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Some photos of Dyana for consideration of her conformation and how it will pair with a stallion.
Step 1: Should you breed your mare?
I have a mare, so that means I am obligated to breed her, right? HELL NO!!!! It should come as no surprise that I have decided to breed Lady Dyanaformer in 2023, but before we get too far into this adventure I wanted to give a strongly worded warning about breeding. This is definitely NOT a decision to take lightly, and if you're considering it I highly recommend doing LOTS and LOTS of homework and thinking it over at length - I have experience breeding and have been contemplating this decision and continually educating myself ever since I first decided to breed Dyana's dam, Lady Macjazz back in 2017. The decision to breed your mare will not only be very costly but it also can be very risky, so it should never be taken lightly. First and most importantly, TALK TO YOUR VET! Then seek out experienced breeders - not ones that have only bred a handful of horses but ones who have a strong professional reputation and a history of breeding foals that become successful athletes. If you're only breeding for temperament, reconsider your decision. You cannot guarantee anything about a foal, but you can confidently assess the temperament of a horse that is already alive and waiting to meet you. While I obviously take temperament into equal consideration with athleticism, I would never breed a horse strictly for her personality. It's important to assess health, conformation, pedigree and temperament equally. In addition to speaking with your vet and professional breeders, I also recommend taking lots of time to research reliable sources such as this article from TheHorse.com “Foals are cute and majestic, but foals will cost you $15,000-20,000 before you even know if they’re an athlete,” Espy says. “If you know the foal will be worth more than $15,000, then great. But if you’re looking for a $5,000 trail horse or kid-friendly horse, then you might want to go buy a 7-year-old gelding that has proven he’s got what it takes.” 
Step 2: Goals for the Foal
Follow along as Dyana and I work through my proven 4 C's Training Model: Consideration - Communication - Connection - Confidence   Lady Dyanaformer, commonly known as Dyana, is my homebred filly who went on to be my very first racehorse. After working to help transition more than 100 off track Thoroughbreds FROM racing in my career, I decided to transition in the opposite direction of my horses and go INTO racing for several reasons. Primarily, I wanted to share the good I have seen in racing, but I also wanted to be involved firsthand so that I could better understand the language Thoroughbreds learn during their racing careers. I also firmly believe that you can never truly impact change without having personal experience and walking alongside the people (and horses) you want to support or influence to change. After taking a very slow and thoughtful approach to Dyana's training and care, she ran her first race on June 15, 2021 at Belterra Park in Cincinnati. She won that first race quite impressively, and I was regularly reminded that a horse winning on her first try is the exception more than the rule - let alone a first time breeder who is also a first time owner. We were all very blessed and excited for Dyana's future as a racehorse.  |
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Blog AuthorsKyle Rothfus (aka Kyle the OTTB Mare Guy) Categories
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Mareworthy Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its tax identification number is 88-4420958