Sitting Out the Breeding Season?
If you're among the horse ownes who produce foals, here's a question for you: Did you breed your mare(s) this year, or are you opting to sit out the '07 breeding season?
I'm taking the latter route. Although it'll leave me with a dicey commodity--a broodmare who'll be 18 and empty in 2008--it's a call that my conscience says needs to made. The rest of the U.S. horse industry's producing more than enough foals to go around, so it's not like I'll be depriving the market in any way. And with the volatility of the slaughter situation, plenty of other horses are in need of homes. The next time I feel the desire to bring up a young horse, I doubt I'll have any trouble finding one to buy.
I've made this decision despite having a free breeding to a stallion I really like, and despite the satisfactions of "making my own" when it comes to prospects. It does feel a little weird, knowing that little Tiffany could be the last of Gussie's babies. But even though my ol' gray mare is in heat right now and looking for her next boyfriend, I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the horses I already have.
You?
posted by Juli Thorson @ 1:18 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Because of recent events I am without a broodmare this season. But I agree with your reasons for not breeding. It takes guts to take that stand for the good of the industry.
I think, like Juli says, it depends on why you are breeding. In a market like todays - a home breeding operation where you are breeding just to see what you'll get, hoping for "THE ONE" but basically planning on selling the babies - is not doing the industry any good. We all love babies so that may sound harsh, but a tough market may soon call for tough measures. My advice is, unless your "making your own" because you couldn't afford one any other way or unless your livelyhood is your breeding business, to sell your broodmare and any remaining babies you don't like and invest in some young pospects already on the market.
There may soon come a time when you won't be able to give those babies away.
I also chose to leave my aged "good ole reliable" mare open. There are so many foals for sale, I thought it was time for a break.
I also am leaving my older broodmare open this year-too many horses on the market and too many in need of a good home.
I am breeding one mare to take advantage of a "live foal guarantee" breeding. I wasn't planning to breed this year but I really want to breed to this stallion and I already invested a fair amount that I did not want to be wasted. This may be my last one for awhile. We usually only do 2 every other year anyway.
I'm not taking a year off but I'm really cutting back. Breeding is my business but that doesn't mean I just breed and breed and breed just to call myself a breeder.
I make decisions on how many and who to breed based on what is good for the welfare of my breeding business and the horses I produce.
I believe it's my responsibility to do my homework before I breed so that I'm not producing disposable horses. I know ahead of time what I am breeding for and that is what my mares produce.
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