First and foremost I think you must have a vision and goal of where you want YOUR program and horses to go. You personally have to know what you are trying to achieve.
As a breeder I think the one thing one must try to do diligently is to really...and I mean "really" be able to look at your horses and be honest about their faults and their strong points. No matter the horses name, bloodlines, winnings ext...each horse has qualities that are superb and those that need improvement.
As a breeder I try to never be so close minded as to say I would never have a horse from such and such bloodlines, but look at the horse itself and how it will compliment what I have and can it do what I want to do with it. I breed for what I like, I know what "I" want my horses to look like. Sure I want others to like my horses, I want to have a market for what I produce...but I'm not going to revolve my whole program about producing horses for someone else. I'm the only one having to spend my hard earned money to take care of my horses, so I might as well have horses that I like looking at and spending time with.
It is imperative to keep evolving as you go. If you see something is not working, change what you are doing. Hopefully down the road you will be retaining foals you've produced to take the place of their dams or granddams/sires…and showing horses you have produced.
So back to the original question - bloodlines "I" like....
for my AMHA/AMHR minis the majority of my herd is my own breeding now, but those horses are a combination of Buckeroo (mainly BTU) and Rowdy (more directly, Lazy N Redboy).....that being said do I like every Buckeroo or Rowdy horse I see...No. But I have keep mares and stallions that ideally in my mind, should complement each other, and luckily the results have been good to me. Great length of neck for the minis, big eye, pretty face, awesome legs, good movement, personality plus. My mares/stallions must consistently produce foals to meet my vision, a good one every so and so years is not good enough to earn a broodmare spot here. Consistency is a great thing…to have great foals out of a mare every year, and then to have those ones that are out of this world mixed in too.
For my AMHR/ASPC herd, I like the Rock E line. “I” am personally drawn to the grand-daughters and grand-sons, as they have gorgeous heads, tapered muzzles, tight small ears, short backs, good hips, and love to show...and they can move. So that is what 3/4 of my double reg herd is comprised of.... Then I have an outcross stallion and a few outcross mares.
I know I should just stop…but I can’t….On the shetlands, or particularly the Rock E line...I find them super to work with. BUT...and a big but…you must earn their trust. They are very sensitive horses and under the wrong hands it can go south fast. You have to be able to communicate what you are asking of them and allow them to understand. They do not take well to hard hands or being forced. My Rock E horses are very sweet...Yes they have a lot of life and show, but that is what I am looking for in a horse, what I’d want for myself…to be happy to be alive and full of life. I have had all my youth kids show them, help condition them, wash them, without any issues.
If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. ~Lawrence J. Peter