When advertising, how much do bloodlines mean to you?

[Minimor]

I won't buy a horse on pedigree alone--I first have to like the horse. However, when it comes to a breeding animal, if the horse is a nice individual, but of breeding I just don't like I will pass on the horse. Why? Because even though I like the horse in front of me, if his/her sire or dam have conformation traits that I absolutely don't want, my concern is that the horse I'm looking at will pass on those poor traits rather than his own good traits. This was a bigger consideration in Morgans than it is in Minis, because Morgans have some very set lines--Minis are not as likely to breed true as many Morgan lines are. It's coming, but still not as predictable.

I very much disagree with being unconcerned with any ancestors further back than grandparents. I want to know what's there for 5 and 6 generations back. Why? Because when we were raising Morgans we had a foal born that was a throwback to a horse 5 generations back. Yes, 5. No doubt about it, that colt was the spitting image of that one particular ancestor. I'm not saying that happens frequently, but it does happen & if I'm going to get a throwback I'd like there to be horses I like back there, rather than some butt ugly horse. As well, if there's some linebreeding back in the pedigree I like to know about it, because that can have some influence on traits of the horses closer up in the pedigree, if I don't personally know those closer horses.