In the Business with Valhalla
Reprinted from Warmblood Magazine, Vol.2 Issue 3, 2001

"Educate Yourself.  Believe in Your Program."

As warmblood breeding grows to popularity, the 'how to' of properly selecting stock, identifying effective marketing techniques, and efficiently attracting buyers despite vast geographical distances will more and more be the key to, not only success but to literally keeping one's head above water.  Breeding horses can be a lot like swimming upstream and when a softening economy is thrown into the mix along with the still prevalent idea that one must go to Europe, a breeder might find themselves out of the breeding business faster than it took to get in.  For most of us, breeding warmbloods is more of a hobby instead of a business.  But that doesn't make it any less important to learn the 'business side' of breeding and for success one must learn it well.

Gleaning what we can from other successful breeders is one of the few ways to catch a little insight.  Lets face it, most of us didn't take Warmblood Breeding 101 in college and Agriculture degrees prepare students for farming more 'traditional' things such as cattle, corn, pigs, etc.

We did find one breeder that has an incredible track record of not only producing some excellent premium foals, but of getting her young stock into sport AND having them do well, in addition to marketing homebreds and imports to ready buyers from around the country.

This breeder is Jean Brinkman of Valhalla Farm in Wellborn, Florida and this is how she did it!

By

Jean Brinkman

Forward by Kathy Stover

THE DREAM

I know it was my destiny to spend a lifetime with horses.   It seems to me that not a single day in my life have I spent where horses were not dancing like sugarplums in my brain.   I have been fascinated by them from my earliest memories and spent many happy hours of my childhood observing them, riding them or pretending to be one.   I never doubted horses would be in my life but I also never imagined I would have the opportunity to breed horses on such a grand and glorious scale.    Breeding just seemed to take on a life of it’s own.  It started in 1967 with one Arabian mare and amazingly; she is the grand mother of our approved stallion, Stiletto.  One horse became two and so it grew.

  Arabians, my first love, moved over to admit Trakehners and suddenly our 20 acres in Jacksonville was too small.   I yearned to surround myself with beautiful horses, mixing bloodlines, testing riding qualities, learning all my brain would hold on breeding, feeding, training, etc. until suddenly I found myself a breeder and my childhood dream a reality in a scale beyond my wildest imagination.  Learning how to breed horses that could easily be marketed was the biggest challenge. It seems easier than it is. Our current location, in Wellborn, Florida also grew and grew, fueled by the energy of my fabulous husband, Roy, who graduated as a Veterinarian specializing in small animals but retired from that to give in to his hidden talent as an architect and farmer.  From raw land, he built a facility second to none in practical application.   He transformed three long buildings that housed hundreds of pigs, into barns with over 130 stalls so that we could use our land to host dressage shows and horse trials. Fields of tobacco and corn became pastures, lush in grass and fenced for horses.  A covered round pen allows for safe and easy training of young horses.   As the years passed, he added a large covered arena, an oval pen for free jumping of our young horses, hay fields growing both coastal and peanut hay and a herd of Brangus cattle.  Our initial 460 acres grew to over 1000, and we sold some to friends, mostly horse people, so that now we are surrounded by horses of all breeds, and live accompanied by wildlife of varied description, on almost 700 acres.

 THE STRATEGY

Learning how to breed horses that could be easily sold is a huge challenge and requires much more knowledge of riding and conformation than many realize.  First, you have to find the most important qualities.   As I studied horses in Germany and tried different lines, I began to notice certain traits that seemed to go with each particular bloodline.  One stallion I loved for his huge gaits and beautiful type, however, when I rode his children, they seemed to toss me right out of the saddle, the back did not carry, it ejected!   Some had lovely looks, lots of pretty socks and faces, but when you rode them, you felt a certain lack of “want to”.  What they wanted to do did not necessary conform to the rider’s desire.

