Hobby breeders

Asha

Asha

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Hi , i would love to hear from other hobby breeders out there !

How many do you breed a year ? How do you cope working and breeding ?

Do you sell as foals or produce through the ranks.

So far ive not sold anyone, as the children keep falling in love with them, and i get tears everytime i mention it !!!
 
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I class myself as a hobby breeder, i work part time and 2 young children at home and a non horsey other half!!! I have 6 mares to foal down this year and 8 to re cover. Plus i have 2 stallions to entertain!!! Its workable, i shut down over winter, mares are out or penned and fed big bales and only keep the boys in, keep it all to a minimum! I sell all the foals at weaning, kept one last year, could have sold the others a couple of times over also if i sell one the kids get ice cream, so no tears!!!
 
My hubby is non horsey too. He loves looking at them, but wont touch them !
I Like the ice cream idea, will give that a go at the weekend !

What bloodlines do you use ?

Where do you recommend advertising youngstock ?

Thanks a million :D
 
I am a hobby breeder with two stallions!!! We are retired and committed to rare breeds.

We only have one filly for sale but may sell another horse next year. We only cover mares every two years. Like OP we get attached and I am fussy about who buys our youngsters.
 
If you put an accountant's hat on, MOST breeders are hobby breeders. Which breeder on here can say they cover all the costs from covering to sale on every foal, with sufficient margin to get a return on their investment in brood mares (and stud farm) and pay themselves NMW?? Not many, I'll bet!
 
i have 22 mares and they are put into foal every year, no money is made what so ever from selling my foals by the time i have paid for hard feed, haylage, feet trimmed, injections, microchips, passports etc. i get the majority of my money from selling my foals but more often than not i am out of pocket at the end of it.
 
I am a hobby breeder too.

I have 2 brood mares both in foal this year, the first due this week :eek:

I only breed every other year as it allows me to leave the foals on their dams longer and I wean around 9/10 months.

I sell mine through word of mouth which is great :D

I own and run 4 businesses have a non horsey OH (but he is great and building what I want) and my daughter has just gone off to University :(
 
Guess I come into that category. Bred three so far, lost one last year. Oldest was always a keeper and is now under saddle. Number two was for sale, but with the loss of his baby sister is now staying and I'm running him on as a potential stallion candidate. If he doesn't make the grade he will be gelded and most likely sold.
Their mum is now retired from stud. My other mare is due to foal mid-May and that foal is already sold.
 
I would class myself as a hobby breeder.
I have 6 broodmares, but dont cover them all yearly, infact a couple have yet to have foals with me. This year i have the most mares foaling that i have ever had, 3 - which to many on here is barely any lol.
I also have a young stallion, and the 4 youngsters i have bred since i started this breeding 'hobby.' The reason i still have them.... i wont sell them to anyone and you know what, i want to see how they grow and develop :-) i am lucky that i am able to do this but i think a few will have to go this summer as otherwise i will be upto 16 by next winter (as i also have my ex loan pony, 1st pony etc still!) mind you..... i have just secured an extra 10 acres of grazing so......
i somehow manage with them all, i will find it all SOOOO much easier when my twins start school in september, but i will also be pretty lost without them! I also run a livery yard so have livery horses to look after, i've taken the last year quite easy really as i also went back to uni to do some post grad stuff, who knows where i got the time from.
 
its great to see im not the only one !!! 1 full time job, plus do hubbys admin and 2 children.

My mares due today. But i reckon we have a week to go.

I look forward to seeing piccies of everyones new additions x:D
 
Omg luckilotti how do you manage all that?!
2 horses, one hubby, 3 kids & working 3days a week is enough for me!!!!
 
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