Tritten/Bruce Paint Horses - Why breed your mare to Prairie Gold?

We know our visitors are looking for answers to important questions. We've assembled some of the more frequently asked questions and have answered them for you. If you have any other questions, please contact us. We'd be more than happy to talk with you!

Q:	Why breed your mare to Prairie Gold?
A:	Prairie Gold is a sire. He's not just a pretty horse that you hope can father a nice foal out of your mare. He has earned the reputation of being a true sire because he routinely sires excellent foals. Make sure you visit our "Expectations" page.

Q:	Should you get shipped semen for your mare?
A:	Prairie Gold is now under new breeding management expertise and it shows. During the 2001 breeding season 31 of 33 mares who were inseminated off site conceived. You can expect semen to arrive at your door in good condition.

What expenses are incurred with shipping semen?

Your first shipment is shipped FREE via overnight service (FedEx). Each shipment after the first will cost $125 for overnight shipments or $200 for same-day counter to counter air service. As long as you ship-out our container (by overnight service) within 2 days of your mare's last insemination, there are no other fees charged by us. Please contact a qualified veterinarian in your area for a price quote of his/her services. Most are quite reasonable.

What is important for conception when shipping semen?

Prairie Gold is a very potent stallion who's semen ships well. If you decided you would like us to ship semen for your mare, it is extremely important that you have a capable veterinarian on your end who is experienced with artificial insemination. Call the vets in your area and find out who has the best success with the procedure. We now have a proven expert who takes care to handle the semen properly on our end, but you will have to take care and handle it properly on yours, too. We have to work together to be successful.

Q:	Do we have references to back our claims of success when shipping semen?
A:	You bet we do! Click here.

Q:	What days do we ship semen?
A:	We ship every-other-day by FedEx. Our 2006 schedule: We collect on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays.

Q:	What do you need to do with our shipping container?
A:	You need to FedEx it back to us within 48 hours of receipt. We have many containers making their way around the world and are sometimes faced with a shortage of them. They each cost about $250 so we need to have them back and ready to use again quickly.

If you've never used FedEx before and you want to know, "How to go about returning the shipping container?"

Click on the following link: FedEx. Select your home country and then click the go button. When the web page loads, click on the orange "Pickup" tab near the top of the page. If a security alert pops open, click on the okay button. (This is only telling you that it is a secure web site.) Once that page loads, put your zip code in the box marked "Zip / Postal Code" and then click on the "Continue" button. A window will pop open listing nearby drop off locations.

Q:	Can you use your own shipping container?
A:	If you have your own, feel free to ship it to us in advance. If you don't have one already, we'll send the shipment in one of ours. All you have to do is to FedEx it back to us within 48 hours of receipt. We do require you to make a deposit on our container which will be returned once we've received our container.

Q:	Can you bring your mare to the farm in Norman, Oklahoma to be bred?
A:	We do accept outside mares for breeding here at the farm where they are artificially inseminated. During the 2001 breeding season 41 mares were bred here on our farm with 40 of them conceiving.

Q:	How much does mare care cost?
A:	Mare care is ten dollars per day for dry mares and twelve dollars per day for wet mares. (Wet means nursing.)

Q:	How long do mares usually stay here for breeding?
A:	When breeding your mare to Prairie Gold at our farm, we expect the mare to remain here until she is deemed safe in foal as per a 16 day sonogram evaluation by the attending veterinarian. We do everything in our power to keep your mare's stay as short as possible.

How consistently does Prairie Gold pass on color to his offspring?

Prairie Gold is very consistent with painting his foals. As of January 2004, he had 206 foals with two thirds of them painted. That is well above the standards for an overo stallion. Many of the mares he's bred to are Quarter Horses, too. As with all Paint Horses, some years are better than others when it comes to having painted babies. The last few years have been quite good. In 2003* his foal crop was 75.8% painted. His 2002 foal crop* consisted of 74.4% painted foals with 17 out of 20 Quarter Horse mares producing painted foals. (*according to the APHA's web site as of 3-6-04) In 2001 he sired 80% paint on all mares he bred, with 62.5% color on Quarter Horse mares. In 2000 his overall color was 72.7% on all mares and 75% on the Quarter mares. Of course we cannot promise color, but you've got a good shot at it with Prairie Gold. We do have a color guarantee. Continue reading to learn about it.

Q:	Do we offer a live foal guarantee?
A:	Yes, we do. If your mare proves barren at any time or if she produces a non-viable foal, you are entitled to a rebreed the following year. Please refer to our stallion service contracts for details.

Q:	Do we offer a color guarantee?
A:	Yes, we do offer a color guarantee. That's rather rare with Overo Paint Horses, but we know that Prairie Gold is above average at throwing color and we want you to have that colored foal you dream about! Please refer to our stallion service contracts for details.

Q:	Does Prairie Gold have many foals in the show ring?
A:	Prairie Gold has sired some outstanding halter horses. For more information on his offspring, click here.

Q:	Is Prairie Gold nominated to any futurities?
A:	Prairie Gold is nominated to many futurities again in 2006. They include the Louisiana, Land Rush, Palmetto, Tovo, North Carolina, and Utah Futurities.

Q:	Is Prairie Gold nominated to the American Paint Horse Association's Breeders Trust?
A:	Yes, he is. If you'd like to learn more about the APHA's Breeders Trust, click here.

Q:	Why are mare owners interested in the futurities and the Breeders Trust?
A:	Showing your Prairie Gold horses in the futurities is a good way to make money with your horse while it is young. Then by participating in the Breeders Trust, you can earn money from the APHA for each point you earn at Paint Horse shows. Futurities and the Breeders Trust add up to a win-win situation!

Q:	Can you examine our breeding contracts in the privacy of your own home and with no obligation to sign one?
A:	Absolutely. Click here.

Q:	What is Prairie Gold's stud fee?
A:	His breeding fee is $1250 here at the farm or for shipped semen. There are no additional charges for the first shipment of semen other than a refundable deposit on our shipping container.