can do it all. I read recently in an article about breeding that “breeding specialists will destroy any breed” Look at what has happened to the AQHA, halter horses, pleasure horses, cutting horses, all are easily recognized as such and look dissimilar enough to look like they come from completely different breeds.

The only thing about our Appaloosas that readily identifies them is the spots. Everyone is out there chasing their own goal, with no regard for what other breeders are doing, or even what the long term effect will be to the breed. Some want to breed only leopard horses, and believe that by accumulating enough leopards and breeding them together, with no regard for pedigree, they can produce a “true breeding strain” of leopards. IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. If you are one who still believes that is possible, you should check out THE APPALOOSA PROJECT and see what science has to say about that. And if you don't know better than that already, it would be better if you took some time to learn a bit about genetics and breeding practices in general before you breed any more horses.

I have heard it said, “I like the freedom to breed any way I see fit”. That might be great if most breeders had the same goal, or even a clue about what they were doing. We must always keep in mind that every breeding decision we make will create something that will be in the gene pool possibly forever.

It is time for a set of guidelines that we can work within. A standard, definite rules. Then we can breed the way we like within those rules. I am not talking about rules that are so lax, so all inclusive that no one is left out. If the parameters are so wide that everyone fits in, where is the exclusivity? We should each asses our program and look to see if our horses are quality horses that deserve to have their genetics carried forward, or just beloved pets that reproduce. I know that many are concerned that their chosen type will be left out. Wouldn't we be better off with one type that can truly do it all? Any buyer should be able to go to any Appaloosa breeder and find a horse that can absolutely do whatever is asked.

While you can breed any way you want, keep in mind that the buyer can also decide what he wants. Those of us who have deeply foundation bred mares and stallions are not likely to sell many horses to breeders interested in the modern, QH or TB bred Appaloosa. And those with mostly modern, QH bred horses on your farm will not sell many to those serious FA breeders. And those with either modern bred stallions and foundation mares, or a foundation stallion and several more modern bred mares, will find it hard to sell to either. The foals will be too modern for the serious FA breeder and “too foundation” for the modern breeder. The individual who straddles the fence usually only ends up with a sore crotch.

Many show horse breeders deride the FA breeder for breeding “outdated horses” saying that “we have moved beyond that”. But they also point out, and rightly so that most of the foundation horses producing babies have “done nothing”. They have no performance career, no show points, they just stand around and make babies. And yes, I have heard all the arguments about how the FA doesn't get a fair shake in the breed show arena, how the ApHC has turned their backs on the Real Appaloosa. OK, fine, now get over it, and get around it. It's time for the FA to go where he will shine, in performance classes and open shows under properly trained judges. Timed events, cattle work, endurance, dressage, hunter jumper, hunter hack, pick something and get those horses out there and show someone that what you are raising is worth his feed.

Because, if you have even a few mares and are raising and selling foals that are not proven in any way from horses that have not been proven in some way, your operation is no better than a puppy mill. You are just churning out babies year after year for the money. If at this point your response is an indignant “I don't make any money off these horses” then what's the point? If you don't ride, don't show, and still sell at a loss? Where is the logic in that? It can't be about preservation, not any more. There are lot's of foundation bred appaloosas standing around doing nothing but reproducing. Enough. The world, the Foundation Appaloosa, needs some horses that do something.

And if your circumstances are such that you cannot ride or show, either because of your health, level of ability, or finances, then find someone who is serious about showing and give them a horse, or at least share ownership with them. If you believe your horses have talent and ability, then the smartest move you can make is to get one of your horses in the hands of someone who will do something on your horse. Someone who will get it out in the public eye, get it seen. Consider it part of the advertising budget. For every ten people who see your horse out there kicking butts, one will want a horse like that. People want winners, or the offspring of winners. If you can't get those horses out there where they can win something, find someone who can. It will be the wisest investment you ever made.

And, for Gods sake, if you are breeding horses because of your love for THE APPALOOSA and a need to get as many of these spotted wonders into the hands of as many people as possible, STOP IT. Think about the choices you make, consider the long term consequences, for the foal that will be created, and for the breed. If you don't have horses with a solid background in some sort of performance pursuit, and you have no plans to show or ride, or promote them in some way, you have no business breeding. Do the breed a favor and get a couple spotted geldings and put them in your pasture and gaze lovingly at them while you sip your morning coffee and leave the breeding to those who have done their homework.