HGG Community Forums

I tend to try to keep a pretty tight rein on my stallion numbers. I see that you have the Basic Upgrade. If you can afford it, I highly recommend the use of the Comparison Test to sort out which of your lined stallions are the best in each generation....but this test gets expensive quick.

So...

If you have excess Rank Special foundations, I highly recommend that you put them up for public stud (assuming you haven't GMTd on any extra, closed genes) so they can supplement their show income with some stud fees. Remember a lot of Rank Specials go up for stud, so keeping your fees low is likely to get your boys more business if they don't have anything extra special going on.

If you have excess random create foundations and they're older and leveled off, there is not really any point in snipping them so, again, you can consider putting them up for public stud.

If you have lined colts whose bloodlines you have easy access fo, who are young, and who have nice high PT scores, you might consider snipping them for show ponies. Remember you can always pull and store 20 or 25 straws if you think you might want access to those genes in the future.

If you have colts that you don't want to fall into someone else's hands for whatever reason, but that you aren't breeding from and don't have plans to breed to in the future. I would highly recommend snipping them. It's too easy to accidentally throw someone in the auction or up for sale and then regret it...

I also keep a few excess upper gen stallions who have papered well around to breed to auction fodder mares in the pasture. When I go on a create spree, any mares that pass Breeding Advice but that I don't need get thrown in a pasture and I breed them to one of my nice lined stallions. The mares then get tossed in the auction. I PT the foals and anyone with a PT lower than 10 goes to the auction and still makes me a nice healthy profit. Anyone with a PT over 10 goes in my show herd.

Regardless, showing all of your boys, lined or Foundation, snipped or intact, every single week is the best way for them to earn their keep!

I don't worry too much about my stallion numbers. I show them and put them up for stud. If I don't use them someone else might want to.