Does anyone know where I can find a good Percheron stud(16hd) to breed my mare. Got to be close to central NC. All help is greatly appreciated!

I'm in MN so can't help, but can offer my observation. I joined a registered horse association and have found it to be not worth the membership fee. It's merely a 'good old boys' club'.

Ordered some hats from the association (I was impressed) and paid for them. Never got them, inquired and only got a snotty response.

Find a stud you like, use him on a horse you like and use the registration papers (if you have any) for personal hygiene needs.

If I'm wrong, someone prove it. The horse I like and want a foal out of could just as well have been a mongrel. Foal could be registered, but don't know if it's worth the bother and expense and frustration. Like the stud, but that's just him.

Grandpa liked some Clyde blood in his horses for the feathers. Didn't cut up the hocks pulling wood in the winter to the local creamery to sell for living expenses.

Older neighbors still talk fondly about "Syver's horses". And I remember them. Was impressed even as a little kid. He was born in 1872. I wish I was smart enough to have asked more questions. But I do know he was not fond of Republicans, corporations, salesmen and tractors or cars other than Ford products.

Anyways, just find a stud you like the looks and manner of and use him.

I just gave a Percheron stud to some Amish neighbors. We are about 8 hours from Charlotte though, I am sure you can find one closer than that.

JWaller, could you tell me how you really feel, you are so close mouthed! (big grin)

TW have to agree with j waller. Papers on a horse don't make them work any harder and they don't always get you any more money especially in todays market. If you're looking for a using animal look around and see who's doing what and go from there. If you are looking for color then you may have to go to the breed but if I saw a grade that matched my needs I'd do it.

I agree paper is for wiping. However, I still would like to find a Percheron stud for my mare. I like the Percherons I've owned and would like to locate a stud nearby. I haven't seen any studs locally that I'd want to breed to(of any breed). I do require the stud to be good natured, good work ethic and sound. I'm positive there's a Percheron stud out there that fits my requirements. I just don't get around much to run across many studs. Drafts are hard to find around here, much less a stud of good quality.

I understand completely about not being able to work the registration papers. I have a team of grade Belgian geldings that I would not trade for anything. Unfortunately, since they're not registered, I have no notion of their breeding, so when it comes time to replace them, I'm back to the crap-shoot game on getting a team that will work as well. If I knew their blood lines, I'd have a better chance of getting in the ballpark. I believe this is the true value of registering animals (including geldings): to be able to trace the lineage so you can duplicate it...or not.

TW, Have you tried the NC Percheron Assoc.? I can email you contact info.if you'd like.

TW, I don't know if this will help you .. it's in the "for what it's worth", and "something to ponder" category ... but if you want to use Percheron genetics, and can't find a stallion nearby, you might consider going the artificial insemination route. It has its advantages and disadvantages ... the main disadvantages, in my view being, it might cost $1,000 or more in vet bills and semen cost to get your mare settled, and going hundreds of miles away violates my ideas about sourcing as much as possible locally ... but one way to get a really good stallion to wherever you are is to have a semen cooler shipped to you via FedEx, or whatever other means you might use to ship it. (I chose to pick the semen up at the farm in PA and drive it 3 1/2 hrs north to my mares).

If you don't have nearby neighbors with a Percheron colt, you are out of luck anyway, unless you find a colt you like somewhere and buy him, or have your mare sent somewhere far away for live cover. That is also apt to be costly, and you still might be breeding your mare to "just a horse" .. which may or may not give you the results you desire in the offspring.

I was in a similar situation as yours apparently is this past breeding season, and finally I went with AI, late in the season. I wanted Percheron blood, and there really wasn't anything nearby to use for live cover. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to use Windermere Farm Percherons in Pennsylvania, where they have several stallions they collect from and ship.

http://www.windermerefarmpercherons.com/

If you have a topnotch equine vet clinic, you will want to consult with them. That's a crucial component for successfully getting your mares bred via AI, if you don't have the technical knowhow and necessary equipment yourself. You have to be mentally prepared to be fully confident in the vet's ability to get the job done.

I set out to breed two mares, and have two mares in foal due around May '09 as a result of the efforts, at a cost of approximately $1,000 apiece, not counting any value for my own time involved, which is historically all my time is worth anyhow. We had to negotiate the learning curve, but experience with breeding cattle artificially helped quite a bit. Long story short, I will likely be breeding four mares AI in '09, if I'm still around. There are things I can do to take care of more of the insemination work here on the farm without so much help from the vet, which will save money over time, hopefully. So you can see I'm hooked. :-)

Anyway, if you crave Percheron blood, and if you do have a good vet, and you are inclined to want to use some of the best (some folks say) proven genetics out there, I can strongly recommend Windermere Farm as a source. You would want to speak with Gerald Allebach there. The phone number and other contact info is on the website linked above.

If you are planning a fall foal, and plan to spend over $1,000. for AI, you could attend one of the fall Draft Horse sale like Waverly Iowa, buy a good colt, or stud horse, pay your gas & motel for all under $1,000.

But, that is just the way an "old Country Boy" looks at the situation.

Don't know if you want to come to Va. but Gary Kisamore has an awesome black reg. stud very reasonable. Located outside Churchville Va. 540-337-7281

Thanks for all the great advice. I will weigh my options and go from there.

I have a Black, registered Percheron Stallion in Dobson, NC. He is 18hh, refined and very well mannored. My email is Ironwheel@surry.net

do you use a helicopter to put the harness on this 18 hand beast?