Susanne Manz, Manz Dressage Horses
Twin Cities area, Minnesota I’ve loved horses my whole life and always wanted to ride. But, in the last couple of years, I’ve been able to devote some of my time to my other passion – breeding dressage horses. Lately, I’ve been thinking about all the things a breeder of sport horses needs to know in order to successfully and responsibly breed sport horses: · History and Strategy of Sport Horse Breeding · Conformation and Form to Function concepts · Genetics and heritability o Breeding values and statistics o Selection of breeding horses · Equine reproduction techniques · Riding concepts and how they shape your breeding goals · Registries for Sport Horses · Business concepts for breeders · Advertising and Promotion techniques o Including photography, video, showing, social media, etc. · Nutrition and feeding of breeding horses · Bloodlines and their strengths and weaknesses There is obviously a huge body of knowledge that is important in shaping our goals for breeding as well as our ability to achieve those goals and market (or keep) the results. I wish there were a Sport Horse Breeders Comprehensive Handbook, but there isn’t. I haven’t found one source of information that fulfilled all my needs in a comprehensive manner. But, the following sources of information have been helpful to me: · Organizations such as USSHBA focused on Breeding of Sport Horses · Organizations such USDF, USEF, USHJA, FEI that determine expectations and standards for competition · Organizations/Registries that provide standards and criteria for selection and registration of sport horses o Inspections/Keurings o Stallion Shows, approvals o Auctions and other marketing outlets · Various books, magazines, on-line forums · Registry meetings, courses, tours · Competitions for sport horses · Riding instructors · On-line forums and social media · Formal education such as equine studies, business school, etc. · Networking, meeting, and talking to other breeders I have voraciously consumed all the materials I can get on breeding dressage horses. But, there are lots of gaps in the written materials currently available. I live in Minnesota (for now anyway) and I don’t have many opportunities here to interact with other breeders of dressage horses. As such, I’ve had to travel quite a bit to network with other breeders and see horses and inspections/keurings. I take advantage of Registry tours and structured seminars (like the USSHBA Breeders seminar) for educational opportunities. And there are some excellent breeder groups on Facebook that allow good discussion. USSHBA has a mission to support US Breeders through education, recognition and outreach. They have already conducted seminars and are planning additional seminars. Tell us what areas of education are most interesting to you. We welcome your comments.
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Susanne Manz, Manz Dressage Horses Twin Cities area, Minnesota Two years ago, I retired from corporate life and embarked on a new journey. I set out to explore one of my life-long passions: breeding and raising warmblood dressage horses. I was so excited. Dressage had always been a passion and now I finally had time to devote to deepening my knowledge! I sought out every opportunity to read, learn, visit, talk to, and explore that I could find. I did quite a bit of traveling, in Europe and the US, to meet other people, share experiences, see facilities, and understand the rich history of breeding warmblood dressage horses. And the horses… I got to see some amazing horses! It is an on-going journey. I’ve learned so much and realize how much more I have to learn. In a series of blogs for USSHBA, I will share some of my experiences. And I hope to hear back from you regarding your experiences and how they shaped your breeding program. It is through the sharing of knowledge and experience, that US Breeders can become more successful in our journey of providing the horse of choice to US owners, riders, competitors, spectators, and friends. Joining USSHBA has been a rewarding experience for me and has opened up many learning opportunities. In March of this year, I attended the first USSHBA Breeder’s Course at Hilltop Farm in Maryland. It was a great event! The featured speaker was Christian Schacht, author of the book Sport Horse Conformation. Of course, I had already read the book. But, hearing Dr. Schacht’s lecture and stories in person made things so much more real. More importantly, we were able to put our new found knowledge to work by actually evaluating some real horses. Dr. Schacht encouraged us all to evaluate the horses and express our opinions. Verbalizing my opinion made me be more thoughtful, organized, and methodical about my approach to evaluating horses. After seeing the horses in hand we were able to see them again under saddle. It was a great opportunity to link our conformational analysis to movement and performance. I also really enjoyed hearing form two veterinarians from Select Breeders Services. Dr. Paul Loomis talked about stallion management and Dr. Dave Scofield talked about mare management. They both brought so much knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm to their topics. Dr. Loomis and Dr. Scofield both addressed current technical information but also shared some very thoughts about quality control aspects of using frozen semen. My only regret was that I hadn’t heard this a year or two earlier. We also had sessions on insurance and nutrition. But, for me, the best part of the experience was meeting some fellow breeders and getting to know them better. A seminar like this provides a unique opportunity to meet and network with others who share the same passion. And, of course, Hilltop Farm is such a professional and beautiful facility. The staff at Hilltop were very generous in sharing their facility, their knowledge, and allowing us to see their beautiful horses! USSHBA has a mission to support US Breeders through education, recognition and outreach. The Breeder’s Course was a great forum to bring forth issues of concern and opportunity. I know that it really helped this US Breeder of warmblood dressage horses along my journey. Over the next few months, I’ll share more experiences and more details.
