From The Publisher – The Art Of Breeding
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14 – May/June, 2026
By Tom Grabe
I was talking to a famous horseman with over fifty years experience breeding, and he was giving me his philosophy of breeding and judging horses. He said, “Being able to breed or find great horses is a talent that comes from within. It’s an art, and the breeder must have an artistic eye in order to be successful.” He went on, “There are no easy tricks or mathematical equations that tell you that if you breed A to B, you will get the desired C. But if you can see how A and B will fit together and understand the outstanding traits that each have–and what’s in their pedigree to back up those traits–all of the sudden the chances of breeding that great one are improved dramatically. However, you have to still have an eye for it.”
We’ve all heard about the mystical “eye” that some people have. I used to show dogs for a man who had that “eye”. No, you can’t see it physically. This guy has the knack, though. He has bred top winning dogs in five different breeds, top winning cattle, top winning chickens, top winning sheep, and top winning horses. He is one of those people who can go and look at an animal and know nothing about the species yet immediately find the best one. He can then look at the group and say, “You should breed this one to that one.” And he’s right. That is the magic of having an eye for breeding.
You see, it’s just like art. There are basic elements that make good art. You must have balance, proportion, form, shape, contrast, and color. These elements must have some harmony. If they don’t, you have a big problem.
