Your Thoughts Please? Magor Dillemma

Maesfen

Extremely Old Nag!
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Just when I thought everything was going hunky dorey, I've had a spanner thrown into the works and would appreciate your thoughts and any suggestions you might have bearing in mind the current buying climate. It's long, sorry, so pour a cuppa and grab some biscuits.

One mare, Bea, TB by Fraam, is on loan as a broodmare and due to foal middle of May, foal belonging to loaner. The plan has been for me to get her covered by AI after foaling at the loaner's premises which loaner is happy to oversee (it's Taylored Equestrian on HHO so she is very experienced and has all facilities to hand) I neither want the responsibility of or expect to take mare & foal off the premises for covering (hence AI) until weaning, probably November time-ish. She was graded last year with SHBGB and was top scoring mare in the country with a mark of 9.64. Do you think anyone would be interested in her with those conditions applied (not moving from TE until weaning)? I would be perfectly prepared for them to have her covered with the stallion of their choice as long as they pick up all stud bills (in other words, buying an empty mare)
Bea-1.jpg



Another mare, Dotty, (Bazaars Texas x Mandalus Thyme) coloured, 16.1, six now, is on loan also but has done very little over winter as loaner is now working full time at a busy stud. The plan had been to get her out and about showing/jumping with WH at Great Yorkshire being the main target. This is now not going to happen, not even close; poor Kate just doesn't have enough time to ride her so she feel she's being wasted totally and thinks I should look for someone else to take her on; I see her point and totally agree. She's six now and done virtually nothing, not even any RC. At the back of my mind, although I have said she's for sale, I have also wanted her out on loan, seriously competing for a few years and then to have her back to breed from.
Pic in avatar (as a 3 yr old!)

Lacey, 15 hands-ish, grey, (Old Leighlin x JC Connemara). Done zilch but be sat on by previous owner. Her feet were in such a bad way it's taken a while to get them better and because of this, she's done nothing much except been handled as she is a real soft sweetheart but is a real scaredy cat and seen nothing at all, even water freaks her out; when she trusts you she's fine. Plan has been to re break her and get her out hunting (someone else on her) for the season and give her some worldliness. She would also make a cracking broodmare, she's a great stamp of a mare, just a shame she's not a bit bigger.


Now then, what would you do? I can really, only keep one, possibly two of these mares; one at least does have to go somewhere permanently - but which one?!
 
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Dotty seems the obvious choice.
The loaner cant keep her ticking over, she isnt the quality of broodmare Bea is.
There always seems to be a good market for nice coloureds, so she would be the one I think most likely to sell.
If you have a long term plan then keep Lacey too. If not, get her advertised once she has been out and about a bit.
 
HI MFH

I sympathise with your dilemma. I think you have to choose the horses that will bring you the best results whether in breeding or competition and if there is a commercial imperative, the most profitable one in terms of production.

Therefore given the choice (and it is only my opinion)

Bea - No contest with her grading scores and proven ability as a broodmare, depending on her age I would keep her, good broodmares are as rare as hen's teeth as you well know from our breeding debate.

Little Grey - I am very keen on her, as I said before she is perfectly charming, purposeful , moves well, great outlook and she is perfect for producing teenagers dream horses. You can cross her with TB, Connemara or even a small ID to get a show cob. I think she is win win. From 15hand mares some very large acorns do grow and I do not think she would be caught for height if bred to a larger horse. As for ridden career - does she need one?

Coloured mare (sorry forgotten name) - Hmmm she is lovely without doubt and obviously if you intend to breed coloureds, again depending on her breeding, does she need to have a ridden reputation? The trend here is that people have "gone off" the coloured horses and think they are a fad that is over. However, I know in UK they are highly sort after especially a nice one.
I have a 16.2hh coloured mare I somehow aquired who is coming 4 by Mohill Gypsy and I have not a clue what to do with her either, I won't cover her but perhaps make a hunter of her before winter.

So there is some food for thought - I would pick Bea and Little Grey.
 
Poor you, having to make a decision and such a shame that Kate hasn't had time to do more with Dotty, as she was really excited about her last time I visited.

