Revista Oficial del XXX Concurso Centroamericano del Caballo Peruano 2015 | Page 20

Breeders in general do not have to be geneticists or great
connoisseurs of the genetic improvement of a breed, but they
should have at least some clear concepts to develop a sound and
successful breeding program in the Peruvian Paso Horse.

tivity. I repeat, the ancestors are still what dictates quality; when
you do not have access to obtain the great mare or a embryo of
her, we must find the maternal sisters, daughters or direct nieces,
which carry the blood of this big family.

There is a lot of talk and discussion about the stallions
when making a breeding cross, a subject that is correct, but
only essential if within the breeding program there has been a
good selection of mares, which make up the genetic base of the
breeding program. In the mares you will be crossing them with
different breeding stallions which exist in the area of the breed.
Many times we find ourselves with new breeders, who think its
necessary to acquire many mares to begin this work and do not
know that the important thing is to have few, but very good, to
get the results and satisfaction expected. Others, looking for the
genetic basis of their breeding program, thinking and evaluating in lower investment costs, not realizing that if they did not
acquire mares of genetic quality from the start they will never
get the achievements that can be expected from their breeding
program.

If one analyzes the history of the great breeding ranches
of Peru, you will be surprised that in each of these great ranches
they have had only two to five foundation mares at maximum,
which have been the founders and generating the offspring that
actually complied with the high expectations that as a good
breeder you want to achieve. There are many good mares, but if
we talk about excellence, there are only a few that have the potency of genetic imprint in their offspring the great quality they have
consistently produced.

In the case of the breeders who already have a group of
breeding mares, we find ourselves with those who do not have
the sufficient coldness to discard what is already a reality: There
are mares that do not reproduce what one really wants to get out
of them and they think that, in consequence, the stallions used
again and again without satisfactory results, are responsible.
What must be understood is that these mares never will produce
well because they have defects that reproduce in their genes. It
should be remembered that the genes responsible for defects,
they move away or hide in the offspring, but always stay in the
genetic code and must not be allowed to return or recur to use
stallions that can carry this genetically in his family.

In the good breeders, the breeder spends the years of his
life as such: looking for what are the good dams, which obviously have to be from proven bloodlines, from families solvents in
terms of quality by ancestor. One can never insist in believing
that a mare who does not have a good family behind her, one free
of noticeable defects, you will get, as touched by a magic wand,
the great dam that all of us wish to obtain. Believe me, there are
so many breeders, as persistent they may be, that never get it that
d