[haflingerfriends] genetic question

I was looking at the Haflinger Magazine for Dec. -Jan. that I just got. On page 30 I was looking at the National Champion SIP stallion Arno van het Nieshof and thought I could ask this question as he is recognaized a one great horse. I wonder how one would pick a stallion by the current appearance? I like the darker colors with no mealy gene and so if I saw a picture of him, I would consider him or a darker stallion. However, looking at his get on the same page , they all have extensive mealy gene..one verging on very light too. I know the mares have equal influence but say I had a mare with minor mealy gene like Meg and wanted to breed that out by picking a stallion...how would I go about it? Is mealy gene dominant? Is the smooty gene dominant? If you breed smooty to mealy..what would be the result? Is one dominant over the other?
How much should one go by the picture of the stallion in say Haflinger Magazine?
Say a stallion's hip is too high and his withers not uphill...how dominant is that? How about the layed back shoulder that allows the great front extension for driven dressage?
How do you modify some of these things and not end up with too thin legs?
If you breed a shorter horse to a taller one does that guarentee the foal will grow larger than the Mom? Woden is almost 4 and it does look like he will only be as tall as his 14HH mom in stead of his 14.3HH dad. I know some still grow till 5.
If you are breeding do you just work on one improvement at a time? or say could you pick a stallion that would produce a nonmealy, more toward the darker color with great extension and front hooves almost touching the rear in movement with a great topline and pretty face? If not I guess you would pick movement first?
Since breeding has dropped off because of the market I just thought a discussion on how you move to the standard would be interesting. And if some of us are making a decision for a certain use, how would we go about it? I am hoping everyone will pitch in here as well as some big breeders who see lots of get. thanks in advance. Victoria da Roza, Walnut Creek, Ca.

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