why the hell are people still breeding

Last year only 33 pure-bred Cleveland Bays were registered in the stud book (worldwide).

I have four pure mares and a stallion. The breed is on the RBST critical list. A good reason to breed - when I start to sell, next year I will be ultra fussy re prospective purchasers or they will stay with me.
 
I agree with above - a graded stallion doesnt have to be purebred or pedigrred - I m from the 'coloured world', where I wrote for the graders etc , as well as stood our own stallions.
Conformation and temperament are crucial in the gradings - and should be for any stallion used. This is why I m against non graded stallions - because usually they arent up up a decent standard in either conformation or temperament [hence havent come forward to be graded] , and what then will they produce in the next generation? More substandard horses that dont stand up to work [ through poor legs ,feet,gaits etc etc , or are hard to back.]
I do know we may find plenty of good horses for £1500- I ve done so myself! But the point I was trying to make is that to get a horse to 3 yrs old costs more than that- if you take into account - stud fees,keep for mare through pregancy and lactation,keep for foal for 3 yrs,your own time involved to handle correctly etc , vet bills,feed bills - the list is endless.
However , if you have cheap grazing, cheap stud fee [ because its rubbish or the nearest one down the road],often early weaning, or do nothing vet wise or handling wise then you ll do it cheaper. But again , dont you buyers want a horse that has been looked after and had good nutrition/worming/handling? Or is price the only consideration, regardless of health? In the scheme of things buying a horse is the least of the financial outlay- just tot up 15yrs worth of bills and compare with purchase price.
 
cornbrodolly said:
I do know we may find plenty of good horses for £1500- I ve done so myself! But the point I was trying to make is that to get a horse to 3 yrs old costs more than that- if you take into account - stud fees,keep for mare through pregancy and lactation,keep for foal for 3 yrs,your own time involved to handle correctly etc , vet bills,feed bills - the list is endless.
However , if you have cheap grazing, cheap stud fee [ because its rubbish or the nearest one down the road],often early weaning, or do nothing vet wise or handling wise then you ll do it cheaper. But again , dont you buyers want a horse that has been looked after and had good nutrition/worming/handling? Or is price the only consideration, regardless of health? In the scheme of things buying a horse is the least of the financial outlay- just tot up 15yrs worth of bills and compare with purchase price.
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the sad thing is at the moment- if you can pick up a horse in good condition, with good manners etc for 300 quid that would do what you want, why would you pay 3000 just because the breeder had a more expensive set up? especially if you are buying something young to school and sell on at a profit
 
I think at one point nice leisure horses were being bred. Mines a prime example, sire was a nice enough tb who's progeny mainly made nice rc & lower level affiliated competition horses, good allrounders really. Dam was an overheight connie from a nice line. But mines now 23 & I bet I could get another similarly bred 2yr old now for the same price I paid for her 21 years ago. Which I'd guess means its just not economically viable to breed similar anymore.
 
It beats me too. There is a person locally who just breeds and breeds,they can barely look after the ones they have and still breed more. They take their stock to the sales and don't even cover the fuel money with the money they get for them. Their mentality is that if they don't put their mares in foal they will get laminitis, never in my life have I heard such a load of old crap! How about restricting grazing and actually excercising the ponies?????? Total disgrace.
 
I am loaning 2 mares to friends to have foals this year. One is a rare strain of arabian (Crabbet), advanced level endurance horse, registered with the arab horse society as a premium mare. She is going to a Crabbet stud to help preserve her lines. The other is a top bred ISH, who has produced 2 brilliant fillies for us, the lady who bought the eldest one (for her daughter to affiliate in eventing) is so thrilled with the youngster she wants another one from the dam (& may well send back to the same stallion). These horses all have important careers & are being bred for a purpose.t
 
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