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Culling colts is the hardest thing to do in my opinion!

i should say to start that more than half of my foundation stallions are Rank Specials or Perfect Foundations, and that any further foundation stallion that I create or buy will also be one of these two.

For my gen 2s, I cull anything that papers C. (After GA and SAT, obviously).

Then I look at the pasture email if I pasture bred. I find the best foal and if it's a colt that gives me another point of reference in my herd. If I love that colt and it has good colors I want and it's B papered, I then compare it to my Gen 2 benchmark colt. If the new colt compares As Good As my benchmark, he's named and stays.

If my pasture foal is a filly or if I've hand bred the colts, I PT everyone and cull anyone who PTs below my cutoff. Then I geld or put up for sale anyone who didn't get the colors I want. Then I have to just start going on gut instinct...but I usually pick the colt I like the best color wise and compare it to my benchmark. If I have hidden colors in that herd (like satin or Pearl carriers), sometimes I color test before I start comparison testing.

Comparison testing is rough. It's super expensive and can be really frustrating. In general I try to pick lower PT foals to compare first, since the higher PT ones will make better show ponies.

I try to get down to 2 or fewer colts from each of my "lines" each season, selling my excess or gelding them and using them as show ponies. As I'm getting further into my gen 2s, I'm going to be able to start looking at colts of breedable age from the same lines and culling even further. That said, in some lines I still don't have colts that compare AGA my benchmark that carry the genes I want (Wish is hell...he won't give me a sooty+ satin colt that compares AGA!!!).

Thanks guys:-)

In November I didn't understand how the pasture emails worked. I bred all my pastures at once and the best foal happened to be a colt. He's a plain dark bay, but he's now my benchmark foal and he's really quite hard to get past on the comparison tests. I happen to also own an A papered gen 2 stallion and Star compares AGA him, so he's almost an A.

I don't know how other people pick their benchmarks...I really just got lucky.

I am not very speedy on gelding or papering. And I show all of them from when they are born. I have so many horses, that by showing them, I am making a lot of hb's each week. I don't care if they stay stallions for a while or what they paper until they get to breeding age, and some times past breeding age. I have started going through them this week, so mI still have some 'C' papers that need snipping. But, when I do get around to going through them.... If all my 2g's are 'B' and compare, 'as good as' or 'superior.' then I breed them 3 times, and see which is better. Snip the others.

Another option would be to buy lined stallions who compare AGA benchmark from someone you respect in the game and use them as your benchmark until you get a homebred that is better, then make them your mark!

Sounds like a good plan to me. My understanding is that all the rank specials, perfect foundations, Top Notch Producers and foundation rescue horses should have very similar, very high for foundation breeding ability.

Awesome! That makes me happy. This is something I've been worrying about so its a relief to have a plan and a good one at that lol. Thank you guys for your guidance I appreciate it!