Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> Yes, Ed.  I figured I'd get a lot of flak for that statement.
I suspect that perhaps some of us interpret "red flag" differently.  And I
agree with Kathy that sire and dam on the same premises is not near as
much a red flag with horses as it is with dogs, as the classified-ad puppy
mill situation is not anywhere near as full-blown with horses as it is
with dogs.

My interpretation of "red flag" in this sense is that it means something
that needs to be closely investigated, not necessarily that it means it is
a deal-breaker.  If both parents are on the premises, I would want to know
if these are breeders who are members of their parent breed club, if they
compete in any way with their dogs, if they do health testing, etc.  Yes,
you will sometimes find folks with small programs who do those things, and
are VERY conscientious about the matings they do.  But they are in the
minority of "both-parents-on-premises" dog breeders.  In five generations,
there was one point where we could have stated that--but it was because we
had kept a pick-of-litter male and then scoured the countryside for a
bitch that complimented him.  We purchased a pick-of-litter bitch puppy
from a long-established breeder whose lines had already proven to be a
good nick with the lines behind our boy.  The girl we kept from that
mating was a lovely dog, and just passed away a little over a year ago at
nearly 13 years of age--very long-lived for a Mastiff.  She had good
conformation, good temperament, and was sound until she was quite elderly.

Which brings up another good point--do the breeders expect to keep a puppy
from the litter themselves to carry on their program?  If they don't think
enough of the mating to have plans to keep a puppy, that is another red
flag to me.

Heidi


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Riding alone is when you teach a horse all the "tools" and "cues" he
needs to handle the trail, to hold a speed, deal with hills, etc. It's
also where you develop the "bond" that causes him to "defer" to you
before losing his cool. ~ Jim Holland ~

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