Page 30 - The Mini Horse Magazine 2023 No 1

AN INTERVIEW WITH A BREEDER
What show would you like to attend that you
have not yet attended?
I have always wanted to attend the English
Horse Of the Year Show (HOYS) where Monarch
and I won Sire and Miniature Horse Breeder of
the Year two years in a row, thanks to the many
British enthusiasts that owned and showed Scott
Creek horses. Long time client Emma Armitage
and her family’s Blackmins International stud
were very instrumental in these wins.
Do you have any advice for our readers who
would like to become successful breeders?
Attend and watch judging at horse shows. Try
placing the horses in the class to see how you
match with the judges. Do this activity with a
friend so you can talk about your selections.
Talk to successful breeders, maybe spend time
working at their farms or at the shows. Remember
the results of horse breeding takes years, but if
you are careful, you might shorten that timeline.
I was told many years ago that a stallion is half
your herd. If you choose to buy a stallion rather
than purchase breedings, this stallion should be
your most expensive purchase. When starting
a breeding herd, I suggest a person buy mares
and purchase breedngs from known stallions
that have proven genetics and produces the
desired characteristics you want. If considering
buying a breeding stallion, it is important to
research the pedigree. Also keep in mind that
Dares Phantom Win 2021
30 | Miniature Horse Magazine • Issue 1/2023
stallions require some knowledge and expertise
to handle. They are not for everyone.
Do you judge? If yes, what do you look for
when you are judging? When exhibiting what
do you look for in a good judge?
Although I have often thought about judging and
occasionally I have evaluated horses for others,
breeding, foaling and showing all happens
during the same time of the year. So I feel my
focus has to be on the breeding and showing.
I do have several favorite judges. I find them
having a professional but friendly demeanor.
They stand back to get a good perspective view,
come close and ask the horse to show expression
to their note pad. They take seriously the correct
tracking of the legs and reward ground covering
movement. Of great importance are judges who
are not influenced by who the handler is, only
rewarding the horse and its performance.
Is there anything you would like to add?
When buying any horse, especially
internationally, it is „buyer beware“. When
buying the AMHA miniature horse it is best
to measure the animal yourself to make sure
it meets the height standard. Each person
measures differently. If I personally wasn‘t able
to measure a horse, I would add two inches to its
quoted height to help insure it wasn’t oversized
and then hope I made a good decision. Foals are
always a very risky purchase sizewise. I once
purchased a National Res Champion weanling
in the smallest size class of under 28 inches. He
was 33 inches by his first year, to tall to show
again and would go over the 34 inch standard.
Always look at the teeth to make sure the bite is
good or have photos taken of the bite. One U.S.
registry does not consider the bite in its halter
classes. You may have little recourse to return a
horse, so make the best decision you can when
buying one. The credibility and reputation of
the seller is a huge consideration to investigate
prior to purchasing a horse.
On behalf of the MINIATURE HORSE Magazine
and our readers, we would like to thank you
for this wonderful interview and we wish you
continued success with your breeding.