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JennyB

overo
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Dec 1, 2002
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Location
Auburn, Wyoming
I realize that the economy is in the hole here and the market for selling any kind of Equine and for that matter anything, especially housing is super bad...but when other owners/breeders are selling their horses for $250. and less... that sure doesn't do awhole lot for the rest of us who are trying to sell ours for more
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...what are you feelings about this?

 

Thanks,

Jenny
 
I ended up giving away several horses that I had paid BIG BUCKS for.My thought was if I sold them too cheap they might end up in bad hands or be resold.I was careful where they went to.Unfortunately there is always someone who will sell for less than you do.This market stinks.People are so worried about feeding themselves and keeping housing that animals(unless they can be eaten)many times have to go.Sad state for those of us who love our animals.
 
I've fought this battle for many years, long before the economy got bad. My biggest issue was the lady down the road who sold dwarves and unregistered pets for $50. Folks looking to buy a cute little pony went straight to her, so I stopped breeding a long time ago and now only ever breed one or two a year for myself. NOw the folks who have done their homework & want a nice horse come to me, but sadly, with so many losing homes and jobs, the knowledgeable buyers are few and far inbetween now.

Bottom line is, right now you can buy a well bred show & breeding prospect for far more less than what it would cost you to breed the mare and and get a healthy foal on the ground. I refuse to give my horses away when I've put so much into getting them here, and sellng them for $250 IMO, is giving them away.
 
I will never judge what someone else sells their horses for because it is none of my business. A few years back, I gave a super nice colt to a woman overseas who was going to show and promote him and when another breeder found out about it she actually had the nerve to email me a nasty gram saying that I had just killed the whole overseas market for colts! Are you kidding me??? Long story short, the colt kept growing and I advised the client that we shouldn't send him as he would be more of a "B" size. If I get another outstanding colt, would I offer it for free to get it overseas........You betcha. I think a sale is between the two parties involved and nobody else.
 
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The market is crappy, for sure. I can still look after my horses and am not going to let them go for poor prices unless it is a poor quality horse.

We have a lot of people dropping in and asking about horses. We are on a pretty busy road that is high traffic on weekends, especially for cottage country.

When people drop in and ask if we have any horses for sale my first question is "if you are looking for a 200.00 horse we don't have any".

That might sound rude but I am very busy and I can't take people around the farm wasting our time, both theirs and mine.

Like SampleMM, it's not my business what others sell their horses for, the sale is between the two parties.
 
A friend once complained to me about someone near her dumping a number of Minis at a local auction; they sold for $40 and $50 without papers and this friend was FURIOUS that this woman had done this. She said that the seller was ruining the market. I said well, if someone wants to let horses go for that small amount of money, that's really up to them--at that time hay in the area was in very short supply, and the seller simply didn't have feed for her horses. I said I figure it is better that she sold them for $50 than kept them & let them all starve--at least hopefully the buyers were willing and able to feed the horses, one can never be sure of that of course. The seller then had less horses to feed, a little more money to buy hay with and a little less hay that she needed to buy.

I personally do not believe in selling horses for $50, or even $100 or $200--maybe if you raise a foal and sell it for $300 you are close to paying for the feed it takes to keep the broodmare another year--but to me it simply isn't worth raising foals if all I can sell them for is $200. If I had one for sale I would hold out for my price no matter how low the guy down the road sells his for. And if I could not get that $1000 or $2000 or whatever my asking price is, well, I'd keep the horse and quit raising foals.

There are still so many people that keep churning out the same number of foals year after year. When they get too many and reach the point that they have to move some out they sell them off dirt cheap, only to foal out another 50 or however many mares--and that is the part I really don't get. Why keep churning out foals into an already flooded market and then sell them off for whatever small amount you can get for them? It is none of my business of course, but I have far more respect for the breeder that retires 30 mares and breeds only his 10 very best producers, choosing the stallions carefully to try and get the very best quality possible in the resulting foals. He's cut production by 75% over his peak years, and if everyone cut back by 75% it would be a huge benefit to the breed. Mass producing foals when the economy is in the toilet and the market is flooded with horses does nothing but cheapen the breed.

Sample--I personally find no fault with someone who does what you intended--giving away a quality horse to someone to show & promote in another area; that isn't cheapening the breed and ruining the market for anyone, that is a form of advertising--a living, breathing advertisement for your breeding program in an overseas market.
 
