BREEDING
HORSES... Have you considered your main breeding
purpose before you begin? We look at what's involved when breeding a foal
to sell, or for your own use.
Article written by SHNZ
The exciting 2005
foaling season is nearly upon us again! Breeding horses is a wonderful
experience, which, although like everything can have its ups and downs,
on the whole can be very rewarding - going through the grades on your
home-bred horse yourself, or seeing your bred progeny out competing and
being enjoyed by other people is surely very satisfying. However before
you go ahead and choose a stallion to breed to your mare, maybe you should
consider a
few important points - are you really ready to undertake the responsibility
of bringing a new foal into the world and provide him with a purpose?
You are soley going to be responsible for his everyday needs in shelter,
food, health care and entertainment! We all know that breeding a mediocre
horse can cost roughly the same as breeding a champion (and even the price
of the stallion service fee does in no way necessarily dictate that you
will end up with a better result!).
Please
note that this article is not meant to be taken as a negative approach
to something that can indeed but fantastic fun!
All we are suggesting is for prospective breeders to consider their main
purpose and the requirements and implications that come along with
bringing another foal into the world in the first place. Just as you would
realise the great responsibilities of what raising a human baby involves,
surely, in this day and age of mostly pre-planned equine conception, a
foal deserves his or her purpose in life to be considered before they
are born.
Breeding
To Sell
Breeding sporthorses to sell is a common concept overseas,
such as in Germany where the sporthorse market is very big, and is a concept
increasing in popularity here in New Zealand. (We only need to realise
that the very reason places such as Germany have got such a strong reputation
as a place to buy horses, is because they have put the time and thought
into considering their breeding purposes in the beginning, and have therefore
created some of the worlds best horses!)
Breeding to sell
means you need to:
- consider your breeding and general horse care budget
- identify
the current market demands and advertising options
- consider your own skills and capabilities of producing a youngster for
sale
- consider a plan if your new foal doesn't sell when you would
ideally like it to
- be practical about the pros and cons of horse breeding (without meaning
to put a damper on the idea, you do need to be prepared for some occasional
dissapoinments and the prospect of possibly saying goodbye to your new
friend through accident/ill health, or of course as the proud new owner
drives away with your horse in their truck!!).
Breeding to sell means
you need to consider how much you want to spend and how much profit you
want to make out of the foal too. (Indeed there has been many a foal bred,
for racing and sport horse purposes, only to result in disappointment
through loss of profit at sale time, so for the purpose of this article
we are assuming that anyone breeding to sell is doing so in a business
sense and would prefer to make an attempt at least making some sort of
profit!)
If one mare given basic care and attention costs around an estimated $800
per year to feed well on pasture and supplmentary feed, cover over winter,
worm regularly, trim feet regularly etc, you then need to add all the
related stallion service fees, vet costs, transport etc and decide what
will provide you with a suitable profit. This will of course also dictate
your choice of stallions! Spending $2000 on just the service fee and then
finding nobody in your market is prepared to pay more than $4000 for a
foal upon weaning isnt very enticing, or a well thought out plan. Take
a look in local horse magazines and compare similar horses to what you
are hoping to breed and their prices. Talk to the stallion owners, other
breeders or perhaps people who operate in your chosen discipline/market
and find out what they are on average selling their youngsters for, and
at what sort of age and level of training.
You also need to identify
a target market that you wish to breed for. This may be dressage, showjumping,
barrel racing, show pony etc or an aim for a competent allrounder. While
not so long ago people would just try "any old horse at any old discipline
and see what happened", sporthorse breeding is overall becoming more
and more precise with the increase in awareness of bloodlines, conformation,
movement and temperament being vital aspects in producing a purpose-bred
equine athlete. (Does it really matter that there are NOT many riders
out their who have the aspirations to make it to the Olympic - surely
even the most amatuer rider should not need to have a much lesser quality
horse if we always aim to breed better horses all the time?)
So
you need to choose an appropriate sire and dam according to your target
market. This may mean choosing a stallion that is new or "in fashion",
a sire who's progeny are well proven overseas, or perhaps the hot bloodlines
of the time which are showing success on the international scene etc.
You will possibly need to put some of your own personal preferences aside,
such as colour, breed or favourite discipline because you are breeding
for a market that requires/prefers certain traits that may be different
to your own. If, for example, there seems to be a positive trend or opening
in the market for some talented jumping horses, you need to choose a stallion
who is capable of producing progeny for this field, and a dam who will
compliment him in producing a suitable foal.
If you already have a mare, now is the time to stand back and judge her
honestly.... eg, if she has broken down or been retired, was it due to
conformation or health problems? If she is of completely unknown or mixed
pedigree, you may find yourself producing a foal very different from what
you expect! With the time, effort and expense you are about to undertake,
why not start with the best mare you can to optimise your breeding outcome.
