| Breeding a model toy horse sounds impossible: after all, | | | | turn 11 and so on). Since horses often are not bred until |
| how can a toy horse breed? The answer is simple. | | | | they are at least 2 and then they carry the baby for |
| Breeding model horses is not about creating a new | | | | approximately a year, your horses parents should be |
| model horse, but instead it is about learning the | | | | at least three years older than whatever age you |
| intricacies of equine pedigrees and breeding. | | | | decide your horse is. |
| To begin breeding, you first need to get a pedigree for | | | | You also want to consider the horses breed. In order |
| your horse. You can get this pedigree in one of two | | | | to have the best pedigree and be listed on a registry |
| ways. The most common method of getting a | | | | of model toy horses, a purebred horse usually comes |
| pedigree is to select "parents" for your horse from a | | | | from parents of the same breed. There are some |
| list of model sires (mothers) and darns (fathers). There | | | | exceptions to this rule if you have a warmblood horse |
| may be a fee associated with selecting these model | | | | and only want your horse to be listed on warmblood |
| horses as the parents and listing them on your horse's | | | | pedigree registries. Different breeds have different |
| pedigree; this fee will be explained in the list. It is usually | | | | characteristics, like color, size and health needs. Color is |
| about .10 per parent horse, and is almost always under | | | | especially important, because coloration patterns vary |
| $1.00. If you select a horse from a list and pay the | | | | dramatically from breed to breed. Make sure you do |
| breeding fee, you get a pedigree certificate for your | | | | your research to find out what breed your horse is |
| horse. | | | | before selecting parents of that breed. |
| You can also select parents from stallion ads in real | | | | After you have decided on the parents and given your |
| breeding magazines. If you choose the second option, | | | | horse lineage you can add your horse to the registry |
| you will not actually contact or notify the real owners | | | | lists and your horse can then be the sire or foal of |
| of the horse, since after all you don't really want the | | | | other young horses. Usually, female horses (mares) |
| live horse showing up at your house; it's just pretend. | | | | are only able to have one foal (baby horse) each year, |
| Whether you chose the first option or the second | | | | so you may want to limit your model horses breeding |
| option to find parents for your toy horse, you will need | | | | to once yearly as well. |
| to select appropriate parents for your model horse, | | | | By selecting a pedigree for your horse, and choosing |
| considering factors such as the age of the horse and | | | | parents, you can learn a lot about real horse breeding. |
| whether the horse could have been your horse's | | | | Your toy horse will become more lifelike, and you will |
| parent in the year your horse was born. Your horse | | | | experience what it is like to register and breed |
| can be any age you want it to be, and is either | | | | purebred horses, without actually having to buy a real |
| non-aging (its age never changes) or aging (if you | | | | horse. |
| decide the horse is 10, then next year the horse will | | | | |