  I watched this line in America and noticed they often acted out in competition.   Another line was simply nasty, grinding the bit, tongue pushing against the bit, which gave a stiff feeling to the whole body.   I began to realize that almost everything was genetic and even if the mare did not act the same way, it could come through from the sire line.   Then I had to analyze what made some horses so much fun to train and others so difficult.   It was necessary to start at the bottom and work up, so to speak.   Legs are important but have nothing to do with desire to work.   Since I’ve been in this business for over 30 years, I have had time to watch horses with leg faults and see how the years affected them.  

I found that toeing in rarely caused problems, even if the horse paddled in movement and noticed many Olympic horses moved this way.  Toeing out, or winging, could cause more problems because some horses actually struck themselves and half pass work could be a bit difficult, so I stayed away from that conformation fault.   I learned that elbows are more influential than I ever realized.  Freedom there had a lot to do with reach of stride and ability to cross in the half pass.  At first I believed the horse had to be well angulated in the hind leg, but came to realize that a bit of a straight look did not necessarily mean the horse could not get under his body.  Conversely, hocks well behind the body, called sickle hocks, could have great problems in FEI work when it was necessary to really sit on the hind leg and be balanced enough for pirouettes.

  I noticed that some horses with straight shoulders could still move rather well and again, realized the freedom of the elbow could be a determining factor in reach of stride.   I studied the “DAP” theory that stops a horse in motion just when the hind leg is touching the ground.  If it touches a bit before the front leg, it means the horse has some natural ability to sit and will be easier to collect than the horse more naturally on the forehand.  Traveling to the topline, I begin to under stand the “engine” of the horse.  Good slant to the hip, even too much, could be put to good use.   Too flat and the horse often lost power behind.   Length of hip is extremely important in my breeding program, along with how it connects to the back and loin.  Strength there will come in handy at collection time.   The neck is a variable thing.  How it connects at the throatlatch and poll is the important point. Some horses are too tight in this area and collection is just too painful for them to ever truly give to the rider.  This is compounded if the horse is made too narrow in the jaw.   If the neck is well placed to come out naturally “up”, it will be easier to raise, but some horses with necks not so correctly placed can also lift the neck and back, particularly if the horse is built “uphill” by nature.  .   The length of neck can be short or long and still easily ridden, though a horse with a too long neck can easily learn to drop behind the aids and break incorrectly in his vertebra.
Placement of eyes can make the difference between a spooky horse or one that can relax.  Arabians are sometimes  criticized for  eye placement that seems to make them notice and shy at many things, but good width of head can also comes with intelligence and a willing nature so it has to be judged individually.  Eyes set too much to the front will make it more difficult for the horse to see objects behind him and sometimes make him worry.    Finally, a good shoulder and wither that places the saddle correctly can really help training.  However, all of these better traits are useless without a willing attitude and the intelligence to learn quickly. 

THE HORSES

I first fell in love with Trakehners when I saw photos of the wonderful Pepel, a Russian Trakehner featured in The World Of Dressage.   I needed a larger horse for dressage and also wanted to breed something different, more suited to my tall size and growing dressage interest.   Both dressage and warmbloods were in an infancy stage in the South in the early 70s so it was a challenge to develop in both fields.     I researched different European breeds but I liked a lighter made horse, forward minded and admittedly, I liked an attractive horse.   While Trakehners, forced immigrants from East Prussia after the war, were hardly the popular breed in their adopted country, Germany, I was drawn to their elegant style and desire to work. 

 They were considered “hot” but that was only in comparison to the heavier breeds that suited a man’s style and strength.   Now, all the warmblood breeds are much closer in type and the addition of Trakehner and Thoroughbred bloodlines to almost all of the European breeds has almost eliminated the truly heavy horse of years past.

 I used to think I could judge who would be easy and who would not by the way foals acted right from birth, but soon realized it had to do more with natural friendliness and reserve and that the effort to reach the mentality of foals while they could still be influenced in their early days was very beneficial. 

Trust is a big factor in their later training so having a friendly herd of horses is more than a sales gimmick.  It means the later training will go more quickly as they accept the rider as their leader and trust the leader to direct the training.  Of course horses are not angels and will always act like horses, which means some may buck, some may scoot, some may try out their own brand of dominance, usually depending on their hierarchy in the herd.   However, generally, if the conformation is good and the attitude is willing, the work goes along without major problems. It is a definite fact that foals benefit from early good handling, love, discipline and hours spent in play.   So after early imprinting, our youngsters live in large fields and most stay here until they are old enough to train.  We do little besides regular trims and worming before the age of three.

