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So You Wanna’ Own a Stallion: with Katie Van Slyke, Beth Hartman & Ingrid Miller – Part 2

Part 2 of our So You Wanna Own a Stallion series goes into more depth about lessons new stallion owners have learned and lots of advice for others.

Most average equestrians know that a lot goes into owning and managing a stallion – even if they aren’t sure exactly what all that entails. Experts frequently advise that an individual stallion must be talented, successful, and potent and then go on to sire desirable foals to leave a lasting mark on the industry.

To understand what goes into stallion ownership, we spoke with three “newbie” stallion owners to get their hot takes on the things the industry doesn’t always talk about when it comes to owning a stallion for the first time.

If you missed part 1 of the series, click here. In Part 2, we continued to speak with new stallion owners Ingrid Miller, owner of VS The Fireman, aka “Gronk,” Katie Van Slyke, owner of VS Code Red, aka “Waylon” and First Thingz First, aka “Denver,” and Beth Hartman, owner of The Luxury Line, aka “Louis,” to see what lessons and advice they have for future stallion owners.

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Lessons Learned
“I’ve learned so much from everyone at Highpoint,” Van Slyke gushes. “They put me in a position to feel like I could stand a young stallion. I was a bit of a blank slate due to my lack of experience as a stallion owner. It was important to surround myself with people who knew the process and everything required to set my stallions up for success.”

Miller echoes Van Slyke’s emphasis on the importance of your team. “Gronk is an active breeding stallion, but he is also actively showing, which would be impossible for me to manage at this level without McCutcheon Stallion Services and Anthony [Montes].”

“I learned that while stallions all need to be respected, I continue to be amazed by how well Gronk has taken to life as a breeding stallion,” Miller smiles. “Sometimes we forget he is a stallion because his personality is a bit like a Golden Retriever – he’s just so kind, willing, and happy to do his job. That is due to his natural demeanor, but it is also a credit to the team who manages him and reinforces his gentlemanly behavior.”

Van Slyke adds, “Another big lesson for me has been balancing social media with my desire to protect my stallions, particularly Denver, from negativity. I want to share Denver with my followers and the industry. Still, stallions are now so accessible through social media that they are exposed to criticism from which they would otherwise be insulated. Perception matters in our industry, and it can be hard to manage. It amps up the pressure to succeed at the highest levels. I love it, and it makes me anxious simultaneously.”

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Miller understands what Van Slyke is going through. “I’ve been showing horses since I was 13, so I understand, no matter how amazing they are, they simply can’t be perfect or win all the time. I am continuing to campaign Gronk because I believe in him and Anthony, and I want to show Gronk off. I’m proud of Gronk and what he is bringing to the table, and I want to celebrate him, win or lose.”

“An old cowboy taught me you go to a horse show to do your best, not to be the best. And the cards will fall where they may,” Miller recalls. “I show horses because I love it – I love the lifestyle, the people, and the animals. Gronk may not win every go, but he’s climbing the mountain and proving himself.”

Van Slyke also believes that standing a stallion is more important than just making money by breeding horses. “Not only is it important to enroll your stallion in incentives, but there is a need to give back to the industry through marketing for your stallion. Shows can’t go on without sponsors, and you want to support the people showing and investing in your stallion’s get. It’s a give-and-take. You can’t expect people to hand you money supporting your stallion and never give back to the industry.”

Miller learned that owning a stallion opened her life to many wonderful people and horse lovers she would never have been exposed to. “People tell me about their mares and feel their excitement for the breed. I love getting to know the mare owners – it’s the best part. While I love to see top-level mares breeding to Gronk, I also love to meet the owners breeding their heart horses to him. Every mare matters to me, and we look forward to the breeders meeting their little ‘sparks’ – what we call Gronk’s foals.”

Hartman couldn’t agree more with both Miller and Van Slyke. “I have relied on Dawn Baker and E E Ranches so much for their invaluable advice and experience navigating the industry as a stallion owner.”

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“I think the biggest mistake you can make is not asking questions,” Hartman admits. “I took it upon myself to become a student in this process – learning what it takes to make a good candidate, how to manage their show career, how to select a good management team, and then how to manage the breeding logistics.”

Hartman admits, “I know I could just let E E Ranches take the reins and manage Louis, which they’ve done. But I also do my bookkeeping because I’m so interested in who is breeding to Louis. I want to see what crosses seem to work well and which traits he passes consistently. The mares are a critical part of the breeding equation, and it’s important to know how they cross on the stallion and what they bring to the foal. I want to keep learning as much as possible to be a knowledgeable owner and set Louis and his get up for long-term success.”

Final Advice to Those Who Want to Own a Stallion
“I’ve become adamant that step one of stallion ownership is finding a candidate worth investing in,” Hartman explains.

“For those looking to buy an unproven stallion candidate and invest in them from the ground up, it is critical that you rely on advice from people who know what to look for in a prospect. There are so many options that it can be difficult to decide what is worth risking all the time and money for.”

Hartman continues, “I would never decide to keep a colt intact without the advice of trusted people in the industry. I learned that so many stars need to align for them that you can’t jump into a decision on a whim. The colt needs talent, correct conformation, a good mind, and genetics to be worthy of reproduction. Then he needs to win and ultimately be deemed a success in the breeding shed – with the ability to get mares in foal and produce nice offspring. Breeding aims to improve the breed, and stallions can sire so many foals that you are responsible for the industry’s future. I aim to continue and hopefully build on the Allocate Your Assets legacy with Louis. I believe in him and want to prove him as a worthy stallion.”

“My biggest advice to new stallion owners would be to insure him immediately!” Van Slyke laughs. “In all seriousness, standing a stallion is a huge financial, time, and emotional commitment. Not only is it a major investment, but if your stallion is young, it will take a long time to see any return (if at all).”

She continues, “For example, Denver’s foals won’t be senior show horses until he is 11 – so it will take years for him to prove his worth as a show horse and then as a sire of show horses…and getting there isn’t cheap. All this to say, if you are expecting instant gratification for your efforts, standing a young stallion is probably not for you.”

Katie reminds us, “Breeding horses is a real labor of love, and so many variables go into making a stallion like Waylon. They need to prove themselves in the pen and the breeding shed, and you also need foal owners willing to invest in showing them. You need a good team around you and the horse. You need to enroll the stallion in incentives, coordinate breeding, support the breeders and the industry, promote him to potential breeders, and stay sane through the struggles despite criticism. It’s not for the faint of heart, and if you don’t have a superior animal, the chances of actually making money on it are very slim.”

Miller entirely agrees with Hartman and Van Slyke. “It is so very involved to stand a stallion. To do it successfully at the highest level, you need to surround yourself with professionals who know the industry and what needs to be done. And you need to prepare financially for the investment.”

“If you are willing to listen, learn, trust the process, and, frankly, spend the money on the dream, then the sky is the limit!” Miller encourages.

Click here to read part 1 of this popular series, So You Wanna’ Own a Stallion.


About the Author:  Megan Rechberg is a World Champion pleasure horse enthusiast who works as a full-time mom, part-time litigation attorney, and owner/operator of Bred N Butter Equine Management – a company that focuses on social media management for stallions, consulting, and sales and breeding contracts. She currently shows her APHA filly SmoreThanA PrettyFace under the guidance of Double A Performance Horses.
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