Breeding for the market preferences over your own still requires breeding
a horse that is sound, healthy, attractive, and of good basic nature and
conformation (and that you still personally like overall!), but there
may be subtle differences in their bloodlines, movement etc that make
them more suited to a certain market or field over another.
Something it can also
be important to consider when choosing a stallion is that, although it
is certainly a good selling point on behalf of the stallion owner if the
stallion himself has competed successfully in his chosen discipline, this
does not necessarily mean he is going to produce the same!! The mark of
a successful sire is not necessarily what he has done himself in the competition
world, but more what he produces through his progeny. We only need to
look at the enormous worldwide racing industry to see that time and time
again a hugely successful racehorse has been a dismal failure in the breeding
barn, and vice versa! For this reason don't be afraid to consider a younger
stallion who's progeny are looking likely, or a sire who has not performed
himself but has the proven pedigree and other credentials to back him
up.
Likewise, avoid using a mare if you know her past foals have all had the
same conformation faults, health problems or have received her difficult
temperament etc. We cannot ask the stallion to do all the work!
Breeding to sell also requires you to have the ability to care for and handle your youngster well, allowing you to produce them properly so they are looking good and well mannered for your future buyers. While your intention may be to sell the foal as a weanling, this may not happen so you need to consider your land restrictions, time and handling abilities if you end up with a yearling or two year old still sitting in your paddock. If you do have the capability to start your youngster under saddle when they are a little older (or are prepared to pay a professional to do this), you will definately increase your buyer group as this is something many people are not confident in doing themselves.
When it comes to advertising
your young horse for sale, be fussy on presentation and take as many photos
as you have to until you get a good shot. You may even decide to employ
a professional depending on your budget. Avoid using photos where the
horse isnt clean or has a strong shadow cast across their body. If you
have a friend who has an eye for detail and is smart with a camera, ask
them to help, as attempting to photograph a horse on your own can be extremely
time consuming and frustrating! Depending on your target market and the
price you are aiming to acheive, you may wish to even plait your horse
and photograph in show condition. Remember that first impressions count,
so use a clean, well fitting halter or bridle, place it on a clean, well
groomed horse, and position the horse in front of a nice uncluttered background.
Complete your advert with a good description and make a point of all of
the horses' best attributes. Good video footage is also very valuable.
If your young horse has been well handled it should be no problem to present
them in front of the video camera while they are being caught, led, groomed,
running free or whatever else you wish to show to prove their quality
and handling. Again, always ensure the horse is turned out in good healthy
condition and is well groomed.
Some stallion owners keep information on hand of people who have bred
foals by their stallions and wish to sell them, as they are sure to receiving
enquiries for youngstock alot of the time. Some studs also offer other
special promotional ideas especially for their breeding clients (such
as perhaps including your horse for sale on their stud website). This
can be a great way for your foal or young horse to be promoted as it works
to help both the stallion owner and their breeding clients (you) to a
successful sale and future home.
Producing a quality foal is one thing, but following it up with professional
marketing is what will attract the buyers. Chat to friends who have sold
similar horses or look through magazines and websites to see where similar
horses are being promoted with success. Advertising can be expensive,
so again it pays to have looked into the costs early on and use the resources
you feel will best complement and promote the horse you have for sale.
Breeding to sell, or any breeding for that matter, does unforutnately sometimes come with a few downsides, and while it can be hugely rewarding and alot of fun, there can be dissapointments and problems that can set you back in time and money if things do happen to go wrong. Breeding any animal requires a somewhat practical approach as nothing is for certain and problems and accidents can happen. They say horses are great levelers, and it is perhaps not until you have experienced a few problems that you can really appreciate this!
Breeding
For Your Own Use?
Well, the world is pretty much your oyster!
You really love chestnuts? Go breed a chestut mare to a chestnut stallion!
You want to try mating your beloved full feathered Clydie mare to a stunning
Anglo-Arab stallion down the road? Go ahead! Breeding a foal for your
own future purpose can be the most satisfying of all. Who wouldn't love
to experience the wonderful relationship that can grow between you and
your foal as they mature into a fully grown horse, that you can then take
out and experience the world with.
However, if you have still gone to some trouble to consider some of the
points mentioned above as if you might have been breeding to sell, then,
if your circumstances happen to change later down the track and a parting
of the ways becomes necessary, you are still going to be able to proudly
present an animal that is a good example of its type and worthy of attention
to the market.
Breeding is alot of fun and raising your own purpose-bred youngster is a satisfying and enjoyable experience. There are many wonderful books available and plenty of experienced people around who are usually more than happy to offer some advice. Whatever you decide, we wish you all the best with your decision, and may the coming foaling season bring many a smile to every mare owners face!! :-)
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(Note: While we have
attempted to provide a generalised view and price estimation in this article,
we must advise that all figures mentioned in this article are general
estimations only and based on our own personal experiences. The views
expressed in the article are entirely that of the author and no responsibility
will be held for any way in which this information is used.)