Father's Day

If stallions were to receive Father's Day cards, it would cause an overload for the mail delivery system. Stallions can father many foals in a year's time and can have years of stud service. For example, during the years he stood at stud (1973-1989), Secretariat sired over six hundred foals. Since the Jockey Club (the Thoroughbred Horse registry) only allows live cover, no mare since his death will ever have a foal sired by Secretariat.

Every year at the Minnesota Horse Expo, there are stallion presentations. The owners show off their stallions and the spectators are informed as to what traits the studs are likely to pass on to their foals. Often reduced breeding fees are offered to those who buy breeding rights at the Expo. I remember one stallion about whom it was said that no matter what color the mare was, because of his genes, all his offspring would have his coloring.

When it comes the American Quarter Horse, Western Horseman has done an entire series about notable stallions and mares and their offspring. I still see the names of those famous horses listed in the lineage of horses today.

Usually a horse's parentage will be listed as "by (insert stallion's name here) out of (insert mare's name here)." While the stallion is given credit first, the mare does add to the mix. However, since I'm writing this on Father's Day 2013, I won't talk much about mares in this entry.

Two methods of breeding are:
1) Live cover, where the stallion and mare breed normally, whether in a breeding stall or out in the field on their own.
2) Artificial insemination, as known as A.I., where sperm from the stallion is inserted in the mare by a veterinarian or other specialist.
(There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods, which are beyond the scope of this entry.) Most breed registries will allow A.I., the notable exception being the Jockey Club.

Now that I think about it, since domesticated stallions aren't involved with the mares or foals after the mare is pregnant, stallions probably wouldn't receive Father's Day cards after all. . .