Olympics. He has also been on the panel at Germany’s Bundeschampionat in Warendorf. He feels that movement and conformation are the most important things to consider in a stallion prospect (and he notes that the two things are connected). He also advises that anyone considering keeping a colt as a stallion prospect should have the horse fully evaluated by a veterinarian to ensure there are no health or soundness problems which could be passed on to the offspring or which could cause the horse not to pass stallion testing. He further advises all stallion prospects should have quality bloodlines with good mare lines in addition to top quality sires, and he adds that often in the United States there is not enough emphasis put on the dam. Doug Leatherdale is the President of the American
Hanoverian Society and owns Leatherdale Farm with his wife Louise. They have five stallions, including the Hanoverian stallion Damsey, who made headlines when he was one of the stallions chosen to be bred to the Olympic mare Brentina. (That colt was born in April of this year.) When asked what his biggest piece of advice would
be for someone considering keeping a colt as a stallion prospect, Doug’s response is “I wouldn’t advise them to keep a stallion!” He feels that we have too many stallions already in the U.S., and that too many of them are unsuitable quality. He says a stallion prospect must have “absolutely exceptional quality conformation, movement, temperament, and rideability—they must be top class.” He estimates that even in Germany, less than 1% of colts will go on to become licensed stallions. Doug also adds that “we don’t have the tradition in
this country for stallions, for riding and promoting them properly.” Not enough people know how to handle a stallion or realize the extra experience that is needed to handle a stallion properly. He says the same is true of riding; that we don’t have enough people accustomed to riding stallions. He adds that he has seen “too many people attempt to stand a stallion, and later they are sorry.” Evaluating a young colt can be difficult, especially for someone without a lot of experience evaluating young horses. Breed inspections can be helpful as inspectors will sometimes single out certain horses to be presented again at a later date as stallion prospects. This is no guarantee that the horse will be approved for breeding in the future, but this professional outside opinion can be helpful for someone considering keeping their young colt intact. It can also be helpful for a colt owner to seek the outside opinion of other experienced, respected breeders and stallion owners.
It’s a ‘Thumbs Up’ Assuming your colt is determined to be stallion quality, and you think you may “go for it,” there are many practical
issues involved with keeping a stallion which you will want to consider.
Keeping the stallion prospect healthy and sound as he
grows and matures is always a challenge. As most breeders know, raising youngsters who are curious and accident- prone requires careful management and simply put, luck. Maryanna Haymon stands the Grand Prix dressage stallion Don Principe and has bred numerous colts, some of which she feels are potential stallion prospects. One of Maryanna’s favorites, Dance Master MF, a three month old 2010 colt, recently was seriously injured while out in pasture. So serious that the jury is still out as to whether he’ll survive. “He was fine with the herd at 2:30 one afternoon,” Maryanna reports. “I came back out to check on everyone at 7:30 and there he was, three-legged avoiding all weight on his left hind. We are heart-broken and are waiting to see if he’ll pull through.” Ask any experienced breeder: accidents can and probably will happen.
Three month old Dance Master MF, a very promising stallion prospect for Maryanna Haymon, is seriously injured within a week of this photo taken. Photo courtesy Maryanna Haymon
Most people will agree that stallions should be handled by professionals, and at the very least a skilled handler. Mature stallions are also typically kept separated from other horses requiring additional paddocks or pastures with generally sturdier and higher fencing. Where will you keep him? If you don’t have your own farm, be aware that many boarding barns will not accept stallions. There may be additional liability issues with keeping a stallion, and some states have laws specifically referencing stallions. In Arizona for example, “a person who maintains a stallion or jack with reckless disregard for the safety or health of other persons or property or livestock of another is guilty of a class two misdemeanor.” So before deciding
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