I hope you are on your own AI journey and if not, will be inspired to take that first step after reading this article.

I’ve always found it helpful to learn from examples and faced with the blank ChatGPT prompt it can be hard to know where to start.  

Try ChatGPT

I’m going to assume you have gotten past the stage of using it like Google and have experimented with things like asking it for a recipe you can cook in your air fryer using the three odd ingredients you have in your fridge!

The next experiment is to be more directive. I’m now treating ChatGPT as though it were a smart university graduate that knows a lot, but doesn’t yet know what they don’t know, so I have to be directive and challenging and certainly not believe everything it tells me.  

What I’m learning is how to be clearer in thinking through the design of the initial prompt. Not just what answer I want, but what kind of process I want to go through.  I only recently realised I could get it to ask me questions!

So let’s proceed with the experiments…

What does AI know about horse breeding? Surely this will be a bit obscure and after a miserable failure yesterday in asking it to create a dressage test. I don’t have high hopes. 

The rest of the article will just be the conversation between myself and AI. But on a side note, I’ve also used a text-to-image AI to generate the image at the beginning of the article. Entertainingly, when I typed in the prompt suggested by ChatGPT (yes, you can ask ChatGPT to compose text to generate an image in another AI!) into DALL-E, it broke their content policy requirements!

“Create an illustration featuring a mare, with a mix of Irish Draught and Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred lineage, surrounded by three Traditional Irish Horse stallions, in a picturesque Irish landscape. Include a friendly AI assistant or a ChatGPT logo in the image, representing its role in providing advice on selecting a suitable stallion for breeding.”

I wondered if I was being racist so I removed references to Irish and Dutch.  Then the references to stallions and finally it accepted the challenge when I removed breeding at the end!  

Hm,, let’s try another option.  I asked StableDiffusion.com for “a steampunk horse getting advice from an ai on a laptop” and got the cute image at the top of the article.  Much better!.

What follows is the conversation with my ChatGPT4 Graduate,, so you can judge for yourself how much it knows about breeding horses.

I want you to act as an advisor on which stallion I should choose to breed my mare to. You will need to ask me question about what kind of horse I want to breed and the qualities of my mare and then make 3 recommendations of stallions that are available in Ireland either natural cover or AI.

Sure, I’d be happy to help you in selecting a suitable stallion for your mare. To make the best recommendations, I’ll need to know more about your mare and your goals for the resulting foal. Please provide answers to the following questions:

1. What breed is your mare?
2. What are her strengths and weaknesses in terms of conformation, temperament, and performance?
3. What is her pedigree like? Are there any notable horses in her lineage?
4. What is your mare’s primary discipline, and what are your goals for the foal (e.g., dressage, show jumping, eventing, racing, or leisure riding)?
5. Are there any specific traits or qualities you are looking to emphasize or improve in the foal?
6. Do you have a preference for the stallion’s breed or bloodlines?

Once I have this information, I can recommend three suitable stallions that are available in Ireland for breeding, either through natural cover or artificial insemination.

1. my mare is an ISP she is by an ID out of a dutch warmblood/TB mare

2. She has good conformation and size, excellent paces and a good jump and a kind and trainable temperament.  She was injured as a yearling so has no competitive performance.

3. She is by an ID that jumped to Grade A level and her grandsire sired both dressage and jumping horses.

4. The mare is suitable for all sports but not racing.  I would like to breed a show jumping horse.

5. trainability and correct conformation are important traits as well as good jumping ability.

6. I would prefer TIH but would consider any breed

Thank you for providing the necessary information about your mare. Based on her breed, qualities, and your goal of breeding a show jumping horse, I have selected three stallions available in Ireland that could be a good match for your mare:

1. Luidam (KWPN) – Luidam is a top Dutch Warmblood show jumping stallion who competed at the highest level. He has an excellent pedigree with a strong show jumping background. His sire, Guidam, and grandsire, Quidam de Revel, were both successful show jumpers. Luidam is known for passing on his scope, athleticism, and good temperament to his offspring, making him a suitable choice for your mare.
2. Cruising (ISH) – Cruising was an Irish Sport Horse stallion who had an outstanding show jumping career and was known for his exceptional jumping ability. He was an influential sire in Ireland, producing many successful show jumpers. His sire, Sea Crest, and dam, Mullacrew, both come from strong jumping bloodlines. Cruising passed away in 2014, but his frozen semen is still available for breeding purposes. His offspring inherit his jumping talent and trainable temperament.
3. Flexible (ISH) – Flexible is an Irish Sport Horse stallion who had a highly successful show jumping career, competing at the top level and representing Ireland in international competitions. His sire, Cruising, and dam, Flex, both contribute to his strong jumping pedigree. Flexible is known for passing on his athleticism, scope, and good temperament to his offspring, making him an ideal match for your mare.