I think low end and high end markets are going fine. Middle of the road range horses are being hit the hardest I think. The only new horse for us in the past two years is recent for us and the highest price to date. He was what I wanted and I think worth it +++
 
I think all markets are hurting right now. I know many farms that sell at the higher range that have had to reduce prices to get horses sold.

I also have always had to battle against the farms "down that street" that sell for 50-100.00. But many times those same people call me later upset that they got a horse with issues etc. I always try to patiently explain why mine are higher, but so many do not listen until its too late. Not ALL but many farms selling in those low ranges dont deworm, trim etc For farms that do these things selling for those low amounts is a huge loss.

Bottom line right now all of us need to breed less. We have only bred one mare for next year and I doubt she took.

I think people that have to sell out quickly due to health etc is a whole different thing. But farms that literally dump 50 plus horses a year at auction hurt everyone.
 
I so agree Minamor. I am often shocked by the number of Mini auctions and those which end up in all-breed, public auctions. Breeding less numbers and breeding more carefully, is a lovely thought, but there will also be those who flood the market with unsold foals or grown horses, regardless of quality.

For a couple of years now, I've been doing quite a bit of research in Minis. I traced one horse in whom I was interested, to a breeder in another state. I 'phoned him to ask about the horse. I was shocked that he had not only sold the horse at a local auction, but couldn't even remember which auction it was, or in what state. He apparently ships horses to auctions in states other than where he lives. He told me that he used to have a lot of Minis, but now is down to 'only about 50 bred mares'!!! Down to 50 bred mares? Yikes. No doubt all their offspring will again hit the awful public auctions next year. I will never understand those who breed like this. No better than puppy millers in my opinion.

Of course this type of breeding is not just in Minis, but we see it still in many breeds and often from very well known, huge breeding establishments. Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred breeders are notorious for overbreeding, just to get one or two which meet their requirements. It's all very sad, when we understand where many really good horses, finally end up.

I'm am a lot older than most of you here and still remember when most of us had a waiting list of buyers for our dogs and horses and didn't breed until we did or knew the market was excellent for the animals we produced. Those days have long gone for many I'm afraid.

Lizzie
 
I feel for the breeders of nice quality registered minis that are affected by the low low prices that some are selling, however we all have choices and it's not like this hasn't been going on for awhile.
 
I am trying to sell my AQHA western pleasure gelding, a 20k horse after several months we are down to 8k and praying we get something......anything..... this is a horse who anyone can ride, win on and does not have to be with a trainer. Nothing wrong with him, impressive AQHA show record, but there are so many dispersal sales that have horses of this quality for less.
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I am okay with someone selling their horses for what they want. Like it was said, it is better than keeping and not taking care of them.

I do think people do need to not breed. I have one colt in the last three years because we wanted a younger show horse. But there are people that breed EVERY mare EVERY year. It is sad. Just sit and think for a moment, if you had to keep all the horses you produce. Would it be practical to have 2- 100 babies???? Probably not, but they keep on making more and more.
 
I personally havn't bred any mares in two years because the economy is so bad. Yes I miss the foals and love to show the foals that have my name attached, but need to recycle some before adding more. I'm taking a few to a sale this fall, and some mares to sale next spring. I refuse to give any of them away, reason is I've paid a fortune for some of my breeding stock, then turn around and spent time and money bringing the foals into the world. Not to mention, having stallions proffesionally shown, mares shown, producing champions, and not to mention my time watching mares. On the other hand, can't afford to vet and feed if times get any more tough, so some must go. I always think of the horses first. We have a flipper in our area that buys at auction low and resales pets for low, so in years past if someone in my area wanted a show horse they came to me, but with so many out there producing so many foals it's hard to make a sale now. The cost of hay, feed, and gas is going up so if someone sells their horses for a price that gets them into a good home, so be it, it's a shame, but better for the horses.
 
I do think though, in spite of the problems many of us face, there are some extremely good buys out there. Problem is, that most we have seen which we would love to own, are not only still priced fairly high, but are always in some state in the mid west or east coast. Considering a huge transport cost on top of the sales cost, we cannot afford to purchase. We so often bemoan the fact, that we wish such-and-such a horse, was here in California. I envy those who are close to some of the wonderful horses for sale right now, in other states.