I have never depended on any groups to sell horses, however a great number of our sales comes from word of mouth from past customers.    We live in a very small town, literally featuring one blinking light. There is no “local” market so our horses must attract a national market.   Once a farm grows to large numbers of horses, it is best to market the farm as a singular entity.   However, I have sent customers to other farms and other farms have sent customers here.  I believe in competition as a good way to bring customers to the area.   The more horses available, the more reasons for customers to come.   Some will choose your horse, some will choose another.  Never “cut” the competition, it only undermines your credibility.

  If any show any signs of shyness or mistrust, we bring them in for short periods of handling, to increase their trust.  If we are keeping any for stallion approval, we always keep them with other colts so that they can play and fight in a normal (and sometimes alarming) fashion.  This nearly always keeps them from becoming biters or using people as their personal play toys.   If they show any difficult stallion traits, such as acting too aggressive to other horses or people, they are gelded.   Life is too short to live with a rank stallion.   We generally start them at age three, first in the round pen, moving to the covered arena, quickly graduating to hacking in the fields with older horses as teachers and guides.    It is our philosophy to make their beginning work as pleasant and pain free as possible so great attention is paid to teeth, saddle fitting and farrier work.   Proper development of muscles necessary to carry the rider is also addressed as early as possible.   Naturally, all this comes after a superb nutritional diet to build a strong, durable horse.    If all of the above things are done well, taking the young horse to a show for the first time is generally successful and rarely offers any hidden surprises.    If the young horse is also obedient and has good gaits, getting good scores is a natural outcome.  One of the traits we breed for is a brave, energetic nature so that the show experience is not exhausting or frightening.   

 With Martini as a guide, I understood how much easier it is to train a horse with natural ability and great desire to please.   In time, I added stallions with traits to compliment his style, bringing over Hailo as a foal.  His bloodlines and conformation greatly balanced with that of Martini offspring and this cross has been very successful.  Additionally, Hailo has now accomplished all Grand Prix movements.   In 2000, we greatly increased our stallion rooster, adding Beaujolais, who repaid us by siring one of the best colts we have ever produced, born in 2001. I thought he might be too old to make it to the FEI levels, since his training really started at age 11.  An injury as a young horse took him out of training after the 100 days test.  Again, his type matched that of Martini and Hailo, something in between the two stallions and his fast learning and willing nature allowed us to show him through 3^rd level with one year of training.   His bloodlines also lead me to believe that he could produce offspring talented and able to do FEI work.  Then came the homebred, Stiletto, a true sport horse sire with the super work ethics and gaits of his sire, Martini, as well as jumping ability to honor his grandsire, Abdullah.  His kindness and talent should give me my next personal FEI companion and he has been a great help in healing my heart from the loss of Martini.   This year we added the great young stallion, Incantare, another homebred.   Incantare is sired by Enrico Caruso by Mahagoni and out of Icon by Martini with a TB mother line.  His work sessions draw a crowd as he is personally magnetic and his ability for dressage is extreme.   He is currently in training with our daughter, Erin Brinkman, a fine rider and budding breeder in her own right, who brought the marvelous stallion, Donaufurst, one of the last sons of Mahagoni, into our breeding program.

