Behind the Foaling Door - The Advantages of Pedigree Assignment

Many of us at times have been faced with our binders filled to the brim with pedigrees, stacks and stacks of breeding requests, and have pulled our hair over finding the perfect parent that is the wrong color....and shrieked, "Why do I DO this? Why do I even bother with pedigree assignment?" This month I asked several breeders what they have gained from participating in this aspect of the hobby.....

"I have learned a whole lot from IPABRA and pedigree assignment. I have learned a lot about color genetics, breed standards, and just breeding itself. We have had many fascinating discussions and articles in Bloodlines! IPABRA is a wonderful club with a lot of helpful and willing to please people! I have pedigreed almost all my horses and have learned about some fascinating breeds that I have never heard of. I think being in this club will be help me in the long run too...like when I buy my first horse or become an equine vet (my dream and goal since I was three years old!) Pedigree assignment has helped me a lot!"
-Emily Gordon

"I have gained new friends and TONS of knowledge! These are the main things I have received from participating in pedigree assignment. I have also gained a great deal of personal satisfaction from creating realistic pedigrees for my horses and in having my horses used by other hobbyists."
-Daralyn Wallace

"I have gained the knowledge of color genetics."
-Lisa Smalley

"Pedigree assignment has been a huge help to me. First of all, it helped me learn how to get ORGANIZED! It also led me to learn a whole lot more about my computer by typing up so much stuff (pedigrees, ect.) Probably PA has helped me the most in learning just plain and simple horse stuff. I can now readily identify some major Quarter Horses and I know a whole lot more about the breed then I did before. This has really helped me out a lot because I can now go help out at the school farm and learn more about the Quarter Horses they have there by having even more prior knowledge. But the best thing about PA I think I've gained it meeting new and friendly horse crazy people like me!"
-Johanna Dolch

"I have learned more about the breed I love (American Saddlebred) and other breeds. I've been sidetracked so many times by interesting little developments that I find myself taking forever to pedigree a single model! I'm really weird in that I like my models to look phenotypically like the parents I chose for them, so that often takes a while."
-Angela Haagen

"Although I have not been involved in PA for very long, the time that I have spent in it has left me spinning at times from the vast amount of information, frustrated at others when the well runs dry...but always hungry and thirsty for more! Through this hobby I have met some great people and made some fun friends.

I look at horses differently now- not just another grazing aimal on the side of the road or a pretty picture in a magazine. I look at the animal and try to pick it apart from a phenotypic and genotypic standpoint. Instead of thinking, 'Wow, what a pretty horse...' or 'Hmmmmm I wonder what that tastes like...' (I'm kidding!), it's more like I wonder who's side that color came from, or I wonder if that is an offspring of so and so.

I look at pedigrees differently too. Instead of 'Oh poop, only 2 generations, guess I can't really use this...' It's more like, 'Oh year, I recognize that name....I'll bet I have that horse in my program' or 'WOW! Will ya get a load of this? I REALLY want this horse in my program!' PA has been a wonderful hobby and I am very very glad I became involved in it. So much fun and so many incredible horses out there - I know I'll never run out of fun and information."
-Morgan Haberman

"I have gained an openmindness towards non-Arabians. If you would have told me in 1990 that I would be heavily involved with stock breeds, I would have said 'You're crazy!' I started researching Quarter Horses to pedigree my Mesa and my Rough N'Ready Adios models. I fell in love with them, then expanded to Paints and then Appaloosas. Also, I used to be close-minded towards any Arabian other than the Egyptian- now I wish I hadn't given away all of my Polish Arab material back in the 80s!

The most important thing I have gained from PA is the friendship. If it hadn't been for IPABRA, it would have taken longer to meet all of y'all! The comradery and willingness to share information is to great in the model world....one could almost feel sorry for the real breeders who do not have this advantage!"
-Lissa Wickham

"Pedigree assignment helps beginners, as I was, understand more about horses, both real and model, and it teaches you about realistic ages for breeding, color and naming rules, ect. It has gradually introduced me to the rest of the world of model horses such as showing, racing, remaking, ect. and I have made many good friends through my contacts."
-Victoria Harding

"First and foremost, I have learned SO MUCH about horse genetics I couldn't even begin to explain! As a youngster, I would read all the books and learn the breeds like I was going to be tested on them! I learned where they were from, what they were for, and all that jazz. I started assigning breeds to my models but no pedigrees, as I didn't know what they were yet. But when I started PAing in 1990 (my first s/d list came from Jenniffer Lesh, the 'mother' of some of my dearest customs), I began to see what fun it was to do the research for picking the parents. I read over her list over and over and brought the s/d lists to school that I had also sent away for. I can still remember being made fun of for 'breeding model horses' in middle school! As I started accumulating more s/d lists, I began to notice that real horses could be used in PA and that baffled me for quite a while. Finally I started asking the necessary questions and got into real bloodlines. That is where my passion lies now (thanks to the internet!), scouring the net for sire listings and pedigrees. I never stop learning, and enjoy spreading the word of PA!

Not only have I gained knowledge of genetics and real bloodlines, I have also gained MANY wonderful pals along the way. I think that all of us can say that! If it weren't for all the nice people in the hobby who have helped me out over the years, I might have dropped out! It's a pleasure to be able to communicate with everyone and stand horses from their wonderful sires and dams! Three cheers for IPABRA for bringing us all together!"
-Amber Fraley

"Well, I for one have become very interested in color genetics from participating in pedigree assignment and have learned so much from Lesli Kathman's informative articles and e-mail posts. I've also become a bit more knowledgeable about the foundation and popular bloodlines in a variety of breeds, though there's still so much to learn!"
-Marce Evans

"I have gained a better understanding of what the various breed standards are and how important color genetics can be (i.e.- just because Breyer says it's an Arab, it doesn't mean it really IS an Arab!) I have also gained a better understanding of how much work is involved in pedigree assignment and in producing good, realistic, high-quality pedigrees. I used to be one of those people who said, 'Pedigree assignment, that's silly.' But I'm not anymore!"
-Shannon Tostanoski

"I've gained a great deal of knowledge of how color genetics work, plus I know a lot more about pedigrees than I knew before. As a teacher, I would suggest pedigree assignment as a hobby for kids because it is also a great way to learn research skills and persistence from all those hourses spent searching for just the right horse."
-Michelle Peck Williams

"Well, I guess one of the best parts (besides learning) is all of the friends I've made on the way. But I've also enjoyed the learning. I know now quite a bit about some of the breeds I like and specialize in. Someday, I would like to use this knowledge that I have gained in the PA world in the real breeding world (as in what line nicks well with another line.)"
-Caroline Spracklin

What have YOU gained from pedigree assignment? Write in and let us know! Our next topic will cover breeds and their bloodlines.... Many of us have a breed that we specialize in and know a great deal about. If you particularly enjoy researching a breed, what sort of bloodlines and sire lines do you use in your program? Why? Write in and voice your opinion!

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