How many have stopped breeding?

[Suzie]

We took a hiatus from breeding for a couple of years due to a couple of reasons. We had a barn full. If it does not have a stall, it is not here. My health took a downturn for a while (now on the upswing-Thankfully). But we have several mares bred for 2014. Our lines are just too good to completely stop breeding and we have some older mares that will be leaving us soon unfortunately. We have spent nearly 17 years building up our breeding stock one by one. With breeding complications, we should be able to have about 1/2 the mares we bred produce live foals-at least that is how it seems after years of breeding- and that would be enough for one year. We have 37 horses here and only breed a small and selective amount- for ourselves mostly. I did sell some fillies and colts last year (from several years back) and that leaves some room for a few replacements for myself. Some folks have 25 mares and breed 25 mares every year. Good for them if they can sell or place them in great homes. I don't feel that comfortable with the current market. If I can't foresee keeping a foal for myself- it does not get bred in the first place. If I find a great home and they manage to talk me out of a foal- great. They got something I planned to keep and possibly show for myself and I can comfortably plan on breeding another foal. With a smaller amount of breeding, we have more time to devote to training and working with each horse one on one. Otherwise, I am good with what we have here. We choose to be conservative these days. We did not get into horses for the money. Far from it. It is a labor of love (some days a huge labor of love) but we would not have it any other way.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts! It definitely gave me some food for thought!

 

[MajorClementine]

I didn't quit breeding so much as I didn't start. I bought Major with the intention of breeding him to Clementine when she turned 4. But after a year I decided to have him gelded for 3 reasons. #1 was there are many high quality breeders across the country who's blood lines are leaps and bounds better. #2 I fell in love with him for his personality not his "breeding potential" #3 I felt bad keeping the two of them apart. I figured they would both be happier living together.

I haven't regretted having Major gelded. He's a great horse and both he and Clementine are much happier living together rather than staring at each other through the fences.

 

[Marty]

If you are on Facebook and see the numbers of minis posted for sale each day it is mind boggling not to mention offers for stud service and more foals coming in 2014. There are not enough homes and it seems as though mares especially are getting pushed from one home to the other, having a foal or two at that farm and then moving again.

Very sad for the horses who bear the brunt of our foolishness.

Right on Mountainwoman. Its appalling the huge numbers for sale and how uncaring the people are about selling....selling just to anyone for the money. Don't care who you are and what your plans for him is, just gimmee the money. Mares are left out there to foal alone as someone told my friend, the fit of the fittest survive and those that make it make it.. And these breeders, excuse me, I mean Greeders pumping out these horses in dozens on dozens on dozens, do you really think they are being handled, socialized, have their vaccinations, feet trimmed, worming? Please. Don't try to tell us they are tended to daily, weekly or monthly when there are hundreds of them in the back 40. But oh wait......they have a fancy pedigree. They bred another 100 horses just to get "thee one" that will win a class and let him have a space in the barn. The other, not so lucky. They'll leave them out there to their own devices until the week before a big fancy sale and then drag them in kicking and screaming and get that stuff done. Lots of them are sold traumatized or sick, and don't get me started on that one. And people still want to support these farms? On the flip side, we still do have some awesome and highly respectable breeders out there that actually keep their numbers within reason, dump big bucks into their programs and take incredible care of their stock and would never think of running them through anyone's sale. Those are the ones people should support. The breeders who have earned respect.