Since we just started up our program in 2006, we've been able to incorporate a variety of bloodlines and talents into our little herd. I'm admittedly a 'head-hunter' after loving Arabians all my life, but for minis, I will compromise on a head
IF the horse's good points far outweigh the head and any other flaws. We have four mares that we adopted several months ago that are not yet on our website. One has a very plain head (and hubby and I occasionally will lovingly refer to her as
Jug Head -- although not where she can hear us and get her feelings hurt). It's not a huge head, but compared to some of our lovely heads, well, it isn't as pretty. But boy, does she ever have NICE legs! And hip, etc. One of her companions that we also took in does not have an especially attractive head either, but boy her legs, body and movement are nice!
She's produced a 3-time AMHA National Top 10 halter stallion and an AMHR National Champion stallion, and we're looking forward to how she'll produce on our Redboy son.
I'm certainly more willing to overlook certain
minor faults if I can look at their offspring and see that they do not pass it on
IF IF IF they have some really nice qualities that I think they will contribute (like overlooking a thicker neck that can occasionally run in certain lines in exchange for an exquisite head, or a neck that ties in a little lower than I prefer but WOW! what a trot from that rear engine). So many farriers hate trimming minis that
some crooked legs can be due to improper trimming. Conformational faults that I can't overlook though (again, MY personal preference) are locking stifles, weak hips, goose rumps, low tailsets, cowhocks, necks that tie in completely horizontally to their body, a really steep shoulder, and legs that are shorter than their barrel height (at the girth line). Extreme over/underbites are another thing I can't do. No cryptorchids either. A slightly long back for my broodmares is fine, and I have one of those -- the stallions she's been crossed with shorten up the back nicely on her offspring.