What To Do With The G

Since big, goofy Colt entered my life, Princess G has sort of continued to be on vacation (which started in about November). I ride her now and then, but I just don't have the motivation I once did. She's a super horse, but since she really, really hates jumping, she's not exactly the best horse for someone who's looking to reenter the eventing arena. I'm not terribly keen on the idea of only showing her dressage; I am going to take her foxhunting in the fall. (She was definitely not fit enough this spring.) I will probably take her to a couple of dressage shows this year, and possibly the spring hunter pace. But my main focus for showing and eventing will be Colt. 

So that leaves me with a question: What am I going to do with Gina?

Well, I certainly don't want to leave her in the pasture to continue her already way too long vacay. So...what, then?

I could sell her. She's a beautiful horse who definitely knows her dressage. She's not super old and is athletic enough to move up to higher levels. She has a good personality, has good manners, and is an easy keeper (especially for a Thoroughbred). Sounds like a plan! Except, well, I live in Oklahoma, which isn't exactly dressage central. And she's not a horse for a total beginner. And somehow, I don't think everyone loves her as much as I do. Before I got her, she'd been through 6 homes. I'd be concerned about where Gina would eventually end up. If she throws all of her idiosyncrasies at one owner who isn't as understanding as I am, they might get rid of her. And people here are totally okay with selling their horses at unsavory auctions. Gina doesn't deserve to be beaten or killed.

That leaves me with something I've been considering for a bit- I could breed her. Now, before anyone goes crazy and starts leaving nasty comments about horse overpopulation, let's take a moment to think about it. Gina has excellent conformation, good breeding, and great movement. She's sound as a dollar, easy to handle on the ground and under saddle (as long as show jumping isn't involved), and has produced good foals before. I firmly believe all of Gina's negative behaviors toward jumps are a product of poor training, not some sort of innate hatred of them. The G is already ISR/Oldenburg approved, too. There are undoubtedly a number of cons and generally uncontrollable things about breeding, but it isn't looking like a terrible option. 

That said, let's pretend breeding IS the best idea and do the fun part: stallion selection!

Wradar

Gina has been bred to Wradar before and had at least two foals by him. He is a very successful Oldenburg stallion and has accumulated a whole pile of honors in the dressage ring. I feel like I can have an opinion on his ability to produce nice offspring; he is Colt's sire. He is obviously a gorgeous, awesome horse. My only concern? I still don't know how much I like riding warmbloods. 

Tactical Cat

Now here's a good looking Thoroughbred stallion. Tactical Cat is right here in Oklahoma and has produced a number of successful racing offspring. His progeny are athletic and fast. While I wouldn't be breeding Gina to get a racehorse, I've had a lot of success with Thoroughbreds in the past and like them for their heart, intelligence, and athleticism. 

Goldmaker

Let's ignore Goldmaker's freaky coloring for a moment and focus on the positives: he's a fairly well conformed guy and according to his page, has a great personality. Other pictures of him under saddle indicate he's good on the flat and over fences. As an added bonus, he's a Thoroughbred. Even cooler? His unusual cremello color means that he'd probably produce an interesting looking offspring if mated with Gina. (Not that color's important, but it is a neat bonus.)

Now, I just need to find a few extra dollars to put into a stud fee to one of these guys...