Balanced Breeding
Balanced breeding
Uli Hahn from the German Hanoverian Society said " Overall we have to ask ourselves - what is preventing us from breeding better horses? And how can we remove these obstacles?"
Balanced breeding is a concept designed by pedigree analyst experts such as Clive Harper, Ken Mclean, Kathleen Kirsan, and Alan Porter
It refers to the deliberate designing of a pedigree structure so that key superior ancestors are reinforced in a controlled, sex-balanced way to increase a horses genetic potency and their ability to reliably produce in the next generation.
Rather than simply doubling up on fashionable names, balanced breeding combines sex balanced line breeding, inbreeding and outcrossing, and encompasses the use of filly factors and colt factors, which are the building blocks of any planned breeding
The goal is a genetically compatible combination of two pedigrees where influential ancestors are strategically repeated through different branches of relatives - increasing the likelihood that desired traits become genetically fixed and more consistently expressed. Targeting ancestors through male and female strains brings the XY chromosomes back together - and allows the breeder to get any sex-linked genes into the mix.
In performance horse breeding, this approach aims to produce horses that are not just talented performers, but are reliable transmitters of athletic ability across generations.
The principles of pedigree theory and balanced breeding can be used alongside the all-important issues of conformation, temperament and soundness to help breeders make clearer and more informed decisions as a way to breed better horses.
Breeding is always a gamble - we cannot control what genes are passed on - and every dip into the parental pool will yield a different result - but we can increase the percentage of desirable gene groupings and female strains in a mating - and significantly influence the odds with the use of scientific selective breeding techniques which maximise the probability of breeding better horses
Balanced breeding involves planning genetically compatible matings for bloodlines which work well together using pedigree analysis techniques - these are selective breeding strategies that can help breeders make decisions based on actual research and scientific data
It also gives breeders a more thoughtful creative input into choosing stallions - it moves beyond simply breeding like to like - or champion to champion - and allows for the strategic design of a foals genetic makeup - with decisions grounded in analysing and mirroring successful gene groupings and female family strains
By integrating these tools breeders are equipped to make decisions that are scientifically sound and favourably aligned with their goals - it is a more comprehensive method of selecting sires rather than playing at genetic lotto with random matings and popular stallions
Some breeders may remain resistant, viewing these tools as overly complex or un -necessary
They are not meant to replace or undermine the experiences, insights, methods and systems that breeders have been using for many years - they are meant to provide more support and additional indicators - for those that are interested.
These tools are designed to complement existing methods to add another dimension to informed decision making - and provide insights into identifying patterns and factors that may otherwise go unnoticed
Pedigree analysis and balanced breeding work must be done alongside strict evaluation of each individual horse's phenotype and characteristics. Pedigree does not eclipse conformation - and matings should not be planned on the basis of pedigree alone.
The four building blocks of balanced breeding that can be built into pedigrees are:
Colt Factors
1. a son and daughter of a sire
2. sons of a mare
Filly Factors
3. a son and daughter of a mare
4. daughters of a sire
Colt Factors
A son and daughter of a sire is the most common and easiest factor to find and plan for - it is simply sex balanced line breeding. Stallions also have far more progeny than mares
1. A son and daughter of a sire would be achieved by having a horse by De Niro out of a Sir Donnerhall mare - De Niro is a son of Donnerhall and Sir Donnerhall's dam is by Donnerhall.
2. Two sons of a mare would be achieved by joining Sandro Hit and Diamond Hit in a pedigree - both are sons of the mare Loretta - an example is Special Diva, the dam of Total Diamond PS.
Filly Factors
3. A son and daughter of a mare can be seen in Sky Diamonds Pedigree. He is by Sir Donnerhall who is by Sandro Hit and out of the mare Loreanna who is a full sister to Sandro Hit
He is 2 x 1 to a son and daughter of the mare Loretta.
sky diamond pedigree
Hot Hit's dam is another example.
Dam Las Palmas is 1 x 2 to son and daughter of mare Loretta - Diamond Hit and La Traviata
He is 2 x 3 to son and daughter of top mare Ganseliesel - Beltain and Wolke
(Marbel mare family)
Destano is 5 x 4 to daughters of the mare Marbel - Ganseliesel and Ferbel - (Marbel mare family)
Capitol i is 3 x 2 to son and daughter of mare Vase
Caletto i is 4 x 5 to son and daughter of the mare Trimestral
Mares have far less progeny than stallions - it is a lot rarer to see two or more progeny of a mare in pedigrees - especially within 5 generations - and in an open stud book with hybrid horses. Even in closed studbooks it is rare to find
A horse with 2 or more different progeny of a mare within 5 generations is said to have the Rasmussen factor Rommy Favershams book '' Inbreeding to Superior Females''
When two or more progeny of a mare are found within 5 generations pay serious attention - it is a lot more powerful than sires in the same position - and particularly in breeding stock, these horses are veritable goldmines. Mares play a bigger role in determining the quality and sport ability of the foal due to the all-important X chromosome, sex linked characteristics and mitochondrial DNA.
4 . Daughters of a Sire
Jazz is 5 x 4 to two daughters of stallion Antonio
Gribaldi is 4 x 5 x 2 to three daughters of Ibikus
Beltain is 4 x 4 to two Duellant daughters
Casall is 4 x 5 to Aldato daughters and 5 x 5 to Matador daughters
Daughters of a sire have a special significance seemingly for both performance and breeding And they are quite difficult to build into matings because sons of a sire are far more common.