Mary O’Connor, USHSBA President and USEF Horse Recording and ID Task Force member
Keeping track of offspring after sale was a high-priority concern expressed by breeders to those who came together to discuss formation of the USSHBA more than five years ago. Once established, the group’s first efforts were dedicated to making the voice of breeders heard on this issue at the highest levels of equestrian sport governance, helping lead to the formation of the USEF’s National Horse Recording and ID Task Force. The Task Force was created in July of 2014, and oversaw passage of new USEF Horse ID rules the following year and landmark 2016 rule changes requiring microchips a) for all USHJA competitors to earn points in their respective divisions beginning with the 2018 competition season and b) in order to participate at all the USEF/USHJA competitions in the 2019 competition season.
The enactment of these new policies will be a watershed for sport horse breeders on the issue of positive ID. They are to be gradually phased in and will be fully implemented as of December 1 2018 (for the 2019 competition year). Although their current rules do not require microchipping, it is anticipated that other disciplines (Dressage, Eventing, etc) will eventually follow suit. All who participate in activities other than H/J are advised to encourage those involved in their discipline group governance to adopt similar policies. Q. What can breeders do now to provide the greatest assurance that they will be able to track the sport careers and changes of ownership of the horses they produce? There are two steps to take. First, have all young stock microchipped, and second, take the initiative to ensure they are each Life Recorded with USEF and that the microchip number is included on their USEF Horse Recording Application Form. The fee for recording foals in their first year is modest ($35 as of this posting). Although many breeders are USEF members, it is not necessary to be a USEF member either to record a foal or to be the owner of record. With an initial USEF recording in place, it will be a rule infraction regardless of discipline if a future owner attempts to obtain a new USEF recording rather than properly notify the USEF of a change of ownership and/or change of name. Association of the implanted microchip number with a foal’s initial USEF Life Recording will provide assurance that any subsequent transfers of ownership and/or name changes will be searchable in the USEF’s database using the microchip number. Q. What type of microchip must be used to comply with these rules? The requirements follow those of the FEI and EU: a fifteen digit ISO compliant 11784/11785 chip, implanted in the nuchal ligament. Your equine veterinary specialist is the best source of information if you are unsure of how to obtain the correct chip type. Q. What other information can be provided on the USEF Life Recording Application form? There are data fields for breed registry name and number of the foal, sire, dam, and damsire as well as markings. There is a data field for the USEF number of the breeder, but again, it is not necessary to be a USEF member to record your foal or to be listed as the owner of a foal. Q. Once horses are microchipped and USEF Life Recorded, are there any other steps to take? Be sure to include the microchip number with your your application for breed registry papers, and when you receive it, also notify the registry of the USEF Recording Number of your foal. A few registries (such as the American Hanoverian Society) will provide for USEF recording of foals in their registration process so a separate USEF application will not be necessary. Discipline group registrations may also be required in some instances. Q. What if I have further questions? Send your questions to info@usshba.org. The USSHBA is currently in the process of compiling information by registry regarding microchip and registration policies, and will post this information with links when this is completed.
Thanks to Diana Dodge, Nokomis Farm, Old Dominion Equine Associates, and Tim Kammerer for their assistance in making this video.
This video webcast consists of two parts. The first covers the basics of the mare's reproductive cycle including estrus, diestrus, anestrus, seasonality, adding lights, outward signs, and the hormones involved. Part two covers the basics of the normal delivery process of foals including lots of pictures, when NOT it interfere, when TO interfere, and when to call for help. A helpful refresher course as we enter breeding and foaling season.
Geoff Tucker, DVM received his veterinarian degree at Cornell University. Though Dr. Tucker graduated from one of the top elite veterinarian schools in all of the country, he is extremely down to earth, caring and has a true passion for educating horse owners and helping equine animals throughout the globe. He is the founder of the Equine Practice, Inc. Visit his website to learn more about Dr. Tucker and to access his educational articles and webinars through his online learning center, The Horse's Advocate.
As a new feature, we're going to share some of our members' favorite books. As foaling and breeding season is getting into full swing, now's the right time for some breeding-oriented books. Judy Hedreen, one of the original Steering Committee members, had these suggestions to share. Thank you Judy! These are oldies, but goodies: Blessed are the Broodmares, M. Phyllis Lose This book covers all the aspects of preparing for foaling, the actual birth, and educating the new breeder on what a successful birth involves and what you need to know and be prepared to do in the event of dystocia, or things just go wrong. Some people have complained the book is a terrifying read for newbies, but I reread it every couple of years for review. Breeding Management and Foal Development, Equine Research, Inc. The basic, comprehensive reference book on breeding management, breeding plans, artificial insemination, etc., through the foal's first year, written for the lay-person. Easily understood with lots of pictures and charts, well cross-referenced. Equine Genetics and Selection Procedures, Equine Research, Inc. While there is much new information now available in the genetics field, this book is still a good, well-written basic primer for the new breeder. This is written for the lay-person. Adam's Lameness in Horses or Adam's and Stashak's Lameness in Horses (this is the most recent edition). For me, this is the bible on lameness in horses. A college level text (so it can be a little difficult for the lay-person), every raiser of horses should have in their library. You will feel more confident when talking with veterinarians, asking questions, understanding what they are diagnosing and why certain treatments or surgeries are recommended or not. These books may all be purchased on Amazon. USSHBA is one of the non-profits that is part of Amazon's Smile Program. For every item you purchase, a small donation is given to the non-profit of your choice. |
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AuthorsA collaborative effort produced by the USSHBA Education Committee, USSHBA members, and our partners. Archives
January 2021
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