to keep a stallion prospect, it may be wise to check into local regulations and/or the availability of boarding barns where he can be properly housed.
The Approval Process Most Warmblood and sport horse registries have some sort of approval process for stallions to be approved for breeding. This can range from a one day inspection to a 10-day, 30-day, or 70-day stallion test, depending on the breed and registry. The expense involved can be as variable as the
approval requirements. Some registries will approve (or provisionally approve) a stallion based on a single inspection. In this case the stallion owner will be looking at the cost of the inspection, the cost of hauling to inspection, and in most cases the cost of hiring a professional handler to present the stallion. Registries requiring 10-day, 30-day or 70-day stallion
tests can be significantly more expensive. For these tests, the stallion should be started under saddle well ahead of time so that he is in shape for the testing (stallion owners will usually hire a professional for this), and the tests are held in fewer locations (resulting in higher expenses for shipping or hauling the stallion to the test site.) The recent 70-day stallion test hosted by Silver Creek Farm in Oklahoma received a lot of attention because it was the first test of its kind to be held in the United States. The cost of this testing alone was $8,500 per stallion.
Training Training begins with groundwork well before they are started under saddle. Maryanna believes in allowing all her young male horses, yearlings to three year olds, to be turned out together in what she labels the “bachelor herd.” This is important for the colts and geldings to understand herd psychology and how the pecking order works. This teaches them respect at a young age so that when she or other handlers work with them in hand, they understand how to behave with the herd leader, now the handler. Maryanna also brings them to inspections and breed competitions when young to experience the show scene. To bring out the full potential in a young stallion, most will be sent to professionals for training. Not all professionals are experienced working with stallions, and not all professionals will take stallions in training, so a stallion owner may have to do a bit of homework to find an appropriate trainer for their stallion. The expense of keeping a stallion with a professional trainer can also become fairly significant, as full training with a professional can easily range from $1,500 to $3,500 per month. There are different types of arrangements that can be made with trainers, i.e., part ownership of the stallion for reduced training fees, but this is rare. Every
30 September/October 2010
situation can be a little different; the main thing is to have all arrangements in writing so that there are no misconceptions for either party. Your stallion’s training and showing may progress nicely,
but you have to be prepared for the unexpected. Maryanna experienced this when her trainer, Courtney King-Dye, had a serious fall from another horse putting her in a coma early this year. Immediately Maryanna was faced with finding another trainer to step into Courtney’s shoes until Courtney is back in the saddle. After interviewing seven riders, some with Olympic experience, she selected Courtney’s assistant trainer Jennifer Marchand to take over the reins. Also, young stallions must be trained for semen col-
lection. This process is often referred to as “phantom training.” Phantom training typically takes less than a week and is usually done professionally. At this stage the young stallion will be taught to mount the breeding phantom (or “dummy”) and breed the AV (artificial vagina). The semen volume, concentration, and motility will be evaluated, and the semen’s longevity will usually be tested using a variety of semen extenders to see which works best for the particular stallion. Some breeders have the equipment and experience to do this training and evaluation at home themselves while many prefer to have these initial steps handled by a professional reproduction facility.
Marketing You may have the nicest stallion in the world, but you won’t sell many breedings if people haven’t ever heard of him! It’s a competitive business, and a stallion which is well trained and showing successfully is more likely to attract the attention of mare owners. This can become another significant expense with the cost of trainer fees, show entry fees, hauling and more. For example a week of showing with a top trainer at the prestigious HITS (Horse
Maryanna Haymon’s stallion prospect, Delacroix MF, a two-year-old by Don Principe out of a Sandro Hit/Don Gregory dam, competed at the Dressage at Lexington show where he won Colt Champion and second Reserve Young Horse. The handler is Brendan Curtis. Photo by Mary McKenna
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