They are not sex balanced like having a son and daughter of a bloodline, but even so, they are often seen in top breeding horses
Many sires are unable to found a line of successful stallion sons but they will have success instead through their daughters as dam sires, and these particular sires may have a more female pedigree with filly factors such as daughters of a sire
Example
Research has shown that colts and fillies have slightly different pedigree requirements and rarely is a mating as good for both sexes
It is recommended that good colts should have more colt factors and good fillies have more filly factors in their pedigrees. Clive Harper found that as with most things in nature - a balance is needed between the two. A top broodmare will certainly need filly factors but will also need a balance of colt factors and vice versa.
Filly factors are very important for prepotent broodmares as well as performers
Harold Hampton says "It is this method of bringing in a son and daughter of a mare - that is responsible for the greatest number of good performance fillies"
Filly factors are beneficial for both sexes - Top stallions often have a full or half sibling feature - and siblings of any kind are great for both - they build strength and complexity into pedigrees and allow these horses to set type and sport ability more reliably
"Siblings (in the engine room) seem to be able to gather the strength from the past and bring it forward for utilisation in the current generation" Ken Mclean
Les Brinsfield " Nothing is as volatile in a pedigree as a full brother and sister"
Kathleen Kirsan " Creating full sibling configurations is one of the strongest designs in pedigree potency."
Full brothers and half brothers - are a very powerful feature for stallions to have - sons of a mare - colt factor
Calypso 1, 11, 111 - 4 x 5 to Favorit and Friedland
Floriscount 6 x 5 to Pik As and Perser
Graf - 3 x 2 to Flugfeur 1 and 11
Fidertanz is 5 x 6 to Abhang 1 and 111
Weltmeyer is 4 x 4 to Flugeladjutant and landeck
Landadel is 4 x 5 to Anblick xx and Abendfrieden xx
Ravallo is 3 x 4 to Abhang 1 and 111
Ludendorf is 4 x 5 to Feldmarschall and Ferrara
Bluefields Floreno 4 x 5 Pik Bube i and ii
Total Diamond PS 3 x 3 Sandro Hit and Diamond Hit
Diamantenglaz 2 x 4 Sandro Hit and Diamond Hit
Daughters of a sire - Filly Factors - are also very useful for stallions:
De Niro's dam is 3 x 4 to two daughters of Ferdinand
Veneno is 5 x 5 to two Welt As daughters
Ladykiller xx is 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 to four daughters of Chaucer
Regardez Moi is 3 x 5 to two daughters of Angelo xx
Gribaldi is 4 x 5 x 2 to daughters of sire Ibikus
Quaterhall is 4 x 5 to two daughters of Grenadier
Lordanos - 3 x 3 two daughters of Calypso i
Sezuan's Donnerhall is 3 x 3 to daughters of Don Schufro
Furstenball is 3 x 2 to two daughters of Donnerhall
Fiji is 4 x 4 to two daughters of Pik bube ii
Daughters of a Sire
Daughters of a sire do not even need a sex balance with a male line in a pedigree - they have unique properties of their own. They can also provide a valuable sex balance in a pedigree to other bloodlines that appear via sons only
Blu Hors Zack shows a pattern that is very common in Dutch horses
He is 6 x 6 to Furioso II and Mexico (brothers)
And he has two daughters of the sire Pericles at 5 x 6
It is a more difficult and complex pattern but appears often enough to show that it works
The situation is slightly different for mares - they will definitely benefit from full and part siblings, but mares can also have full brothers present and a lot of sex balanced line breeding - more of a 'colt ' type pedigree.
This type of mare can be a good performer, but as a broodmare - she will produce better colts than fillies.
Daughters of a mare
Mares whose progeny appear on both sides of a pedigree of course refers to siblings - full, half, three quarter, and sisters
Finding 2 or more progeny of mare both sides of a pedigree is extremely difficult in hybrid horses which can contain so many breeds in the one horse
Daughters of a mare are not given a classification, just like sons of a sire are not.
However, progeny of a mare should be taken any way you can take it - full sisters are particularly significant or just two different daughters of a mare that are half related - are always a wonderful addition in a pedigree - if on the tail line of the falling dam it can also bring into play superior MtDNA and sex-linked genes.
If on the tail dam line of both stallion and mare sides then it kicks the genetic power into the stratosphere - this is called the Formula One pattern (Rommy Faversham)
Hilltop Bugatti GP horse
is an example of this. He is 3 x 4 to the full sisters Paola and Pirola. They are not just any full sisters they are the full sisters to Pik Bube i and ii. They also appear in the new young horse star Daan G
Quaterhit is inbred to half siblings, daughters of the mare Poesi at 3 x 1 - Passionata and Poetin 111. These siblings have benefitted Quaterhit, he is a GP horse and with this pedigree dominance should prove to be a dominant producer.
Destano is 5 x 4 to daughters of the mare Marbel - Ganseliesel and Ferbel - and he was an Olympic horse
World Cup i is 4 x 4 to daughters of the mare Fobuza - Goldwelle and Golfkleid - he was a top hanoverian foundation sire and far more influential via his daughters as a dam sire rather than founding a line of stallion sons - he has a very female pedigree
If you are lucky enough to find a horse with siblings within 6 generations - this will most likely be the power line and the source of the athletic talent in the horse.
You can also build siblings into your own pedigree designs
Breeders need to learn and identify which stallion and mare lines carry full siblings and plan matings accordingly. We can learn which mare lines have siblings that are carried in stallions whose semen is available to buy today.
For Instance - If you have a Sandro Hit mare and you want to expand on the Loretta mare family you can research which available stallions carry Diamond Hit or a sister to these stallions - in their pedigree.
If you have a mare by Alabaster - Alabaster's dam Waleska is the grand dam of stallion Hotline - you could find a stallion with Hotline in the pedigree.
If you have a mare by Grannus II, his dam Wenita is the third dam in stallion Foundation and Glocks Flavio - again for combining a son and daughter of a mare in a pedigree.
You can read more about these under the Mating Strategies Tab.