THE MARKETING

If there is one maxim for success in the breeding/riding arena, it would be “no pain, no gain”.  The first horse I purchased was misrepresented, horribly trained and dangerous to ride.   As negative lessons go, this was a good one to learn what Not To Do. and it sealed my determination to produce honest, sane horses.  When you are a small breeder, presentation is everything.   Poor quality videos and badly ridden young horses do little to draw buyers from any distance.   Learning that there is a “right” horse for each person and having the patience to wait for the person best suited for a particular horse, will, in the long run, give you a trustworthy reputation. While compatibility can never be guaranteed, it is most important to understand the needs and ability of your customers.    Really study your market and breed accordingly.    There is no quick success route or guarantees in breeding horses.   If getting rich is your goal, breeding is probably not your path.  Understand that most buyers are amateurs, looking for a companion as well as a show horse, so good moving “steady Eddys’ ” with an attractive appearance and friendly nature will always be in demand.  Even the most dedicated dressage rider might like to go for a hack occasionally so diversify the training.   These are traits one can breed for and a far better goal than trying to breed for that hot Olympic prospect that only a professional can ride.  For success, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel, but it helps to be a bit inventive, putting both your horses and yourself on the line in competition and watching, watching, watching the best riders and horses, keeping the most critical eye for your own horses.   Your ultimate horse should have the trainability to attract the amateur and the gaits to bring a rider to FEI levels.

I have a strong belief in the continuing sales of good warmblood horses.   In the history of rising and falling economies, the sales for good, sound companion/show horses has held strong. Many breeding farms fell by the wayside in the 80’s but many survived, mostly the honest breeders who put in the time and effort to get it right.    If I have any way to counteract the softening market, it would be through the constant improvement of my breeding herd and keeping to the tried and true principles of our motto, “the better the breeding, the easier the training”.

In the beginning, the most rewards came from advertising and showing the horses at the best competitions.  The success came from realizing it would not be quick or easy.  Winning in competition on homebred horses proves your breeding program and puts you in a position to speak from experience and authority, however, it rarely gives you National exposure.  Advertising with some passion and eye catching differences lifts you above the average.  Breeding horses is not for the faint of heart or semi-committed.  It takes every ounce of strength and dedication and it is not about ego.    For me training and breeding hold equal excitement and both bring a sense of purpose and reward.   Additionally, it was simply lucky for Roy and I that we also produced horse crazy children.  One, Shannon Brinkman, became a fine photographer and artist who used both talents to produce lovely and often unusual photographs we could use in advertisements.  The other, Erin Brinkman, has dedicated herself to becoming the best rider possible and in doing so, also helps promote our stallions and sales horses.
I do believe that competing and having success with horses you breed is the very best way to show the public what you offer and prove the ability of an individual horse or breeding program.   It creates a different image than that of a “horse trader”, only interested in selling horses to buyers without regard for the compatibility of the pair.   There is also the time factor.   For me, breeding horses was a life goal, always interesting and fulfilling.   Initially, I bred horses as much for myself as for sale purposes as it seemed possible to breed both sane and exciting horses, capable of pleasing riders and accomplishing the highest goals.     It is important to set attainable personal goals.  I never felt the Olympics was a viable or even worthwhile goal for me so I set rewarding goals such as earning the bronze, silver and gold medals, and competing in the Olympic Sports Festival.  This allowed me to keep in mind the most important goal, that the whole process is supposed to be FUN for both horse and rider.   The building up process was not without pain, and included many sleepless nights and agony while viewing the checkbook and bills owed.   It was pure love that enabled me to see past the hard times and envision a successful future.

The registry I have the most involvement with is the American Trakehner Association.   All registries can be frustrating for a breeder and a huge expense, but I believe the ATA is growing and changing with the times and it is exciting to be part of a serious group of dedicated people.   Like a good marriage, it requires work to keep a registry growing and strong and it is a mistake to think another registry will be any easier or better.    I also belong to the Swedish registry and have enjoyed the inspectors that come from Sweden.  It is not the responsibility of a registry to sell horses for a breeder.   You can showcase your breeding at meetings, but the next morning, you still have the responsibility of putting together the right mare and stallion to make that prospect many buyers desire.   The most important thing for a breeder is to learn what truly makes a good riding horse and one that is attractive to customers.   It is not necessarily looks, or absolutely straight legs, or color or a pretty face.   It is gaits and work ethics first and foremost if you are looking for that serious amateur or professional buyer.

DIRECTIONS      EMAIL US

Valhalla Farm
14872 47th Road 
Wellborn, FL  32094
(386) 963-4619   |   (386) 963-4620 FAX