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Author
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Topic: Comment about breeding
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Mandi
Member
Member # 2126
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posted May 04, 2004 04:07 PM
When i bought my TB ![[Running Horse]](graemlins/horse.gif) mare, a woman who rode at the barn and knew the woman who had rescued my horse was very excited that my horse, Deena had been adopted. Since I am only 15 and this was my first horse and cost 1200 (not too much but slightly out of my price range ![[Eek!]](eek.gif) ) The woman was telling me that I could breed my mare and sell the foal to get some money off of her. It really bugged me because although I love my horse to death, she was sold from the track because she wasn't fast enough. I believe in breeding the BEST horses to produce the BEST foals we can get. I love my horse but at 5 years old she does not have any outstanding qualities other than her personality. With all the horses in rescues looking for a good home who am I to add another 'average' horse into this world?
Posts: 48 | From: Rhode Island | Registered: Apr 2004
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Dawn
Member
Member # 14
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posted May 04, 2004 04:09 PM
I would also question this woman's knowledge. Breeding a mare and selling the foal rarely if ever results in a profit.
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Heard in the midst of a handwriting exam ~ "And to think, we could've been bio-chem majors."
Posts: 6885 | From: Tennessee | Registered: Nov 2002
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Toby&Arie
Member
Member # 969
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posted May 04, 2004 04:25 PM
I have to applaud you Mandi ![[Smile]](smile.gif) . It just shows you're a truly wonderful horseperson to be able to look at your mare objectively like that. There is a difference between having a really terrific mare and having a breeding quality mare. Not many people care to see that however, because it bursts their bubble. It was just refreshing to read your post, instead of the usual "My mare is really great- her baby would rock!" stuff.
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"You know you are going really fast when you are galloping the same way as the wind is blowing, yet there is wind in your ears."
Posts: 381 | From: NYC | Registered: Nov 2003
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Rocking BT Ranch
Member
Member # 1840
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posted May 04, 2004 04:55 PM
Mandi - you are wise beyond your years !! Like Tobie&Arie, I applaud you!!
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Happy Trails :)
~ Billy & Teresa ~
To view our photo albums of us, our children and our 4 legged kids click on the link. :)
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/rockingbtranch
x-x-x-x If God brings ya to it, He will lead you through it x-x-x-x
Posts: 188 | From: Arkansas-mving to Upstate NY | Registered: Mar 2004
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Dancinglite
Member
Member # 1892
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posted May 04, 2004 05:33 PM
Mandi
Two sides of the coin.
Yes, when you breed, you breed the best to the best, but just because your mare was not fast enough at the track does not make her a "lesser" mare. Many a ex-tract Tb has gone on to do wonders in different disciplines.
Dawn is right--you rarely make a profit and in most cases be prepared to lose money breeding.
Questioning the viability of breeding your mare is the first step in reaching a mature conclusion and maybe sometime in the future it may happen.
Right now--enjoy your horse, work with her and when you have gotten to know your horse better you can better judge your horse's good and not so good points. Don't let anyone pressure you into any decision until you are ready for it.
Posts: 165 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Blistering Winds
Member
Member # 843
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posted May 04, 2004 05:41 PM
![[Applaud]](graemlins/applaud.gif)
I love the fact that you took the time to think this through.
Rarely does a foaling turn a profit. By the time you work out feeding, vet, goofs, etc, you usually are STILL in the red.
People don't think of the actual cost to go into it all. They just see the big CHUNK at once when you sell the foal.
I am glad to see people thinking about breeding, even after someone said otherwise.
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Horses should not be treated as people. They should be respected for who they are and what they are capable of doing!
