Breeding With Limits: Understanding Stallion Quotas
Why strict breeding matters, and how we actually do it in the Dole horse
When you work with an endangered breed, you quickly learn that good intentions are not enough. Wanting to breed well does not automatically protect a population. What protects it are clear rules, followed over time, even when they are inconvenient.
In the Dole horse, this thinking is built directly into the breeding system. One of the clearest examples of this is the stallion quota.
A stallion quota is a limit on how many mares a licensed stallion is allowed to cover. In the Dole horse, this limit is not symbolic. It is specific, regulated, and adjusted as the stallion’s genetic influence grows.
How the system works in practice
Every newly licensed stallion starts with a quota of 15 mares. This quota is not permanent. It is granted for a limited period and is meant to give the stallion a fair, but controlled, start in breeding.
The idea is simple. We look at type, soundness, temperament, and consistency. We also look at how many sons go on to become licensed themselves, because that multiplies genetic impact very quickly.
Once a stallion has produced more offspring, his quota is reassessed.
Many stallions are then moved to a quota of 10 mares per season. This applies to stallions that are already represented in the population, but still have value to contribute. There are clear conditions tied to this level, including limits on total offspring, limits on how many licensed sons they have, and limits on how many mares they have covered over recent years.
When a stallion becomes heavily used, or no longer meets the criteria for higher quotas, he is reduced further to a quota of 5 mares per season. This is not a punishment. It is a safeguard. At this stage, the stallion’s genetics are already well established in the breed, and the priority shifts from spreading his line further to protecting diversity.
Why these numbers matter
In a small population, numbers add up fast. A stallion that covers many mares year after year can very quickly appear everywhere in pedigrees. Even if he is a good horse, this creates bottlenecks. Future breeders then find themselves choosing between closely related options, even when they think they are breeding “different” lines.
By limiting numbers early and tightening them over time, the Dole horse breeding system slows this process down. It forces space between generations. It protects lesser-used lines from disappearing quietly while everyone flocks to the same few names.
It also spreads responsibility. No single stallion is allowed to carry the breed on his back.
What this means for breeders
This system asks something of us as breeders. It means we cannot always breed to the most obvious stallion. It means planning ahead, sometimes waiting, sometimes choosing a less familiar option because it serves the bigger picture better.
It also means that good results are more reliable. When a stallion has proven himself within these limits, his quality is not inflated by overuse. It is demonstrated.
For us, this is what careful planning looks like in real terms. Clear rules. Concrete limits. Regular reassessment. And a constant awareness that the gene pool is small, and therefore precious.
The stallion quota is not the whole breeding plan, but it shows the mindset behind it. Thoughtful, cautious, and willing to say “enough” even to good horses, for the sake of the breed as a whole.
