 |
Re: [RC] buying, selling, breeding, producing - Bette LamoreHi LisaA very wise woman once told me a horse is worth what the owner is willing to sell him/her at and what a buyer is willing to pay. There are horses still sold here for $100,000 but not as often as in the old days before Reagan took away the tax advantage and before the expose in the Arabian Express about the rigging of auctions and the fixing of shows. Some buyers feel a horse is not worth anything unless it costs a pile of money. It's as simple as that. I once lost a sale to Arab royalty because I asked too little for my mare. At $35,000 it was a sale but I was naive and corrected the potential buyer and said "no, $3500-- because I want her to go over where people will see her and the quality I offer." Didn't make too much difference to him; however, his American agent arrived and the would-be buyer showed him the horse he wanted to buy form me. The agent asked how much and when I told him he had some lame excuse about her only being 3 so she was too young (like he couldn't wait 2 years at that price???) I asked Susan Gibson what happened (it was at the Race of Champions that the deal almost happened.) She said I asked too little-- there was not enough money for the agent to make the thousands of dollar margin he was used to making. So there you have it. There is no rhyme or reason. A client who leased my halter winning Halynov daughter bred her to a famous stallion and was offered $60,000 for the filly at Scottsdale. I have bred better fillies from the same mare and was lucky to get $10,000 on one. It is in who you know and what your connections are. Valery Kanavy sells her winners for BIG bucks because they are trained and ready to go and have proven themselves. I understand that one of my Hal daughters went to the Middle East for $20,000 --- can I get that price? No because I don't have those connections. Such is life! Bette and Bunny (who is very happy he is still in the USA!) PS So far as bashing is concerned, being told you are not a breeder because you sell your babies in utero and intimating that you have no long-range goals for your breeding program is a trifle insulting, n'est pas? It negates all the years and blood, sweat and sacrifice that went into developing your program so that you would be producing consistent quality already. We walked away from a half a million dollar ranch because it was a choice between that or sacrificing our horses at auction--- long sad story-- so I don't want to hear about not caring about long range goals of breeding. Been there, done that and now am happy with my culling, cross breeding and what I produce. I do not criticize other breeders for their choices and slam tall or short horses as some do here. It is simply not my style. oddfarm wrote: Bette, I surely didn't see where Heidi was bashing but I do see two totally different philosophies on bringing new babies into the world. -- Bette Lamore Whispering Oaks Arabians Home of Bunny and 16.2h TLA Halynov who lives on through his legacy Hal's Riverdance! http://www.arabiansporthorse.com Always remember: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." (George Carlin) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|