Choosing a stallion for your mare
Temperament, conformation and complementary bloodlines: how we think about every pairing.
Breeding · 2 October 2026 · 7 min read
Every spring, breeders ask us the same question: which stallion for my mare? There is no formula, but there is a way of thinking that rarely fails.
Start with your mare
Be honest about her strengths and her weaknesses. A stallion should complement, not copy. A careful, slightly short-strided mare is often best matched with a stallion who brings scope and length.
“Breed for the horse you would want to ride, not the one that looks best on paper.”
Temperament is inherited
We have bred horses for forty years, and we are certain of one thing: a difficult mind is passed on as reliably as a big jump. Choose stallions whose offspring you have seen ridden.
Look at the dam line
- Has the mare line produced sport horses, not only broodmares?
- Do the strengths repeat across generations?
- Are there soundness problems you would not want to double up?
Arthur Lenoir
Stud manager
