Discussion about horse breeding

[meleeka]

A price quoted above of £9k for a young all rounder has meant that natives are becoming the more realistic choice for people. Either that or they’ll buy a dressage/jumping breed horse and get more of what they want for a bit more money. I’m not saying it’s wrong to price a well produced all rounder for that, but there’s a huge variation in what is considered a good all rounder and people just aren’t prepared to pay sums like that for any old horse I don’t think. If more middle of the road types were bred, less cheap natives would find a useful life and nobody is going to stop breeding those because demand is low. I know a couple of people that buy natives as youngsters cheaply and produce them. They haven’t had the expense of breeding and keeping a foal so do make a profit and somebody gets an all rounder for under £9k.

 

[catkin]

I do get a little concerned at the phrase 'cheap natives'.
Yes, by their very size and pony-toughness they may take a bit less money to produce than big sportshorses - but the skill and expertise of choosing the right matings is as important, as is provision of their needs to grow them well - and they need what is arguably the most expensive part of the equation, good land, to keep them well. Good breeders should still be rewarded.

Perhaps call them 'cheaper-than-sportshorses'
(though mine have always found ways to spend any money 'saved' - ie hay all year round 'cos they get too fat on un-restricted lowland grass, m2m tack 'cos they've got short wide backs....)

 

[4faults]

I echo what everyone else has already said, they are just so hard to find. People do not want to pay what they are worth.
I was lucky enough to find a lovely ISH mare, brave, athletic, kind and sensible. She is BurgraaffxClover Hill and as sane as they come. She had an unfortunate field accident and once she came sound again we bred off her. The foal is by a really nice young graded and licensed stallion and has come out as bold, talented and kind as her mother. She has been graded, passported, wormed, handled everyday, feet done religiously and I have had several offers for her. Unfortunately people don’t seem to have a clue what a good foal costs and these offers have been ridiculous.
Someone even offered me their bargain basement feral traveller youngster as a swap as ‘I wouldn’t have to wait so long to back it’

 

[gallopingby]

As long as there are as many cheap coloured cobs around that can be bought for peanuts people wanting a ‘horse’ will not be prepared to pay a realistic price. I haven’t bred for five years now, it’s just so expensive to produce them to a good standard and then have to deal with the time wasters who want yet more photos/videos and then still don’t turn up to view. It seems too many people aspire to keep a horse often at expensive livery because they haven’t the facilities knowledge to look after themselves, and then when they become bored/terrified they sell the horse at a lose because it’s costing them £££s to keep. A decent horse nicely schooled should equate in value to for example the price of a small car?

 

[meleeka]

I do get a little concerned at the phrase 'cheap natives'.
Yes, by their very size and pony-toughness they may take a bit less money to produce than big sportshorses - but the skill and expertise of choosing the right matings is as important, as is provision of their needs to grow them well - and they need what is arguably the most expensive part of the equation, good land, to keep them well. Good breeders should still be rewarded.

Perhaps call them 'cheaper-than-sportshorses'
(though mine have always found ways to spend any money 'saved' - ie hay all year round 'cos they get too fat on un-restricted lowland grass, m2m tack 'cos they've got short wide backs....)

I didn’t mean well bred natives, I Meant the sort that can be picked up for under £400, usually bred either by accident for by idiots who have no place breeding anything

 

[sywell]

So how are Ireland producing so many at such cheap prices? I refuse to believe they are making a loss! Whats the difference between the Irish system and the English one to allow them to make a living from it?

In the EU horses are livestock and come under CAP and in many countries holdings have to be registered under CAP but they are then able to get loans and grants for facilities and no rates. In France government help is given to breeders as for every 3 horses two people are employed in the rural economy . DEFRA insists that horses are pets like cats and dogs and it shows their complete disinterest in horses breeding as their database does not record sire and dam. The chip checker does not even show the UELN which shows which studbook issued the papers and in one country the 9 digit number shows the covering station number,covering certificate number and the last 2 digits of the year of birth. I asked the DEFRA representative to the Commission when she goes into a room with 27 people who treat horses as livestock how does she reach agreement and she said "we will continue to follow our policy". In a recent WHIRDEC meeting there were 4 people sitting next to me from the French Government and near me the Croation Ministry of Agriculture to hear a presentation from the Department Head from the EU on the new animal breeding rules which came into force on 1/11/2018 no one from DEFRA.