Finding the right stallion is
not simple.
Hopefully, you will find more than you expected
here.
Yes, it is a large site, since we have
been online and developing it since 1993. It can be be a
bit overwhelming by the scope and size of our resources.
So, this page is offered to get you
connected quickly to the type of information you seek.
See the
sidebar menu on the left now if you are in a rush.
It may help to know that HorsesOnly is more a labor of love than a
purely commercial site. It's one of
the few equine places left on the web that that doesn't bombard you
with advertising and tricks to sell your something you don't
need or want.
Our site wasn't built with out-of-the-box programming
because nothing was available with enough capacity,
power or proper design to handle our goals. We are currently developing
a custom programmed online pedigree database with quality controls
in place to assure the accuracy of bloodlines, performance and progeny
of horses before they are cleared as permanent data in the system. It
will be far more reliable than sites which allow uncensored public
input.
HorsesOnly.com is owned, designed and
constructed by a horse nut who is probably as crazy as her bankers think.
(I wish there were more of them with horse sense, but like they
say ... there is still plenty around, but the horses have most of
it.)
The resources you see on
our web pages are the result of data accumulated and compiled by me over 40
years while offering Quarter Horse pedigree research and sale catalog
preparation services. I believe pedigree matters and have seen the results
that prove it. It's not an easy thing to see in a piece of pie,
but you slice pies thousands of times and begin to see the consistency that
reveals itself, it's impossible to stop slicing and studying. We
want to make it possible for people to get this knowledge without
repeating the process of finding it.
Information is around, but there is so
much, how do you know what matters, what's accurate, what it
means, and how to make best choices from it? Otherwise, all you have to
go on are published show and sale results, hype and smoke, and
familiar
names in pedigrees with no real understanding of their significance.
Statistical summaries don't tell enough. Compared to what? Basically, it's a guess-and-hope game with not much solid
information to sink your teeth into.
Anything you can do to improve your odds of
success is critical. Especially when you consider the cost of owning
horses ... I've noticed they never stop eating ... plus the enormous
amount of time and effort it takes to achieve your goals. It's not like
raising rabbits. Plus, you can't eat your mistakes.
Over the years, I have found that certain
ancestors seem to show up in consistently in superior performers.
Often these important ancestors are mares. It's very hard to put this
together except after tracing huge numbers of pedigrees back to their
earliest roots. A gut feeling or recognition begins to develop,
followed by the realization that certain remote ancestors are not only
key to a successful pedigree, but are a necessary ingredient.
Additionally, the location on the pedigree chart, and the
duplicated presence and location of his or her ancestors, as well
as the number of generations between related ancestors can greatly
influence the quality and characteristics you are breeding or searching
for.
This study is totally fascinating. Much more
significant than simple mathematical calculations of the percentage of
blood in a pedigree to a certain ancestor or ancestors ... usually
quantified to determine eligibility for registration in certain
foundation breed organizations. Deep pedigree research is very
interesting. Once you are bitten by the bug, you are hooked forever.
My desire is to get this sort of information
into your hands and let you come to conclusions that support your
situation. It's a whole lot better than fumbling in the dark ... not to
mention, more fun and much more likely to result in success.
After all, every horse breeder is trying to breed a better horse.
Whether you are a stallion owner or a horse
breeder, it is my hope that our resources will enable you to establish a
better trail.
Enjoy,
Andrea Mattson
www.HorsesOnly.com
