TNH3005-Standing a Stallion to the Public

Most breeding farms or stallion owners must depend on stallion service income (breeding fees) from outside (public) mares to financially support the total horse operation. Since standing a stallion does have financial consequences, it is very important to understand some basic management concepts when standing a stallion to the public.

Most stallion owners initially purchase a stallion to breed their own mares. However, by breeding outside mares, the stallion owner is able to reduce the fixed costs of owning a stallion, increase the number of mares bred and subsequently increase the number of foals available to evaluate the stallion as a sire. In addition, by breeding outside mares, the traffic and visitors to the breeding farm are increased. This increases the potential to breed additional mares, sell foals and broodmares, board mares and hopefully increase the overall profitability of the breeding farm.

This fact sheet addresses such fundamentals as stallion selection criteria, labor and facility considerations, breeding fees, personnel, mare care, advertising, communication, and breeding contracts.