The Five-Cross Files

Female families… patterns of inbreeding… sire line nicks… what really influences the strength of a Thoroughbred pedigree? How do conformation and class factor in? The Five-Cross Files explores bloodlines old and new, analyzes Thoroughbred pedigrees, tests breeding tools, and simplifies the science (and art) of successful Thoroughbred breeding.

March 2008 - Posts

Hay You Guys

It's been a rough year for a lot of horse owners, with hay prices reaching record levels -- and that's if you can find any available. In addition to bemoaning the situation, I'm trying to figure out a way to avoid the same problem next year.... Read More

8 Tips for a Good Broodmare Barn

The broodmare stall and barn make a big difference to the comfort and safety of your mare and newborn foal. Here are 8 tips to keep in mind when designing or renovating your facilities.... Read More

Himyar's Other Line

The fact that Himyar has not one but two quality sire lines in America today is quite a feat. For the most part, the Eclipse tail-male bloodline split after his great-grandson Whalebone, and that stallion's son Sir Hercules is responsible for most of the sire lines today -- including Teddy and Swynford and all the Phalaris lines (Nasrullah, Bold Ruler, Northern Dancer, Raise a Native, Turn-to, and others). Himyar descended from another Whalebone son, Camel, who is distinguished by being the great-great grandson of Eclipse (1764) and the great grandsire of Eclipse (1855) -- just to throw some fun confusion into the mix. ... Read More

State of the Market: Mixed Bag

In a recent poll, readers responded to the question “Do you anticipate fewer mares bred in 2008 due to the market downturn?” By a small majority, the answer was “No.” Read the full poll results, and take part in this week's poll on horse ownership.... Read More

Rare Sire Lines: Domino

Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector, and a select few other sires have dominated American pedigrees to the point that other sire lines are in danger of being lost forever. The future of the Domino sire line sees hope in sons of Broad Brush; the author also looks at another, less-known Domino-line sire as a potential match for one of his mares.... Read More

Free Preview: BloodHorseNOW.com Data Digest

The Blood-Horse Auctions Data Digest comes out about a week before major sales and gives buyers useful information about the horses being sold. It includes lists of sires represented in the sale, plus broodmare sires, leading consignors, breeders, and buyers, and other important statistical charts. For 2YOIT sales, there's also a chart of the official work times for each hip, and a bonus chart of TrueNicks "A++" and "A+" rated hips.... Read More

2-Year-Olds, Pulpit, and Pedigrees

Pulpit and his sons are well-represented at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's select sale of 2-year-olds in training next week. Some of their progeny's dams have interesting stories of their own.... Read More

Poll Update: Catalog Choices.

Let's follow up on a recent poll that asked how you, the readers, look at a page in the sales catalog. Most catalog pages are written to make the horse look good, with emphasis on the sire line and on black type winners in the female family. But those aren't necessarily what catches our eye when we crack open the catalog...... Read More

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