Difficult decision?

[Evil_Cookie]

Hi, I'm after some opinions on what I should do with my young mare. I've owned her a year, she's 3 going on 4, I've backed her myself and although we've had one setback after another in terms of injuries and saddles, she's starting to go really nicely for such a small amount of work. She has so much potential and I would say she's the best horse I've owned in a while. However, I'm in my second year of university and I've just been offered a placement for my third year in the USA. I'm still persuing placements in the UK too, but the USA placement is such a rare oppurtunity and I really want to go. It would be from july 2010 to july 2011. So what do I do with my mare? She's the one thing holding me back from wanting to go.
I could loan her out, but the problem would be if I couldn't find someone who rides as well as I like, I'd come back and she'd have loads of bad habits and I'd feel bad about that and have to reschool her to some extent. Or if I found a good rider then I'd come back to an amazing horse, who I had very little to do with, and I bought a youngster so I could put the work in myself, so that would be disapointing. Not to mention that I would have less of a relationship with her as I would have been gone so long.
The other option would be to put her in foal....
Cons: - cost
- having to look after two horses when I get back
- if something happened to her while carrying/giving birth to foal.
- Stunting her growth, she stands at 16.1hh now and has the potential to grow to 17hh, which I would like.
Pro's: -Having a foal from her now before starting to compete her.
- Not having to worry about finding her a rider.
- Having a foal that I could bring on when I finish uni.

I can't think of anymore...
So what do you guys think?
I feel really confused as to what I should do right now.
Crumpets and OJ if you got this far... it is breakfast time and all...

 

[Munchkin]

She's young - why not turn her away and start again when you get back?

I understand what you're saying about loaning her out. However I'm not an advocate of putting horses in foal because you're not sure what else to do with them - there are so many horses out there needing homes.

 

[ForeverBroke_]

I'm 100% with Munchkin.

Turning her away would be the best option IMO, she can mature a bit more and you wont have to worry about any after effects from having her on loan.

I agree with the foal comment from Munchkin too.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

She has good breeding and I was considering putting her in foal when she was 8 or 9 after competing her, as I would like to breed a dressage prospect from her. However I wasn't planning on considering it so soon. I could turn her away I guess, but I'd feel guilty for not doing anything with her and also paying for her for a year and finding somebody to look after her. I guess my mom could have her back... She looked after her until I moved her to uni to back her over the summer. Thanks for your advice, I hadn't considered turning her away...

 

[natalia]

I personally wouldn't turn her away, but thats just me and I don't like turning them away at this age. I would either put her in foal to a top class stallion (if you were thinking about it anyway and she's nice enough to breed from then why not?) OR I would bring her on a little more then sell her March / April time. I wouldn't consider loaning her as you have to look at it through the loanies eyes, they put hard work in to your horse, which is green, then you take her back once she's a nice 5 yr old out having fun and ready to do more. Thats only if you can find someone competent enough to bring a youngster on though!

 

[quirky]

Could you afford to put her with a competition rider?

That way, they could continue her education and start her off competing, still leaving something for you to achieve when you get back.

Failing that, I'd turn away.

 

[jendie]

Turn her away and let her be a horse for a year. It won't do her any harm and in the long run might do her a lot of good. She'll have time to grow and mature and will be ready for you when you arrive back home.

 

[Mithras]

Loads of breeders and studs start their horses then put them in foal at the same age as your mare. It doesn't seem to do them any harm and will let her mature. You will also have a foal at the end of it, all going well. Its not as if you or anyone else would be doing that much with her as a 4 year old anyway. btw its also very hard to stop competing a horse thats going well at 8 or 9!

 

[turkana]

I'd also go for the turning away aption, if she's still growing it won't do her any harm at all.
I had to turn my 4 year old away for a year (due to an injury she sustained in the field) & although it was disappointing at the time it worked out well as it gave her time to mature. She didn't grow anymore but she certainly filled out & matured a lot phyically in that year.
She was obviously much more immature than I realised so in the long run I think it did her a lot of good.

 

[KatB]

I'd turn away. I personally wouldn't breed from anything that hadn't proven itself as being up to the work load required of it. I think breeding from well bred but unproven horses is why a lot of stud books now have problems with genetic weaknesses.

 

[runaway]

100% with the turn away for a year suggestion. She's SO young it can't do her any harm, the time away will let her mature and she's still going to have loads of mileage left. Loaning her is always going to heighten the risk of something going wrong either with training or injury! And as you have said you wont be the one to have brought her on if you loan her.

You don't say what you're studying but basing my experience on the graduates I come into contact with (work at a vets) once you have finished Uni will you seriously have time for your mare and a foal? (Unless you're going into the equestrian industry that is!) I'm personally against the breeding idea (totally personal opinion)

 

[brighteyes]

Turn away or do some serious homework and put her with someone trustworthy.

We've had a forum horse for twelve months now and she's at least twice the horse she was when she came.

Why on earth would you have a foal from an unproven mare (no disrespect)? Another horse on an already overfull market and no guarantees it would be any good - unless you intend to keep it, that is. I am very much against breeding from mares because they need to be doing something

If she was a gelding you wouldn't be saying that - obviously

Nah, turn away or find a really good person who will do it for love and pleasure - like we are, no strings.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

I would be planning on keeping the foal, I planned on breeding her when she was older, to produce a dressage prospect that could take me further up the ladder. Her conformation is good and her movement too. Turning her away may be the only option, or not going to the USA, arghhh I wish I could take her with me...

 

[Evil_Cookie]

Thanks for the advice, much apreciated, still very confused though, lol.