I'd agree that Dotty is the most suitable for re-homing being a good age, green but a super sweet and honest type therefore having the most appeal for potential purchasers. Lacey sounds like she'd be traumatised by leaving you ;) and Bea is well worth keeping ownership with a view to re-loaning her when you find someone suitable.
 
I think it depends!!

Are you looking to sell and therefore to release some money from one of the mares? In which case you need to decide which one you would get the most for (possibly Dotty?).

Or are you just looking to free up a stable for the forseeable future? (Either Bea or Dotty out on loan again)

If you are looking at all 3 as future broodmares then what is it that you are hoping to breed? If it's 16hh+ WH types then I would think you want to keep Dotty and/or Bea. If it's 15.2hh type then keep Lacey.

Or is it a time thing? In which case Lacey is a long term project so although you might not get so much for her now how much will it cost you to keep her until you consider her 'made'. Is the amount it will cost you less than what you would then be aiming to sell her for?

Sorry doesn't really answer your question!! I'll just wait to be told what I need to do with Bea!!!!!
 
HI MFH

Bea - No contest with her grading scores and proven ability as a broodmare, depending on her age I would keep her, good broodmares are as rare as hen's teeth as you well know from our breeding debate.

Fair point but trouble is I do not have the finances to send her to the type of stallions she deserves and which make commercial sense so feel I would be wasting her to a certain degree. She's 9 this time BTW so in one way I feel this might be the right time to sell.

Little Grey - I am very keen on her, as I said before she is perfectly charming, purposeful , moves well, great outlook and she is perfect for producing teenagers dream horses. You can cross her with TB, Connemara or even a small ID to get a show cob. I think she is win win. From 15hand mares some very large acorns do grow and I do not think she would be caught for height if bred to a larger horse. As for ridden career - does she need one?

I am weirdly excited about this mare and really would like to keep her, not only to potter about on to give her more confidence but to breed from too in time.

Coloured mare (sorry forgotten name) - Hmmm she is lovely without doubt and obviously if you intend to breed coloureds, again depending on her breeding, does she need to have a ridden reputation? The trend here is that people have "gone off" the coloured horses and think they are a fad that is over. However, I know in UK they are highly sort after especially a nice one.

Not too worried about the coloured aspect; Dotty''s out of a solid bay TB by Mandalus (which has already produced an Advanced dressage horse, a pointer and a prospective stallion so not a bad haul!) Funnily enough, when put to a Bay ID, Dotty produced a lovely coloured colt as a 4 yr old! (I sold her at 3, bought her back 18 months ago so I feel responsible for her, does that make sense?)



Poor you, having to make a decision and such a shame that Kate hasn't had time to do more with Dotty, as she was really excited about her last time I visited.

I know, it's very sad; she's put so much work into her it's a shame she can't see it through but I understand her reasons completely. Just have to hope I can find someone who can take her on a bit.

Are you looking to sell and therefore to release some money from one of the mares? In which case you need to decide which one you would get the most for (possibly Dotty?).

Or are you just looking to free up a stable for the forseeable future? (Either Bea or Dotty out on loan again)

Sorry doesn't really answer your question!! I'll just wait to be told what I need to do with Bea!!!!!

Yes, sorry I didn't get in touch first but only heard this morning and this was a throw things in the air knee jerk reaction; but I won't do anything without consulting you first if it concerns Bea, I promise.

It's a bit of both I suppose, both space and finances. One of the mares can't stay for too long, that's for sure; it's just deciding which one and it's a hard call to make.
 
Right!
Having talked it through with quite a few people, the monumental decision has been made so I will be putting both Bea (Witches Broom) and Dotty (Maesfen Dots) up for sale as of now. The idea being that if one gets sold, the other can stay. It was such a hard choice to make, pros and cons for both so decided to 'spin the dice' so to speak and let the market decide. So if anyone is, or knows anyone who is, looking for a cracking SHBGB Head Studbook broodmare or a nice coloured prospect, please get in touch! Now to get cracking on some snappy adverts which is not my forte at all.
 
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