[RC] questions for breeders (real ones) - heidi larson
will you take back a horse you've bred that has fallen on hard times?
are you choosy about the mares that come to be bred to your stallions? (Conformation/lineage/etc.)
Do you allow grade mares to be bred to your stallions?
This one I've ALWAYS wondered about: why are stud fees lower for mares of a different breed? Shouldn't it be the other way around? To discourage 1/2 breeds and more grade horses?
Do you cut back on breeding in bad economic times or do you try to breed more often to get more stud fees out of your stallions because you need more money in the bad economic time? (I know, run on sentence!)
Do you encourage gelding of stud colts born from your breedings?
Do you keep your broodmares even when they can no longer have babies? Do you give them lifetime homes for the lifetime of producing that they've done for you?
Are your broodmares broke out so that when they are no longer producing, they can have a life after kids?
What do you personally do in these trying times to help the horse situation.
I ask all these not to be snarky, but because I really want to know who the responsible breeders are. If and when I'm ever in the market for a prospect, while I may "find" the perfect horse through non-tradistional endurance farms, the breeders that can show me that they've done some things to help the situation and not make it worse will get my business first and/or my recommendations. I don't breed, have all geldings (although I did lease a mare to have my future endurance horse, I looked for quite awhile before I found the "right" mare, met and looked at numerous stallions, and the colt (gelded) will stay here even if he's not endurance material!) My older geldings will not go down the road the minute they are not useable, they live here til their life is not worth living and then they'll be euthanized here at home. I try to educate new horse owners and give them places to do their own research so that they can
see what the horse situation is and how we are all involved and some things we can all do. I also try to be a good role model for my daughter so that if she gets horses when she gets older, she hopefully is a good responsible horse owner.
. o o o o . o_ \ \____ o_ \_\ . (*)~(*)\_______/ . / \ . \______/ / . \_______/\ /- . o-- /_/ \ / . / \ / / . o o o-- / . / \ . o o heidi larson