Lizzie
 
The sad thing is, I am in the market to buy a mini, willing to put down good money for an experienced show horse to teach me a thing or to, and a good portion of people I've reached out to haven't responded or act like they don't have the time.
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The nice lady down the road with the $50 mini won't leave me alone though, LOL!
 
I recieve several calls a week asking about what I have for sale. I too ask what they want my mini for and the price range their wanting to spend. Also, I hate that they see my add and see my asking FIRM price and still ask if I will sell for less then half what my price is. And then I get snudy reactions about my price since all they want is a pet. I tell them my horse will make a great pet BUT I still want what Im asking for. I explain how I dont breed for profit like most minis farms around here but for quality. And I dont breed to make a quick buck. I take pride in my horses and tell them, go see these cheaper farms horses, then come to mine. You will see the differance imedently as soon as you approch my well behaved and friendly horse that looks like a horse, not a fat little pony which usally you cant even get close enough to see its color at some of these local back yard farms.
 
I think 5 years ago the horse market(all breeds) was way over inflated any way. Yes, the economy is rotten and prices are horrible, but then again, every industry has been hit by the economy. I do think the mid price range horses are what have been hit the hardest. The cheap pet horses sell and the high priced super star show horses sell. The working class American is what is struggling and who want those mid range horses but can't afford to buy them right now and refuses to buy that pet quality horse. We all just need to hang tough, grit our teeth and keep our heads held high. It will come back, most likely not to the over-inflated prices (just like the housing market), but enough that we can breed a few select mares and sell those foals and make a few bucks.
 
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australia is going throw the same 5 years ago you would pay $5000. for a mini now you can pick them up for $1000

good if you wont to buy,,,
 
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australia is going throw the same 5 years ago you would pay $5000. for a mini now you can pick them up for $1000

good if you wont to buy,,,

And much like the situation in America the probelm isn't helped by those breeding average animals "just for pets."

If you're not putting equal to better quality on the ground I just don't see the point in breeding at all.

I'm a small stud, I breed a small number of mares and I will be asking fair prices. If they don't move in a rush I'll just skip breeding the following season and spend the time putting more training on them.

I've found what's still getting the asking prices are the fillies and young mares with some show exposure and breeding potential. It's the colts and geldings that are harder to move.
 
It is also none of my business what others do and sellers who market their animals for $250. or less have always been around. I agree with what many of you have said. We only bred one mare this year and I also have my doubts that she even took being a maiden mare
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I guess I'am really hurting and am concerned for my husband...He has spent a great deal of time and money collecting the 100% Arenosa's that we had and have left. It's been tremendously hard for him to lower his prices and sell stock that he would have NEVER sold(Pepito, Echo, Galena)..we miss them, but we know they are in a better home and that does make us happy
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...He knows what they are worth, knows where they came from, knows that they are rare and what he "used" to get for them, then to now have to turn around and sell them for a fraction of what he used to is a painful sting. He used to have a waiting list for babies like many of you also might have had..The economy has hurt his pride a great deal. He loves raising babies even if he doesn't sell them. If he had his way he would have 400 of them, but that is not reality
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We were lucky and sold a number of them for good prices, so I feel grateful for that. I guess I am angry with the way things are going. Hard to sell anything and if you "have" the money it is certainly a buyers Market out there for anything. I could say a lot of things about the way America is run, but I don't want to cause a scene here
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...I don't really see an end to this and I guess we should all be grateful that we saw or where in the "boom" when things were selling well. I am sorry if I sound so dark here...I just don't see an end, but do see an end to what we all once had and that makes me sad...
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My daughter in-laws place next door just sold for $50,000. and it was a $100,000+ home on a 1/4 acre..really made her very sad!
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. She used to be a realitor and gave it up because she couldn't sell anything. She has helped lately to show homes for sale and watch them sell to the highest bidder. Last was a super pretty place about 8 miles from here in a stunning setting, a nice large home, barn, shop, all fenced on 10 acres and sold for only $80,000. This home was originally priced at $195,000. That is sad...even homes up in Jackson where the millionaires and billionaries live are either not selling or selling for a way reduced prices. When I see that happen it makes me even feel more sad about where this country is gone and going too.

 

I don't know what else to say...I have been praying a lot lately for something positive to change. So much sadness in the world today if breaks my heart! Thanks for letting me vent
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Good luck with the hardships that you and your families are facing currently. I wish things would get better amd I pray they will for you and yours.

 

Many Blessings,

Jenny
 

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