While these stallions are not traditional Irish Horse (TIH) sires, they have strong show jumping pedigrees and are known for producing offspring with good conformation, trainability, and jumping ability. The combination of your mare’s Irish Draught and Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred lineage with any of these stallions could result in a promising show jumping prospect.

These are great recommendations but they will be very expensive.  Can you recommend stallions with a fee of €1200 or less.

I understand your budget concerns, and I’m happy to provide three more stallion recommendations with a stud fee of €1200 or less. Please note that these fees may be subject to change, and it’s always a good idea to verify the costs with the stallion owners or facilities directly.

1. Cobra 18 (Holsteiner) – Cobra 18 is a Holsteiner stallion with a successful show jumping career. His sire, Cornet Obolensky, and dam, Natalie VIII, both have strong jumping backgrounds. Cobra 18 is known for his athleticism, scope, and willingness to work. He has produced offspring that perform well in show jumping, making him a suitable choice for your mare.
2. O.B.O.S. Quality 004 (Oldenburg) – O.B.O.S. Quality 004 is an Oldenburg stallion who has competed successfully in both show jumping and eventing. His sire, Quick Star, and dam, Reichsdame, come from strong jumping bloodlines. O.B.O.S. Quality 004 is known for passing on his good temperament, athleticism, and versatility to his offspring, making him a great match for your mare.
3. Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet (BWP) – Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet is a Belgian Warmblood stallion with a solid show jumping pedigree. His sire, Diamant de Semilly, and dam, Gazelle Van’t Zorgvliet, were both successful show jumpers. Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet is known for his good conformation, scope, and trainability. He has produced offspring that perform well in show jumping, making him an ideal choice for your mare.

These stallions have more affordable stud fees and still offer excellent qualities for show jumping. Their bloodlines, combined with your mare’s Irish Draught and Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred lineage, could result in a promising show jumping prospect. Remember to verify the availability and stud fees of these stallions in Ireland before making a decision.

What if i wanted only TIH?

If you are specifically looking for Traditional Irish Horse (TIH) stallions, here are three recommendations that may suit your mare and your budget:

1. Silver Granite (RID) – Silver Granite is an Irish Draught stallion who has shown success in show jumping and eventing. He is known for his athleticism, scope, and good temperament. His sire, Gortfree Hero, and dam, Silver Daisy, both come from strong Irish Draught bloodlines. Silver Granite is a versatile stallion that passes on his good conformation, jumping ability, and trainability to his offspring.
2. Young Carrabawn (ISH) – Young Carrabawn is an Irish Sport Horse stallion with strong Traditional Irish Horse bloodlines. His sire, Carrabawn View, and dam, Young Loughrynn Lady, are both Irish Draughts with proven performance pedigrees. Young Carrabawn is known for passing on his good temperament, scope, and jumping ability to his offspring, making him a suitable choice for your mare.
3. Kiltealy Silver (RID) – Kiltealy Silver is an Irish Draught stallion with a successful career in eventing and show jumping. His sire, Silver Granite, and dam, Kiltealy Lass, both come from strong Irish Draught bloodlines. Kiltealy Silver is known for his good conformation, athleticism, and versatility. He has produced offspring that perform well in show jumping and eventing, making him a good match for your mare.

These Traditional Irish Horse stallions have strong performance pedigrees and are known for producing offspring with good conformation, trainability, and jumping ability. Combining your mare’s Irish Draught and Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred lineage with any of these TIH stallions could result in a promising show jumping prospect. Please verify the availability and stud fees of these stallions in Ireland before making a decision.

Now it’s your turn. Here are the links and do share your discoveries, success and failures.

https://labs.openai.com/ (DALL-E 2)

https://stablediffusionweb.com/ (Stable Diffusion)

https://chat.openai.com/chat  (ChatGPT)

Phoebe Bright

Horse Technologist