Beginner's Barn - Selecting Parents & Requesting Breedings
by Mary Vinyard

In the last installment we talked about the things you consider before selecting parent for your model including breed, color genetics and using real parents. This chapter will outline the steps you should take to request a breeding.

So you have picked a breed, thought up an age and determined the color combinations you can use to create your "foal". Now it is time to select some parents and request the breeding.

Using Real Horse Parents
When using real horse, there is nothing to "request" as a horse owner would truly not understand if you called and asked permission to use their stallion to create a model horse! We typically consider real horses "free" domain - you research their pedigree, age, and other information and then you can use them at will.

Many pedigree assignors participate in real mare registries, which track the foals (both real and model) of live mares in order to limit their foals to one per year as in the real horse world. If you wish to keep your herd this realistic, you should consider contacting the registrars before using a real mare as the parent of your model to assure her foaling date is available. More information on real mare registries can be obtained on the IPABRA site and through the newsletter.

Using Model Horse Parents
In order to use model horse parents, you will need a copy of some Sire & Dam (s/d) lists. These can be found online through the IPABRA web site or through advertisements by the s/d list owners. Typical lists include the stable's rules of breeding, requirements for request including any fees, and the listing of horses available by breed. Each horse will have its own listing. A standard entry will look something like this:

Bob Arabian (Bob's Sire x Bob's Dam) 1988 bay Arabian stallion. 4 socks, blaze. Egyptian bred. Live Show Champion in Western Performance. First Foal Crop: 92.

Some people choose to include more or less information depending on their preferences. Often, lists are broken out by breed and gender and Bob would be listed under Arabian stallions, deleting that information from his profile above.

Understanding the Codes
There are many abbreviations used on s/d lists. Some folks choose to outline these for the users. Others just assume that you will know them. The following are some codes you might find on a s/d list:

• FFC: First Foal Crop - the first year a sire had babies on the ground
• LFC: Last Foal Crop - the last year a sire had babies
• Open Years: Many hobbyists choose to limit their mare to one foal per year. These are the years that a mare is open to have a foal.
• (r) or ®: Denotes a real horse
• Lines: some folks choose to list bloodlines (a.k.a. lines) found in a horse's pedigree
• TB: Thoroughbred
• QH: Quarter Horse
• WB: Warmblood
• ROM: Register of Merit
• LOM: Legion of Merit
• HR: Hagen-Renaker
• SR: Special Run

Requesting the Breeding
After scanning the lists and real horses and choosing the correct pair for your model, it is time to submit the request. Most breeders will list the information required. Basic information needed would be name, sire & dame requested, age/foaling date, breed, sex, and color. Some require additional information such as markings and make/mold. This is completely up to the individual.

Using two parents off the same s/d list is the easiest route to go. You simply submit the required information to the breeder along with any required fees and then wait for the certificate to arrive. If you choose to use one real parent, you would need to forward a copy of this horse's information, as well as the same information as required on the foal, to the breeder.

You may also find two suitable parents on separate s/d lists. When this occurs, you will need to take some additional steps in the requesting process. Start by contacting each breeder and requesting your foal, just as above. Let them know what information you can on the other parent, as gathered off the s/d list, and also that your other request is pending certification. When you receive the information back from each breeder, you will need to forward the requested information. Each breeder's requirements will be different. Some may only need the information from the s/d list, while other might want the complete pedigree and information. If anything should change on your request from one breeder, such as a change in foaling date or requested parent, you must remember to notify the second breeder so that there is no confusion in records.

It might sound a difficult at first, but once you request a few, you'll quickly get the hang of it. With all breeding requests, remember to send your SASE!

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