Observational Essay; The Sales Pitch of Horse Breeding

Horse breeding is becoming more popular and competitive just as the sport of horseback riding is evolving into a more competitive and money driven sport. It is no longer solely about winning the competitions. A major part of the sport is the horse’s pedigree, what are its bloodlines, where the horse was bred, how the horse moves, how much the horse cost, and the list goes on and on. Owners and breeders alike strive for the perfect offspring. They hope to produce one that will become a champion and make a name for itself, a horse that other people will want. Because of this, there are numerous aspects that must be taken into careful consideration when choosing the stallion, the male horse that is bred to, for your mare, the female horse that is bred. For example, conformation, performance, height, previous offspring, breeding success, etc. are all factored into the breeding equation. There are many necessary steps in the process of choosing the proper stallion to get the desired results from breeding. The most important step in choosing the proper stallion is going and viewing the sales pitch given by the stallion’s owner that showcases all of the positive assets that the stallion has and explains why the stallion is superior to others. This is similar to a commercial you would see on TV, only it is produced in equine terms.

In Colorado, there are three prominent breeding facilities that offer breeding to exceptional stallions; Plum Creek Hollow in Larkspur, Colorado, Crooked Willow Farms in Larkspur, Colorado, and Middle Fork Ranch in Lyons, Colorado. Although these facilities do not primarily focus on breeding, their websites place a strong emphasis on their stallions and their abilities to catch the attention of potential breeders. Crooked Willow Farms is the best known facility of the three. It is well-known for producing high quality offspring during the breeding season. Matt Davis, who runs Crooked Willow Farms, has mastered the essential sales pitch of the Crooked Willow Farms stallions to potential breeders.

Upon my arrival at Crooked Willow Farms, Matt Davis was waiting outside the parking area to greet me. He welcomed me with a warm greeting, and then proceeded to begin his sales pitch. He asked some questions about my mare to try and figure out which stallion would be the best match for her. He also asked about my breeding goals; what breed, how old, how big, what is my primary reason for breeding her, what do I hope to get in the offspring? After he asked all of the questions he had and heard my responses, he stood there thinking, looking around the facility at the different barns and rubbing his hands together, as he processed all of my information. After a moment he responded with, “I think that Acord III will be your best bet. He is our most sought after stallion who throws the best offspring. But, if you would like, you can look at Chaleon, he is the second pick by breeders at our facility.” We decided that I would look at both of them, just to see which one I liked the most and thought would be the best mix with my mare.

We walked down to the lower barn to Chaleon’s stall and stood outside the stall for a moment while Chaleon was running around inside the 12’ by 14’ stall. He was quite agitated because all of the other horses around him had been put outside, and he was just waiting his turn. I tried to pet him to see if he was friendly and he nipped at my hand. Matt looked at me and said, “That’s another reason why I would recommend Acord. He is far more docile and personable, and he has a more even temperament.” After that, we turned and walked up towards the upper barn. Acord was out on turn out, so Matt told me to go into the barn where it is heated and make myself at home while he went to go get Acord.

A few minutes later, Matt returned with Acord at his side-the second part of his sales pitch. He walked into the barn and put Acord in the cross-ties and took his blanket off. Acord was body clipped, perfectly defining his build and muscle tone, to show off his best attributes. Matt looked at me, “While I’m cleaning him up a little bit for you, why don’t you try to get to know him a little bit. He’s really quiet, so feel free to walk around and look at him.” I let Acord sniff me before I began petting his muzzle, then I began to walk around him and look at him. As I stood next to him, his back loomed over my head. I walked around Acord and Matt began listing all of his accomplishments in the show world and the performance records of his offspring-the third part of the sales pitch. Matt got Acord brushed off and picked the ice out of his feet. We went into the arena for the most critical part of the sales pitch, a demonstration of Acord’s abilities.

This is the true selling point. Matt walked to the far end of the arena and put Acord on a lunge-line then headed back toward the center of the arena. Acord began going in circles around Matt, playing at first, then he settled in and began to show his true abilities. As he was lunging him, Matt was explaining every detail of Acord and his training. While he was talking, Acord settled in even more and began trotting around in a majestic, elastic, floating trot, his neck and back muscles accentuated perfectly. After watching Acord move in both directions, Matt and I walked back into the barn and put Acord away. On the way to Acord’s stall we passed a wall full of pictures and Matt pointed out all of the ones of Acord. Each picture demonstrated Acord’s spectacular jumping ability and form. We then talked more about Acord and what I thought of him and whether or not I though he would be a good match for my mare. Matt sent me home with a DVD showcasing Acord’s abilities and his offspring’s abilities; a reinforcement of what I had just seen in person.

The sales pitch is the most crucial part in the selection process of choosing the proper stallion for your breeding goals. It showcases the desired attributes that each stallion has to offer and allows the breeder to pick which stallion will be the best match for their mare. This process makes it easier for breeders to select the stallion that will give them the best offspring.