Category horse breeding

Information on horse breeding practices with advice.

horse breeding

Thoroughbred Breeding Economics: Understanding Costs, Value & ROI

A group of Thoroughbred racehorses running on a turf track, highlighting their speed and athleticism.

Thoroughbred breeding economics is an intricate balance of passion and business acumen. It involves substantial financial investments, careful decision-making, and a deep understanding of both genetics and market dynamics. This article expands on critical aspects such as costs, genetic testing,…

Miles Henry

horse breeding, Horse Breeds

Horse Crossbreeding: Enhancing Performance & Bloodlines

Dutch Warmblood horse jumping over a showjumping fence.

Have you ever wondered how breeders create horses that excel in both athleticism and temperament? Horse crossbreeding is the secret behind these exceptional equine athletes. By strategically combining traits from different breeds, breeders enhance performance, temperament, and physical characteristics. *While…

Miles Henry

Horse Racing, horse breeding, Horse Breeds

I Paid a Premium for a ‘Perfect’ Pedigree. He Never Won a Race.

breeders using genetic technologies to improve Thoroughbred breeding practices.

Whether you’re planning a mating or shopping a yearling, the search for speed starts with the same question: what can genetics actually tell you about a racehorse’s potential — and what remains impossible to predict? Pedigree, heart size, muscle fiber…

Miles Henry

horse breeding

Before You Breed That Mare, Run These Numbers

Maybe you’ve got a good mare, a little land, and friends who keep telling you what her foals would bring. Sooner or later the bigger question comes up: could breeding horses actually pay its own way as a business? Quick…

Miles Henry

horse breeding

Horse Breeding for Beginners: Costs, Steps, and What First-Time Breeders Need to Know

How do you start breeding horses? Start by setting a clear goal — racing, sport, ranch work, or rare breed preservation. Then select a healthy, well-conformed mare, choose a stallion with proven genetics and a compatible pedigree, confirm breeding dates…

Miles Henry

horse breeding

The Making of a Mule: Understanding Horse and Donkey Crossbreeding

While walking through a friend’s working barn here in Louisiana, my son heard a horse whinnying and a donkey braying from the same pasture. He pointed to the pair and asked why they were kept together. The answer was simple:…

Miles Henry

horse breeding

Is Your Horse Pregnant? — What to Look for From Conception to Foaling

The signs a horse is pregnant are easy to miss in early gestation – most are behavioral, not physical. Your mare was exposed to a stallion, and she hasn’t been acting like herself. The question every owner in that situation…

Miles Henry

horse breeding

The Live Cover Rule Explained: Why Thoroughbreds Require Natural Breeding

In an era when horse breeders can ship semen across the country, freeze it for years, and use advanced reproductive technology, Thoroughbred breeding still follows a much older rule. A stallion must live cover a mare if their foal is…

Miles Henry

horse breeding

How Are Racehorses Bred? From Pairing to Foaling

Maybe your mare is coming off the track and you’re thinking about breeding her, or you’ve looked at a pedigree in the program and wondered how those two horses ever got paired. Racehorse breeding starts well before a mare walks…

Miles Henry