Who's breeding this next spring?

[SFM in KY]

I think horse breeders are like gardeners ... when the stallion issues of the horse magazines and the garden catalogs come out, we start looking! I'm sure it is an addiction

I've not bred for the last two season, so no foals on the ground last year or this year as I made serious efforts to cut down on numbers. Age and old injuries, plus the economy, were all realities I couldln't ignore.

I am now feeling comfortable about the numbers. Moved here 10 years ago with 40-some horses ... I am now at 12 horses total. That includes one crippled pony mare that will never go anywhere and the Haflinger mare who will never be bred but is a necessity for chores, hauling hay and firewood in the winter and lawn mower duties in the summer. Plus one of the stallions and two of the mares will be evaluated again in another year and may go.

One of the mares I'm keeping as a "test market" sale pony ... sportpony, well bred, lots of potential. Will advertise her at a couple of different times/prices and see if I get any serious inquiries, which will tell me something about my market. I advertised a couple of ponies this last year and got no serious inquiries at all ... obviously, if I don't get any inquiries, that will affect my breeding plans.

So ... keeping three small pony mares, which will be bred eventually to a warmblood stallion for sportpony prospects, but not in 2011. The small mares will obviously be cheaper to feed.

Larger mares (13.2 to 15 hands) will be bred to my own stallions here ... if I don't get interest in my sales mare, probably not more than two. One of those breedings will be for a double dilute filly I would keep to replace her dam. The second breeding would be my black sportpony stallion to a chestnut sabino Welsh pony mare in hopes of getting a really flashy black sabino foal, which should be marketable even in a slow market.

If there is quite a lot of interest in the sales mare, I would breed one or two more mares for sales foals. No interest ... just those two.

At this point I can "support" what I have even without them providing additional income, though I won't continue that indefinitely. If the market seems to be picking up in 2010 and 2011, I will breed the small pony mares in 2011 and continue with the mares/stallions I have here. If that doesn't happen ... and I need to sell weanlings, not keep them over and start them under saddle ... I will probably, very reluctantly, be out of the breeding business.

Does anyone see anything I've missed here in these plans? Things I should look at that I haven't considered?

And what are you planning to do over the next two years? Stay in? Get out? Change the focus of what you're doing?

[bergere]

No, no breeding here. Was tempted with the Bay Icelandic because she throws some really nice Quality foals.
But the way things are, I would end up keeping another foal and I am really at my max right now.

[RideBarefoot]

One mare that will be bred in the spring for my next show horse....not breeding to sell but JUST IN CASE anything would happen to me- the resulting foal will be a quality animal that will have no problem finding a job with someone looking for a good horse. The mare is well-bred, a lovely mover, talented, and an enjoyable ride- for me, a requirement before breeding.

And yup, it's so much fun looking at stallions! I think I've narrowed my list to about half a dozen...

[malinda]

I am considering breeding one mare next year, though haven't yet completely decided if I will. My boyfriend bought a really nice TB mare who is Main Mare Book Oldenburg approved, and foaled a Premium Oldenburg foal two years ago... And I have some frozen Trakehner semen that I could use... And the breed association's stallion auctions are coming up... Hmmmmmmm.......

[sidepasser]

No breeding for me, I buy or adopt, but in this economy I would hate to be a breeder. Even with the best of programs, it seems that everyone wants a 5 year old, well started and ready to show.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by sidepasser

No breeding for me, I buy or adopt, but in this economy I would hate to be a breeder. Even with the best of programs, it seems that everyone wants a 5 year old, well started and ready to show.

Seems like buyers what what you don't have, or something. The only horse I sold last year was a 7 year old going well. No interest this past spring/summer on a broodmare or green prospect I had ... but Carolyn Miller (in Virginia) who has Weltstern said the only thing she's sold this year have been weanlings ... nobody interested in anything she's had going under saddle.

That's actually one reason I'm keeping the one sportpony mare ... will try her as a unstarted/ ready to go under saddle early ... then if there's no interest will try again later in the spring with at least W/T under saddle and see what happens. the interest .. or the lack of interest ... will determine whether I breed just two mares or more. The year after that will probably force me into the decision of whether to continue on with a very limited breeding program or to get out altogether.

It is really difficult to consider dispersing the last of a 20-year breeding program though, when I've finally got what I have been working those 20 years to produce.

[Jcran]

Hahahahaha! We inherited three equines that ARRIVED bred...at least the two ponies are; thank god the paint mare isn't. I'll have a POA/PAINT cross and a tobiano Welsh cross/Paint cross. I won't be able to GIVE the foals away in today's market. Iffen I kin get good homes for these critters, then these little ponies ain't not nivver gonna go near a stallion agin.

