Re: Next endurance prospects

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Debbyly wrote:
> 
> I have been reading all these postings bragging about bargain horses.  Your
> message about paying what a horse is worth encouraged me to add my opinion.
> Good breeders can only continue breeding programs specifically for endurance
> horses if endurance riders are willing to pay for good endurance prospects.
> Three years ago I purchased a two year old gelding from Bellesemo Arabians.
> He is now five and starting to do endurance.  I think he is going to be
> wonderful.  I paid more for him than I would have for a backyard horse, but in
> the long run the difference is minimal.  The purchase price is often the least
> of the expenses involved with owning a horse.  I hope that more endurance
> riders will turn to reputable breeders when looking for a prospect so that
> breeding programs can continue.  Sometimes bargain hunting can be
> shortsighted.
> 
> Debby


I think the difference in paying a premium price (and I'm not saying
unreasonable, just not a bargain basement price) vs. paying $500 is the
"mystery" involved.  It's really not all that often that horses worth
$10,000 are available for $500---what you're really buying is a grab bag
that may or may not include hidden weaknesses, the remainders of other
people nutritional, handling and management mistakes, past invisible
injuries, etc etc.  You're also very often (not always) having to trust,
sight unseen, the past know-how and experience of some breeder, trainer,
rider,etc that may or may not have done right by the horse.  If you're
lucky and have a good eye for a horse, hopefully there's also good
athletic potential in your grab bag.  So when you're buying a "bargain"
horse, yes, you are taking a big chance that that horse will come out on
top or maybe he won't.

I, too, would have no problem with paying top dollar for a really good
prospect from someone that I trusted to have raised a young horse with
good nutrition, health management, handling and genetic selection---as
you did from Bellesemo.  You just happened to skip a good part of the
"mystery" by buying a horse with as few unknowns as are possible in a
young, untried horse.  In our family, we skipped part of the mystery
(and took chances on others) by breeding our own future prospects---I
knew the mare, I knew the stallion and I had direct control over every
facet of management.  Of course, we took the chances that the genetic
poker hand would come out the way we wanted!  In our case, it did.

I agree with you that buyers looking for a serious prospect should be
willing to pay decent money for someone else's hard work in raising a
good baby.  But there are also alot of so-called "breeders" out there
that shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a breeding shed, and/or are
ruining perfectly nice, young horses and are turning potentially great
horses into $500 bargains.  If someone if willing to take a chance and
put the commitment into re-training someone else's mistakes into a good
horse, then more power to them.  It's the equine equivalent of
high-stakes poker and sometimes you win, sometimes you don't.  More
power to those who have won, but I don't blame anyone for going to a
reputable breeder and skipping as  much of the gamble as possible.  As I
posted yesterday, everyone pays in the end, the only difference is in
when you pay and in what currency.

Just my .02, of course.  Your mileage may vary.

Susan Garlinghouse