Is There a Correlation Between Yearling Size and Sale Price?

Aug 17, 2016

Previous research has shown a relationship between yearling size and future racing performance. Yearlings that weighed in the lower 25% of the population had lower earnings and fewer stakes winners than the rest of the population. Yearlings below the 50th weight and height percentiles were more likely to start as two-year-olds and had more career starts than larger horses.

This study examined body size and selling price of yearlings and compared these with results from a study of yearling size and future racing performance.

Body weight and wither height were recorded for 1,040 yearlings sold in 2003-2006. They were divided into groups according to whether they sold above or below the median price for their sales group. Larger and taller yearlings sold better than smaller horses.

Correlations of sale price to race earnings showed that yearlings in the second weight quartile had the most stakes winners and greatest career earnings. Heavier yearlings sold for greater amounts but had fewer stakes wins and overall earnings. The tallest yearlings sold for less but had greater career earnings and number of stakes wins.

Source: EquiNews

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!