[Judy in IN]

I've got two mares old enough to breed, but I won't be breeding. Too many good horses looking for homes already.

I think I'm doing well enough to care for the ones I have already.

I can buy a foal for little more than a stud fee right now.

I see the rednecks are even (finally) figuring out that the market is gone.

[critterluv]

I am going to breed my walker mare to my walker stud and I will breed 1 mare to my arab stud for one of each. I have enough room to keep them if they dont sell but im hoping to keep both if they are fillyrs or if the arab foal is a breeding stud potential as my stud is geting old. My luck I will end up with 2 gelding quality colts but Im willing to take that chance.

[lamoncha lover]

If we get moved to ur land...and if we get our barn up this year...you bet cha!Ihave 2 spotted saddle mares, haven't had a foal in 15 yrs. It is time. My baby fever has been supressed about as long as it is gonna be. However, if I wasnt planning on keeping it..I would not breed.

[~NY_Cowgirl~]

I don't have any mares that are young enough to breed, and I need another horse like I need a hole in my head... but I still look at stallions ALL the time, it is just fun to see what is out there and which I would pick if I had a certain mare.

[GKM farm_girl]

My mare is bred, I plan on keeping the foal to replace her. She has some health issues, and will be used only lightly. The question for me is, should I geld my stallion? I really don't want to, but, after this foal, I really don't need any more, there is no market, and I would not have to worry about him going where he shouldn't. (he has never crossed a fence, though they aren't the best) I could pasture him with the mare and filly........... decisions ... decisions

[bluebird2o2]

No babies here.I prefer too just admire other peoples babies.I know how much work and expense they are.

[reicheru]

Originally Posted by GKM farm_girl

My mare is bred, I plan on keeping the foal to replace her. She has some health issues, and will be used only lightly. The question for me is, should I geld my stallion? I really don't want to, but, after this foal, I really don't need any more, there is no market, and I would not have to worry about him going where he shouldn't. (he has never crossed a fence, though they aren't the best) I could pasture him with the mare and filly........... decisions ... decisions

Cut him. He will rebreed your mare on the foal heat and that baby could very well get hurt in the process. It'll save you a lot of headaches and money.


My mare is also bred, bought her that way. She's a Zippo Pine Bar/Impressive grandaughter [n/n] and bred to a paint stud [impressive bred, also n/n]. I've seen 2 fillies from this mare [a now 4yo and her 09 baby] and just love how they're put together and their personalities. I haven't decided who I'm breeding her too. I'm leaning towards Barlink Macho Too or The Rock Says.

[ShyAnne]

Originally Posted by reicheru

My mare is also bred, bought her that way. She's a Zippo Pine Bar/Impressive grandaughter [n/n] and bred to a paint stud [impressive bred, also n/n]. I've seen 2 fillies from this mare [a now 4yo and her 09 baby] and just love how they're put together and their personalities. I haven't decided who I'm breeding her too. I'm leaning towards Barlink Macho Too or The Rock Says.

Congrats Rach! Nice to see ya around. I would love to see your mare.

I have a Shetland mare in foal for a summer foal. So wont rebreed her next yr.

[RLStewart]

I have one mare coming off a lease that is supposed to be returned to me bred. Probably will advertise her for sale but most likely will end up keeping her through this foal. My other broodmare is retired and the 2nd generation is still kinda young to breed. I'm getting rather backed up with prospects as everyone wants them already showing and with barrelhorses that means 4/5 years old. By the time you keep them that long its hard to make a profit. I enjoy raising the babies and the training but I think my husband is getting sick of our life revolving around the horses so will be trying to cut back some.
Oh we do have a STB mare that we are foaling out for a friend. I'm excited about it as all I've ever had is QH's. I'm sure its going to look hilarious to me as I'm used to stout foals with little cute heads and this thing will probably be all legs and ears! If its nice though it should be worth big $$ as the mare won a ton of money on the track.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by RLStewart

I'm sure its going to look hilarious to me as I'm used to stout foals with little cute heads and this thing will probably be all legs and ears! If its nice though it should be worth big $$ as the mare won a ton of money on the track.

It took me years to get used to the warmblood heads (and yes, the EARS) after years of Quarter Horses ... such different growth patterns too.

[reicheru]

That's Pattie there like 3 weeks ago. She's HUGE. When she runs, she looks like a hippo. -snort-

[ShyAnne]

Wow, nice mare! When is she due? She looks like she is getting close. Maybe 9th month?
What the sire look like?

[reicheru]

I don't have a pic of him. He's a liver chestnut paint. The only thing I don't like about him is that the offspring I've seen from him are too narrow for my tastes. I'm hoping she'll correct that. She's due in March/April. They pasture bred her so they aren't really sure. >.<