Would you buy your horse's foal?

throughtheforest

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So basically before my boy was gelded he was running with a mare who's had a foal that he is the father of. Now this mare has had the foal which is a lovely colt, the spitting image of his sire. I feel partly responsible for this foal because he's a result of indiscriminate breeding and shouldn't have been born in my opinion, although I'm not in an ideal position to buy and keep another I can do and feel like I should in this situation. Help me to make a logical decision about this please.
 

SatansLittleHelper

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No, don't buy it. You are only considering it out of a misplaced feeling of responsibility, you have said you aren't in an ideal position to buy/keep another anyway. If you desperately couldn't live without it that might be different.
 

throughtheforest

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I mean I would constantly be wondering afterwards where he went, whether he would be looked after or misused too, so that's what I could possibly be faced with.
 

dogatemysalad

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No. If your current circumstances are not ideal, I'd step back and only take responsibility if it's future was looking bleak.
Taking on a foal is a big commitment and time and money. Every youngster deserves the best start in life and someone else may be able to give it just that.
I've been in the same situation, my rescue was a late cut and sired a beautiful filly who belonged to a friend on my yard. She later came up for sale, but I already had 3 horses and felt that I probably didn't have the time to do her justice. She was sold to a father and daughter who gave her a fabulous life.
 

throughtheforest

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Thanks for the feedback, it's just that I wasn't looking for one right yet, wrong time scenario. I could give it the life it deserves it's just about whether I want to take on this youngster or another at a more convenient time, experience doesn't come into the equation at all so that isn't a problem.
 

PSD

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Thanks for the feedback, it's just that I wasn't looking for one right yet, wrong time scenario. I could give it the life it deserves it's just about whether I want to take on this youngster or another at a more convenient time, experience doesn't come into the equation at all so that isn't a problem.

that makes it slightly different then. You sound as though you could be in a position to buy but, you could be in a better one as the timing isn’t great.

is there ever a right time to buy? I bought a 2 year old fell at the start of lockdown. Timing was awful, my mare was very poorly and my partner wasn’t it work. However things worked out and it actually couldn’t have been more perfect timing when I look back. If it’s the case you can’t provide for said colt then I wouldn’t advise buying, however if it’s merely a case of bad timing - if it was me I would just do it. But that’s me ?
 

SpeedyPony

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If you can afford the time, money and inconvenience, then it's worth asking if your current horse is everything you could ever ask for, perfect type, temperament, conformation etc. If so, it might be worth taking the risk of buying the foal and possibly ending up with an animal that develops into something that doesn't suit as well as you'd hoped.
Otherwise, you're probably better off waiting and getting something a bit older that you can crack on with when the time is right.
 

Squeak

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I've asked the owner how much they want for it. I must be cracking up but I know as a second horse it will be what I want and match my gelding aswell so what driving pair they could eventually be too.

In that case I'd be more inclined to have it, especially if you like your current boy (As in we all know we've had a horse that we'd rather not have the child of but others who we'd have given a right arm or leg or both to have been able to have it's foal).
 

paddy555

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I bought my horse's foal. I didn't have to but I probably felt, for the youngster's sake, I had little choice and I would have regretted it if I hadn't and I would always have wondered if he was OK or not.


I hope you can get a reasonable price on the foal. It seems a pretty good idea to me. You already know the dad and if he suits you. Presumably you can handle the mum and make sure she is a nice mare. If you get the foal when it is young you can bring it up to suit your requirements. The youngster will have a secure future and, with a little patience for 3 years or so, you will have a nice horse.
What's not to like? :D
 

Jeni the dragon

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He's very cute!

I did try to buy my mare's daughter. Her advert was pointed out to me, but the owner sold her on before I could get a vetting organised. Always wondered where she went.
 

Equi

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As he's not even a day old he doesn't have a name yet so I'm happy for suggestions!
well now we need his dads name, a pic of dad and loads of things you like the sound of lol

I assume he is going to be black with that white face, white socks and probably some sabino.....and sabino (as unoffensively as i can say it) always reminds me of mould....call him moudler ;)
 

splashgirl45

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while i can understand why you have put a deposit on him, will you be able to let him run with other youngsters while he is growing up? it is really best for youngsters to grow up in a herd of similar ages. i bought a 15 month old filly and wish i had given her a better early life as she had no one to play with a the rest of our herd were all older. she turned out fine but it has always been a little niggle that i didnt provide the ideal situation for her...
 
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