From Cala to Reining: The Inside Scoop on What Makes a Successful Breeding Program

Aldo credits our own Jody Brainard for introducing him to the reining world. In 1998 Jody and Roger Blackman did a clinic at Rancho El Fortin. Jody started a colt they called Gusto, and convinced them to put him into training. Jody believed he was good enough to make the top 10 at the AQHA World Show, and it turns out he was right. In fact, he made it look so simple that the family decided to stick with this easy game of reining. From there, it only took 25 years to win the NRHA Futurity with a horse named Ten Thirty.  

But reining isn’t the only game in Mexico. In fact, the bigger draw for many is something called cala. What is cala? It can best be described as the sliding stop in reining, but not exactly. The goal of cala is to slide as far as possible, so you’ll see horses “skating” over the dirt rather than stopping deeply in the dirt like we see in reining. It’s all about distance in cala.

Aldo balances the breeding program to include stallions and mares that favor the Mexican cala discipline or the US reining discipline. Some can cross over well between the two. But there is enough difference that it takes a certain eye to distinguish where the foals will best be suited. 

Here’s a few business tips from the Cowboys’ discussion with Aldo:

• Know your market – especially with multinational and multisport interest
• Go back to basics – know your expenses and potential earnings for each market
• Keep an open mind – each horse has different strengths, even those bred the same
• Look to the future – sometimes you have to pay to play the game
• Take care of your clients – they’ll remember if you take advantage of them

They’ll also touch on the science of breeding which has changed quickly in recent years. From live cover to frozen semen, embryo transfers to cloning, the future of breeding is likely to continue evolving. Horses and genetics will change regardless of where you stand on controversial practices. The real key to a successful breeding program will still be choosing the right sires and the right dams resulting in offspring that meet the needs of the sport.