Question about first year sires

[Rileyoriley]

Originally Posted by Danzig

it's rare because studdish behavior is generally frowned upon and punished with horses in training. it's hard to keep their minds on racing and training if all they want to think about is the fillies.
then, once they're at stud, all they're supposed to think about for several months is fillies...

no doubt it's difficult to switch that behavior on and off. or maybe it's rare because it's rarely tried? most horses at stud aren't 'dual purpose'....i remember when we visited three chimneys that they said it was difficult at first to convince insurers to allow the studs to be ridden. i can imagine the reaction if some of those horses were put back in training!

Didn't they try this with Bertrando at one point?

[Danzig]

i don't know about bertrando, i'd have to look that up. it just seems that horses who are returned to training are those who don't attract attention at stud-or shoot blanks.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

Didn't they try this with Bertrando at one point?

Yes. I believe he retired after the 1993 season and came back in 1994.

[Rileyoriley]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Yes. I believe he retired after the 1993 season and came back in 1994.

As I recall, he wasn't too interested in racing when he returned to the track. He had found the ladies much more to his liking.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

Didn't they try this with Bertrando at one point?

Looks like it. He had surgery on a knee and went back to race in 1994, winning the Goodwood. His first crop was born in 1995, so they must've used the time off to do some breeding.

But yeah, one thing I've heard is not just the studdish behavior, it's gaining weight on their front end. Is that accurate? I believe that the filling out up front and additional muscle is supposed to put more strain on their forelegs. I could be making all this up in my head, but that's what I seem to remember.

I know Citation was out for a year and came back, but I don't gather that he was bred to mares that time.

[Danzig]

citation missed his four year old season because of injury.


but yeah, it's always been my understanding that trainers don't want to deal with horses that have been to stud. doesn't seem to be a good combination.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Looks like it. He had surgery on a knee and went back to race in 1994, winning the Goodwood. His first crop was born in 1995, so they must've used the time off to do some breeding.

But yeah, one thing I've heard is not just the studdish behavior, it's gaining weight on their front end. Is that accurate? I believe that the filling out up front and additional muscle is supposed to put more strain on their forelegs. I could be making all this up in my head, but that's what I seem to remember.

I know Citation was out for a year and came back, but I don't gather that he was bred to mares that time.

their necks seem to get larger.