Heartlines Ranch is dedicated to breeding and developing superior equine athletes using a unique breeding philosophy. Based on the research done by Marianna Haun, author of The X Factor, and equine cardiologist Dr. Fred Fregin, Heartlines is striving to build a broodmare band that will always produce horses with heart.
The large heart is a consistent characteristic in champions, allowing them greater stamina and quicker recovery. Secretariat's heart was the largest on record, approximately 22 pounds at autopsy (as compared to the usual 8.5 in a racing animal). Aside from size, it was without abnormalities. Even more exciting than this is the fact that the genes for fantastic heart can be passed to offspring on the X chromosome with minimal dilution.
Colts receive an X-chromosome from their dams only while fillies inherit from both parents. This is the philosophy on which Heartlines is built. Heartlines Ranch plans to raise future winners by carefully breeding speed on the top to mares with with those vital "heart genes"; in this way they can ensure their babies will run all day and into the night!