Think again if you plan on breeding your mare
Every once in awhile, I get a bee in my bonnet to teach a bunch of novice horse people how to train horses. I got one such bee this winter, and put an ad on Craigslist looking for inexpensive, untrained horses. I stated I couldn't pay much, just a little more than auction prices for the horses.
I could not believe the number of responses I received.
I got more than 40 calls and e-mails from people wanting to sell me their 2-, 3- and 4-year-old untrained horses, cheap. After whittling down the calls and e-mails to the cheapest, I still had more than a dozen people wanting to give me their horses. And I mean give.
When the respondents learned from how many I had to choose, many started offering their horses for free. Purebred, registered, sound, nice, good-looking horses. Nothing wrong with them. Paints, quarter horse, Morgan, Arabian, thoroughbred, mustang and Appaloosa. I got calls from Nebraska and Wyoming as well as the Western Slope.
The callers all had one thing in common - they had horses that were untrained and unwanted. They had bred their mares thinking the babies would sell and they didn't. Pretty soon, the babies were 2 years old. Then 3 years old. Then older and still no buyers. You can't park a horse in the garage or put it up on blocks like you can a car you aren't using.
Horses need to be fed, watered, wormed and given shots. They need their feet trimmed and their teeth looked after. They need attention, grooming and age-appropriate training and it all costs money. Lots of money.
The average stud fee for a good stallion will run $500 to $1,000. Add the cost of caring for the mare during the pregnancy and the cost of rearing the babies until sold and you have an investment of a few thousand dollars. Selling the baby is the only way to get a return on your investment. But someone has to want the horse.
Right now those wanting horses are in short supply. Good, registered baby horses are selling for a fraction of what the breeders have put into them, if they can find a buyer in the first place.
Please reconsider breeding your mare this year. Visit a horse auction if you want a nice foal. There are plenty of nice babies available. I've watched many youngsters sold for a lot less than the stud fee paid to create them. Don't add to the problem. Don't create more unwanted horses.
On a lighter note, my readers can watch the progress of our new batch of youngsters as our novice trainers take them through our training program. Visit my Web site at www.rockymountain rawhide.com/1horse_training.htm and click on the "Horse Course."
It's going to be a lot of fun.
Terry Jester is a nationally recognized companion animal behaviorist. To learn more about companion animal training, visit www.rockymountainrawhide.com. For questions about your own pet, call Jester at (970) 568-7585 or send e-mail to arriniranch@aol.com.
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