Born Free Now Expensive
Posts: 4337 | From: Texas | Registered: Oct 2003
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Mandi
Member
Member # 2126
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posted May 04, 2004 05:45 PM
I didnt mean that since she couldn't race well that that makes her lesser. I just mean that she (as of now) isn't breeding quality. If people keep breeing horses for the heck of breeding it is going to produce lower and lower quality foals. I, personally, am willing to pay that extra 200 maybe 500 for a horse that is a better quality, no cow hocks or uneven legs, a horse (if i ever showed)could bring me a little closer to what I want to do. I love my horse to death but I dont think she is going to be breeding quality, but thats fine with me! I dont have to wait to ride her and take care of a foal! (adorable but so much raising help involved, I dont have the time and/or money to have someone watch a foal for its first while 24/7) I do see my horses good points, she is goofy and is very eagar and a lot of the time has a "go, go go!" personality, she loves to work but also she'll be just as happy to chill in her stall, nipping ur shoulder and eating sugar from ur hand. ^_^
Posts: 48 | From: Rhode Island | Registered: Apr 2004
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horse_crazy
Member
Member # 334
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posted May 04, 2004 06:47 PM
If you personally do not think that your mare is breeding quality, then by all means do not breed. You have thought this through, even being 15 years old...you are acting and thinking more realistically(wow, I can't spell ) than some adults.
As far as profit, you have to think about this, on an average, we usually spend about $400-$500 on a breeding fee, then yopu have to pay whatever the cost of the mare care is(if you are doing live cover) and ultrasounding/palptating....so if you add just that up...its a costly thing, and you aren't going to make a fortune on the foal..unless is has great pedigree, looks, ect. We breed no more than 5 mares each year, and we have quality horses...we breed only the mares with good pedigrees, nice dispositions, nice conformation, ect. to the same(great pedigree, conformation, ect) stallion to get a wonderful foal, and we can sell them for $1500, $2000 or whatever the cost may be.
Well, good luck with your decision!
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Mares:
Honey-buckskin(in-foal to a smutty buckskin stallion)
BG-palomino/dunalino(foaled a beautiful filly)
Dibby-dun(in-foal to a palomino stallion)
Star Bucks-buttermilk buckskin(not bred, we may just use her as a riding horse)
Fillies:
Lizzy-grulla(will be used as a broodmare in the future, due to an injury as a weanling...we are unsure if she will be riding sound, although she might be, as her injury has healed so well...you can't even tell)
Sheba-black(hopefully will be shown in Halter classes starting this year)
Blue-blue roan(we aren't too sure what we are going to do with this filly yet....but she is a cutie)
Geldings:
Poco-sorrel/overo*Paint*(Awesome riding horse!)
Brandy-*FOR SALE*(Nice 2 yr old, going into training soon, price will go up, feel free to ask me about him..if you are interested)
Foals:
Tinker Bell- Red dun filly. Nice short neck, long legs, beautiful eyes..absolutely beautiful. Very people friendly.
Other 2 foals are expecting between May and June.
Posts: 853 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Jun 2003
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bay_blnd jmpr07
Member
Member # 932
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posted May 04, 2004 06:52 PM
an plus, she's only 5!! u have so many years to decide if u want to breed and have saved up enough money. and in those years u can make her into an acceptional mare!!
u could find her true hidden talent.
BBJ
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Woody-RIP 4/7/04- You will always be missed. We love you Lil' Woody Man!!!
"FEAR-Fake Evidence Appearing Real"--Lee Rouson
It's not an obsession...It's a commitment!!
"It's not in his feet...It's in his heart"--Red
http://community.webshots.com/user/doublefc
Posts: 1959 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Nov 2003
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PawNHoofPrints
Member
Member # 518
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posted May 08, 2004 07:26 PM
If 1200 was a little high, I definitely would not breed her. If a pregnancy and birth are clean and the foal is born healthy, you are home free. If however the mare has a dystocia, you've got a good $2,000 to fix her up if you go cadillac style. If the foal is sick, you're looking at $1,000 for the first night of hospitalization alone with no guarantees. Breeding is seldom a money making process unless you do the majority of the vet work yourself and have your own stud on the ground. I think that not breeding her is a very wise decision on your part.
Posts: 434 | From: Missouri | Registered: Aug 2003
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