Sunday, December 2, 2012

Best Minister: Breeding Winning Thoroughbreds

By Muriel Noel


Everyone would love something that can make them two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in a few years, particularly in the current economic climate. Best Minister is a racehorse who made his owner slightly over that much in a career spanning several years. To attain such a show horse takes time and money.

There are several things to consider for anyone who would like to own these types of horses. The first is need. Thoroughbreds do not make good pets; they are known more for being high spirited. If the goal is a pet horse, gentler breeds such as Clydesdale and Quarter horses are recommended.

Another factor is money. These animals cost a lot of money to buy and maintain, and there is no guarantee that those will be recouped. One publication places the yearly maintenance cost at around thirty six thousand sterling pounds. Experts therefore recommend that the goal should be to own one for entertainment rather than as a money making venture.

This is normally used as a long term measure to introduce certain traits into a line that didn't have them. After intersection, the horses are then line bred or inbred to enhance the desired traits. This is an excellent way of making a line that has certain positive traits even better by adding in what was missing.

Another method is out of procreation. This involves the mating of two gelds that are the products of two distinctly separate lines. They should also not be the products of line reproduction. Out breeding is rarely employed since in most reproduction programs horses that would be used for it are not available; they have been bred out of existence.

The choice of what method to use depends on what the breeder wants to achieve. It is also a factor of what kind of animals they have available. Inbreeding and line reproduction are the most popular methods, with out crossing being used when a certain characteristic is missing. This is what it takes to develop winners like Best Minister.




About the Author:



No comments: