Kentucky overrun with unwanted horses

Kate and Paint wrote:

Nevermind. Im staying out of this one before somenoe ends up Hating on me.

Ah, heck, go ahead. We all have thoughts on the matter, Mostly thinking the Goverment should have been looking to more important matters. Instead of trying to win over a few votes. and we think there are alot of dumb poeple in this world.

I have an opinion on everything and I'm not usually quiet about it either.

As far as mares and stallions... now you guys can understand why just 2 years ago, I had 40 plus head... now, I have eight, including the babies, 4 are for sale - okay, maybe that's nine...

Now, I can actually do something with my horses instead of having a "puppy mill"! Plus, it sure helps the pocketbook, especially the way I feed alfalfa! WHEW!

IMHO...

Breeding-every aspect-requires responsibility. Responsibility to choose the right stud, to breed for the right traits, marketability, etc. Responsibility to not breed grade horses, IMO, unless you can give them a forever home.

And no one said grade horses were crappy, and registered horses were all that and a bag of chips. I love open shows because anyone can win...my best friend has a grade mare who kicks booty in HUS. However, many of my feelings against grade horses developed after watching this a-mazing team. They could do extremely well at the ApHC shows, no doubt. Sadly, they can't "move up" from our open show circuit, and in today's market, you need those papers!
She's planning on breeding the mare which I wholly support. Beautiful horse, decent conformation, proven "record", and the right attitude. However, she can provide this foal with a home forever... therefore, she's a responsible breeder.

And for my next rant...
If your stud colt isn't gorgeous, talented, good-minded and going places, GELD HIM! The last thing this world needs is *another* so-so stallion. Too many other very available (shipped semen, etc.) options.
Hope that all came out right, don't want hurt feelings!

I agree on the "there's a stud around every corner."

When I first got my paint stallion, Lordy, that first year, we bred over 30 plus mares to him; second and third year, the same, then all of a sudden, every danged Tom, Dick and Harry had a stallion.

With the drop in prices, if a breeder is just breeding for a "regular" horse, it'd be more financially correct to actually go to an auction and buy one for $300 - which is a total shame! That's actually less than breeding to a stallion, feeding a mare out for 11 months and waiting till the baby is a rideable age.

And, truthfully, I've seen a lot of halter geldings, that I'm like, crap... why'd you geld him? Some of them are actually better than leading studs - go figure.

As Tara noted, when a top stallion floods the industry with his babies, the prices will go down eventually, unless, and only unless, his babies continuously win, and keep winning.

Not many years ago, you could have those all-around, just do anything with-type of horses... not anymore - it's not feasible to do that anymore.

We are finally in a position where we're having really good babies, good enough for me to take into the ring. If one of the mares I buy doesn't put the babies on the ground that I'm wanting, off they go.....

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Now with the influx of a mare being able to produce more then one foal a year you can bet that will further knock prices down

I really don't like this embryo transfer mess... God knows I'm all for science, in fact, it's my job, but I don't think I like where this will take us.

My opinion on ET...

Positives:
-It is helpful in cases where a mare is unable to carry a foal herself.
-Allows a mare to be shown longer to increase her value and the value of her foals. More longevity in the show ring.

Negatives:
-Decreases the value of the foals out of that mare. (Although this could work both ways... if every foal is phenomenal, they will continue to be priced high.)

I am OK with ET being allowed, but I think it's up to the mare owner to be responsible. For example, I know of a very well known & successful mare that has 4 foals due this year by ET (it was posted on PHJ). Although the mare herself is phenomenal and one of my personal faves, I think this is overdoing it. I can see how a breeder might want to occasionally get 2 foals in one year, but any more than that is just flooding the market, IMO.

However, due to the costs, I really think that it will keep ET foals limited to "worthy" mares. Not to say that everyone with money has nice horses or the knowledge to choose a great cross, but it certainly helps to guard against some of the lesser mares being able to have several foals a year. So *theoretically* the ET foals will hopefully be "improving the breed" in some way. Again, JMO. And no offense meant to anyone.

So that's where I stand on ET. I agree that AQHA should allow ET foals to be registered, but I do think a "limit" of 2 per year would be a good addition to the rule.

Oh I am not against ET what I am against is the mass production. I also think a limit should be set 2 would be fair.

But as usual people will go to the extremes and this is already happening. I wish I had as much money as some people do

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I agree that AQHA should allow ET foals to be registered, but I do think a "limit" of 2 per year would be a good addition to the rule.

I could live with that

ET is, in effect, giving the broodmares more babies on the ground each year, as stallions do in the breeding shed - what's good for the goose is good for the gander, type of thing.

I'm like Qhorse on this... agree with some/disagree with parts of it. But, yep, limiting it to 2 would be much better. And heck the only reason they okayed it in the first place was because they were being sued.

However, it's not something I would do, mainly because of the cost.

Lots of mares out there that shouldn't even be bred, if'n you ask me!