07/24/2026
Breeding Tips and Tricks - The Springtime Zebra
We've always prided ourselves on having good-minded stallions that not only help keep a peaceful barn, but are easy to handle and able to socialize well with other horses, including other stallions. Back around twelve years ago, we had an extremely great example of that, with our senior stallion at the time, Twister, and two of his sons that were seven and twelve respectively, as well as a paddock full of young bachelor colts. Our stallions all ground collected, mares were bred AI, and we had a very low drama barn environment.
But, this changed when we brought in a new client horse whose management had left a lot to be desired. We'd brought new stallions in from time to time, owned, leased, or boarded, and things would get exciting for a little while but always calm back down eventually. It wasn't so with this guy. He was extremely disruptive to the quiet environment of the barn, and he would become fixated on mares very easily- especially those with the leopard pattern or close to it. By the time he went home, our other stallions had had their peaceful hierarchy extremely disturbed, and we were convinced that we needed to do everything in our power to prevent the dangerous fixation on certain mares or colors, as it was one that in a mismanaged horse, meant that there was little way to safely handle them when presented with ANY similar horse (or mule) in any setting. In a perfect world, every stallion would be raised and always handled well, but we know that isn't the case. And the horses cannot help who owns or handles them! A good horse can be made into a difficult one through human error. It doesn't mean their difficulties are genetic, but it certainly does turn away people who witness them!
After some consideration, and with a few new upcoming stallions, some of whom had been born into that more chaotic barn dynamic, we decided to look at that color fixation again from the other side of things. What would happen if the stallions associated breeding only with a color of mare they would *never* see anywhere else?
Thus, the Springtime Zebra was born.
Now, this certainly won't work if you actually have or intend to have zebras. We would advise picking up a different color or pattern, in that case. Maybe some purple cheetah print or racing stripes.
Any time we needed to collect our stallions, the slinky blanket and hood went on the mare before the stallion ever saw her. We even had a matching blanket on the dummy for a while! Slowly, the barn quieted. By the time our youngest stallions made their first attempts, they had never seen another option except for the Springtime Zebra.
Last year, we didn't breed a single horse, and our stallions stayed quiet the entire year aside from a few spare whinnies. This spring, as mares started coming in, everything stayed quiet as well. And then, in April, our first round of teasing began. And the zebra coat came out for the first time two years. The barn was alive with whinnies as the stallions finally saw HER again!
The great thing about this set up is that any mare can become the Springtime Zebra. She can be any height, color, age, or breed. She can even be uninterested, as just the fact of her existence is often enough to get the job done. The Springtime Zebra won't be in the show ring, on the trail ride, in the trailer, or just hanging out in the barn or the pasture. He won't see her in the distance all the time, out of his reach. And because she isn't around except for when it's time to go to the breeding shed, there isn't the constant pressure on a stallion to posture and fret in her defense.
She can even go away for a long time, but when she comes back they are very happy to see her!
Now, obviously, the Springtime Zebra isn't for everyone. Not everyone needs one, not everyone wants one. In our case, after dealing with the intense fixation on a very accessible and common horse pattern (one we had several versions of, resulting in constant vigilance, posturing, and disruption), and the dissolution of our peaceful dynamic in pursuit of that fixation, we decided enough was enough. This solution has worked very well for keeping the peace, especially since while our stallions do socialize (including with each other), we don't run them in established mixed herds that provide their own sense of security.
Horses are smart. They can associate certain tack with a differing riding activity, certain halters with travel, getting on the trailer at different times of day with whether or not they are going to a show or just going for a ride. They are very sensitive to changes in routine. Instead of setting them up to possibly fail, when they have to encounter a horse they associate with breeding in an outside setting, we make sure they know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are allowed to get excited and do their job as stallions do, no questions asked!
The change in our barn dynamic is excellent. Twelve years later, we have nearly all different stallions due to the passage of time, and the additions of new boys and further that are upcoming. We have client stallions come and go as well, and several of those stallions have learned about the Springtime Zebra as well (and have their own at home!) Things stay quiet, the boys socialize peacefully, they do their work when asked, and they only get ready to party when She steps into the barn.
📸 by Ky Roberts of one of many of our ladies to play this career defining part, Dolly!
