Improving the breed - which is better??

[targetsmom]

OK, so you breed the best to the best and hope for the best. You find good homes for the ones that didn't quite live up to expectations. But what do you do with the ones that are better than you hoped for?

Do you keep them for your own herd, to eventually replace your current mares or your herd sire?

Or do you sell them to improve someone else's herd?? (OK, and hopefully promote your farm).

Is one choice better than the other in terms of overall breed improvement? (As opposed to improving your own herd, in which case you would keep the best).

And does it matter if you are a large breeder versus a small breeder? Or young or old? A breeder my age (not young) is now selling her foals, even if they are better than her current breeding stock, because she doesn't feel she has the time to wait to see what they might produce.

I would love to hear your thoughts....

 

[muffntuf]

I think it depends on what your goals are for your farm? What was your original thoughts when you started this venture?

Of course everyone has to start somewhere - you have to buy someone else's stock to start yours. But then what is the goal?

To produce foals that are better than their parents. Eventually you have enough to have your own base herd. What do you do then? Let the starters go? Maybe, maybe not. You have to evaluate every year.

Did you show any of the produce and get? Did they do well, were people asking about them? Does your farm have the ways and means to support years of produce/get and the original horses?

When is it time to let some go?

Maybe your goal is only to provide nice horses for others to enjoy, not looking for that national champion.

These are good questions we have to ask ourselves - I don't think anyone can answer for another person's vision.

 

[Marty]

I really understand what you are saying. I don't have the answers for you, but for me it depends entirely on your own personal goal.

Not everyone out there is about to overhaul their entire program. I know I"m not, but I have made changes here and there and have some things underwraps to improve as well. There's always room for improvement to any program.

I'm just going with my gut. I feel if your combinations of stallion X mare produce better than your stallion X mare, that is a good sign right there that you are already on the right track. You keep what you know will enhance your program and sell what you don't think will. There's always someone else's program out there that your for sale stock will improve, hopefully. Unless you are that crazy about all your combinations and plan to do a lot of line breeding, then it just makes sense to add new blood where you need to. That's what I think anyhow for whatever it's worth.

 

[wcr]

I know you have good stock and I would keep the best of the best fillies. It is easier to replace your stallion than your mare herd to accomodate your stallion. If you have top notch broodmares they should produce well with a new stallion. Pick a number that you can care for and try to stay at that number. You will have some fluctuations in the number of horses you have because you have to take into account foals born and for sale.

It is hard to get rid of the horses that you have had for awhile because you have an attachment. I know a breeder that flat doesn't keep mares past 12 years of age. They still have productive years ahead for someone else and they bring in fillies that are ready to be broodmares.

 

[Songcatcher]

To answer your question, I would say I sold the best filly I have ever had born here. She was sired by a stallion with a National Champion title and in my opinion was better than her sire or dam either one. So, why did I sell her? Well, money is an object. I would have loved to keep her, but I also like to keep the bills paid. Also, I felt she definately had show potential and I didn't have the ability to show her at the time. She has been shown some by her new owners (although not as much as I had hoped for).

I really missed her after I sold her, but later had the opportunity to buy another filly from the same sire whose dam was a half sister to the filly I sold on her dam's side.

I will be breeding her this year to Bandit.

 

[kaykay]

Unless you have a ton of money its a really hard decision. We had 2 fillies born last year that I feel are both exceptional and what I am breeding for. I had inquiries of people wanting to buy both of them. One home wanted to show one of the fillies and it would have been really good exposure for my farm so I had to really think hard. I even thought of selling one and keeping one. But both of these fillies are by stallions that I dont have access to. So if I sold them I would never had that breeding again. In the end I kept them both to show this year myself and keep for broodmares when they are done showing and mature. Since our farm is small in order to keep these two I had to sell 2. I do think I made the right decision.

This year we will hopefully have 5 foals and will keep one and sell the rest. As said above you have to sell some to keep paying the bills!

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

I have kept many of my best for breeding. Who I sell to depends on the horse. Although I wouldn't pass up a pet home if it was excellent I may look for a show or breeding type home for the above average ones so my hard work doesn't go to waste. I've been breeding for 15 years and have mostly my own stock these days as I do line breeding and have to keep my eye close on what my horses produce. That doesnt' mean I have kept all of my best but with strict goals in mind I have let many go (and that went on to HOF in halter and color AMHR in one year for one colt and a mare that is now showing AMHA that is a multi champion and multi top ten AMHA). Also with limited space I can't keep them all.

Tammie

 

[sedeh]

Interesting thread and question. I haven't had to address the issue yet because I've had no fillies from my stallion!! His first foal crop was last year and all colts! One colt is exceptional and it did cross my mind to keep him but I'm not. I do want to show him this year until he's sold. Before this I was keeping any "nice" fillies for future show/broodmares. My plan is to sell all my foals.......but you never know!!

 

[minie812]

Since we are fairly new to the minis..this being only our third year...I planned out what stallion I wanted to what mares and hoped for fillies and got three out of four...sold that stallion...keeping all my fillies this year and bought a different stud that will compliment my mares for nx year and hope for some nice babies again (it is very hard to stay on target sometimes...I really have to FOCUS) so many folks have AWESOME minis but I usually end up going with my gut and what I personally like. We have been fortunate enough that the horses we have gotten from indivduals have sold us some very nice minis and we have new friends too...what a great deal!

 

[CJMM6]

This is a very big decision. We are a small farm too.

We maintain 9 mares and 2 stallions. I have kept

5 fillies to breed to the other stallion.

We have shown several of the fillies to their Championships in halter and color.

We only show at 3 to 5 shows a year but I feel that showing your homebred horses helps promote your stallions and your stock. We usually sell 3 to 5 foals a year. And when I kept a filly one of my starter mares had to find a new home.

That was very hard for me but I feel I researched the buyer well enough and they have great homes.

Last year was a great year for us, with 3 outstanding colorful fillies being born here. I kept 1 filly and sold the other 2. Thank goodness they went to a show home.

That was very hard to do.

Good Luck on your decision

cjmm

This is a very big decision. We are a small farm too.

We maintain 9 mares and 2 stallions. I have kept

5 fillies to breed to the other stallion.

We have shown several of the fillies to their Championships in halter and color.

We only show at 3 to 5 shows a year but I feel that showing your homebred horses helps promote your stallions and your stock. We usually sell 3 to 5 foals a year. And when I kept a filly one of my starter mares had to find a new home.

That was very hard for me but I feel I researched the buyer well enough and they have great homes.

Last year was a great year for us, with 3 outstanding colorful fillies and 2 colorful colts being born here. I kept 1 filly and sold the other 2. Thank goodness they went to a show home.

That was very hard to do.

Good Luck on your decision

cjmm

This is a very big decision. We are a small farm too.

We maintain 9 mares and 2 stallions. I have kept

5 fillies to breed to the other stallion.

We have shown several of the fillies to their Championships in halter and color.

We only show at 3 to 5 shows a year but I feel that showing your homebred horses helps promote your stallions and your stock. We usually sell 3 to 5 foals a year. And when I kept a filly one of my starter mares had to find a new home.

That was very hard for me but I feel I researched the buyer well enough and they have great homes.

Last year was a great year for us, with 3 outstanding colorful fillies and 2 colorful colts being born here. I kept 1 filly and sold the other 2. Thank goodness they went to a show home.

That was very hard to do.

Good Luck on your decision

cjmm