| Author |
Message |
    
Cathy Hill
Neonate
Username: Smoothmule
Post Number: 6
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 12:44 pm: | 
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I'd like some information about breeding to reduce size. Not the miniatures, although I still have yet to find any real info on how they created the breed.
The MFTHBA has opened a pony registry. I plan to be a part of this new registry but I don't wish to breed haphazzardly. There must be some strategy for breeding to reduce size and maintain gait. It won't happen overnight but I'd love to find some articles on the subject and have not found anything on the subject.
The basic rules are that the pony must be from 2 registered MFT's or 1 MFT and a smaller horse or pony. They will get temporary papers but at age 5 they must remain 14 hands or under and be inspected for gait. That's it in a nutshell.
Is it better to breed a small pony stallion to a MFT mare? Or a pony mare to a MFT stallion? Should the resulting foal be bred back to a MFT or to another MFT pony? Will linebreeding or inbreeding be benificial to set in the characteristics? and at what point?
My goal is a 12 to 13 hand pony with the MFT gait. There are a few, very few MFT's that I know of that are under 14 hands but what about MFT to MFT if they are 14 hands or under then inbreed or linebreed?
Any thoughts or experiences to share???? |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 679
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, September 09, 2006 - 02:21 pm: |
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Cathy,
I certianally can not answer most of your questions! But I will tell you what we have experienced breeding large ponys. NOrmally we have crossed to increase size above horse size or to maintain a "large" pony. In doing so we have crossed a 54 in. and a 53.5 in. mares with different stallions. Normally a stallion that is over 15.2 crossed on these two pony mares have produced babys that mature out to be no more than 15 hands or 60 inches, when we would use a smaller quarter type stallion averageing around 15 hands we would get a baby that matures out closer to 14 hands maybe a bit smaller. So for us the size of stallion made a considerable size difference at maturitity.
good luck !
Kim |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 568
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 01:33 pm: |
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Cathy, we raise quarters and have been working for many years to get smaller sized ones. What we've done is find the smallest mares that we can and then the smallest stud, also we breed at two years of age and the foals are consistantly small. I would recommend that you find the smallest MFT mare that you can find and cross with either a small MFT stud, or a pony stud. Good luck, Ev |
Cathy Hill
Nursing Foal
Username: Smoothmule
Post Number: 15
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 15, 2008 - 11:40 pm: |
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I just found this post again and wanted to comment that in 2007, my 13.3 hand MFT mare foaled a lovely filly by our 10.2 hand stallion. This filly should mature at about 12 hands and she does foxtrot. I plan to breed her after she's older and has been shown and trained, to a reg MFT stallion that is 13.2 hands. |
Beth
Yearling
Username: Beth13
Post Number: 82
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 10:25 pm: |
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I just want to ask what is an MFT horse? Congrats on your filly Cathy. |
Cathy
Breeding Stock
Username: Cathy
Post Number: 314
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 11:29 pm: |
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MFT=Missouri Fox Trotter |
Mary Hyduck
Neonate
Username: Amira
Post Number: 7
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 09:08 am: |
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I breed Miniature horses and have found that smaller stallions bred to larger mares helps to reduce the size while minimizing the risk to the mare. |
Diana Gilger
Breeding Stock
Username: Kdgilger
Post Number: 589
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 - 12:28 am: |
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Hey mary, nice to see someone else in miniatures! I too breed tiny stallions to larger mares......smaller babies, easier foaling! |
Mary Hyduck
Neonate
Username: Amira
Post Number: 8
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 08:14 am: |
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Yes, I totally agree! It also helps to have a stallion that is more refined than the girls too.. My guy is around 30" at the withers and my girls are 34' and 37." It keeps the foaling stress down to a minimum. |
