Q&A - Real Mare Pedigrees

Question
"In some cases it is darn hard to find pedigrees (especially mares) with enough information to create a 'model' pedigree, so we opt for made up ones. I've used this myself in the past. Take a list of race horses out of the newspaper, mix up the names a bit and you have a whole new list of names NO one could tell were not real. OK, I realize that in most cases we don't want unrealistic pedigrees, especially when it comes to race horses. But there are plenty of realistic pedigrees out there to choose from for those horses, if not already made up, then people with s/d lists from which you can choose your own. But what about those breeds that don't race? Drafters, gaited, ponies, ect..."

Answer
To begin with, breeders should never ever ever make up pedigrees of any breed unless they state in their s/d list that they have made them up...even though the pedigrees may LOOK real, they aren't, and sooner or later someone's going to figure out that they are made up. Pedigree assigners have gotten pretty savvy about bloodlines, and they might detect false pedigrees pretty quick. Making up pedigrees puts you at risk of giving your stable a bad reputation, and gives pedigree assignment (at least realistic pedigree assignment) a bad light. It's always better to leave the parentage blank while you still search for a set of model or real parents. And if you do make up the pedigrees, it would be beneficial to put in your s/d list that they are made up, so people can choose whether or not they wish to use the bloodlines. Enough said. :)

It is certainly difficult to find real mare pedigrees- they are never advertised with the same frequency as stallions, and mares have the added difficulty of only producing one foal per year, as opposed to a stallion's crop. However, there are still several great sources out there that can be of use to the pedigree assigner.

I have found that the internet is one of the best sources out there for real mare pedigrees. Many farms will list their mares and even their pedigrees, and sources such as Ag Direct will list mares for sale (including their lineage.) You can find these mares by entering their breed into a search engine like Yahoo...I have been amazed at some of the great pedigree sources available through a simple keyword search!

Another great source are breed magazines. While they often only show stallions at stud, there are occasionally mare features that will include pedigrees and influential bloodlines. Stud books are another fabulous source, as are yearling auction catalogs.

Many IPABRA members have also had success finding mare pedigrees by either visiting local horse farms, or by writing them either by regular mail or e-mail. Most breeders are happy to find people who are interested in their breed and will be happy to share valuable bloodlines with you.

One way you can find mare pedigrees is to check stallion pedigrees, which are readily available. You can always make your model a full or half sibling to a real horse, and you'll be guaranteed to have a realistic pedigree. However, if you use this method, be cautious with foaling dates- it's best to avoid taking up a year if you know that she has already foaled a real horse in that year. Make sure that the color genetics fit your model, and check the birth and death dates of the sire and dam being used. If the parents happen to be used in racing, make sure that you don't make your foal born while they were on the track!

Finally, don't forget about the wide wealth of pedigrees we have available from model breeders! We are lucky enough to have specialists in just about every field, and even if you don't know mare lines in Dartmoors or Fjords or Standardbreds (I certainly don't!), there's bound to be a model breeder who has spent a lot of time researching that breed and who can offer you model parents with meticulously researched bloodlines. In fact, model breeders are my FAVORITE source of pedigrees, because I know that they understand their breed specialities, are readily available to answer any questions that I might have, and best of all, LOVE pedigree assignment! If you are looking for mares with great bloodlines, don't overlook the serious pedigree assigner- they are a great source and can really help you find what you need. Check the classifieds in Bloodlines to find s/d lists to suit your needs!

Good luck with your search for the perfect pedigree...and if you do use a real mare, don't forget to register that foal with the IPABRA Real Mare Registry! :)

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