Yes, I wrote that title. You’re welcome. It’s a very special day, indeed. Mothers must be cherished all year, but especially on “their” day. The two most important women in my life – without a doubt – have been my mother and the mother of my five children, my beloved wife. Abraham Lincoln said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” I love you, Mom. I love you, Jane. Thank you!

For those in the horse business, we sure do value our mares and for “dam” good reason. As with all breeding stock, quality matters. A quality mare is worth her weight in gold.

The equation of life is simple – the sperm gives half the genes and the egg gives half. 50/50. So, if the stallion and the mare are equally important in contribution genetically for the foal, then why do we place so much value in the marketplace on the dam? The answer is simple: supply. Supply and demand, price and quantity. A stallion can have dozens, heck hundreds, of foals a year. If you are involved with me, your stallion can have foals around the world in a given year. A mare will have one foal or, through modern science, a few. Supply and demand. Economics 101.

You can attend any horse sale. You can see one sire have dozens of foals in the sale, and the prices will vary drastically. Yes, the foals by this sire will all be individuals. They will vary in sex, conformation, color, etc. But the single biggest factor for their market value…the dam. That black type will just JUMP off the page, like a smack in the face. BAM! “I’m valuable!”

You know the mares. Those names etched in immortality. Poco Lena. Teresa Tivio. Peppy Belle. Moving on up to more modern times – Royal Blue Boon, Playboys Ruby, The Smart Look, Katie Gun and the sensational Wimpys Little Chic. I could write a whole page of great mares. Like all things, opinions vary, but greatness is greatness nonetheless.

Stallions get all the glory, mares get all the respect. It is what it is.

To those of you that breed horses, I salute you. Not because it is my business, but because I walk the same path as you. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than the blood, sweat, time and treasure of raising a champion. May your next foal be just that!

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms and the women in your life. Surround yourself with great women and mares. God saved His greatest creation for last. Truth.