| WHY AENEAS SIRED SO FEW FOALS. |
| Until the mindset of Endurance riders changes dramatically there is no incentavie to supply this market I have bred vealers since 1976 and the income from a cow/calf unit averaged $400 per year. Today in 2006 it averages $550 for calves $1,000 for cows. So one cow's calves over 5 years averaged $2,000. Yet endurance riders want the horse 4 to 5 years, broken in and offer "500 to $1,000 and I will be promoting your stud". Since to breed and keep a horse that long it will have eaten the feed of 4 or 5 calves that do not have to be broken in, now breaking in averages $1,500 to $2,000 I save $1,600 to $2,100 per mare I did not put in foal but kept a cow/calf unit on the feed the unborn foal would have eaten. Therefore I could not justifiy to my husband breeding any more foals than I could afford to keep. I could not breed for a market that thinks it is the expertise of the rider that makes a good endurance horse. The only reason these horses became available to the present day endurance scene is because I lost the lease of the land I was using and did not have alternative adjistment to place them at such short notice. I congratulate any breeder who managed to breed and realise a profit from breeding endurance horses over the past 20 years I am being made much better offers now in the past few months, but I have only bred 5 foals in the past 5 years. Incidently now since the new beef boom the same calves are making av $600 so its $3,000 cow/calf unit over 5 years now. I'm like Les, Ive kept my horses because I know they are what I want. Not because I need to make a profit from them. Aeneas was available at stud at the fee of $250 for over 20 years yet less than 10 people chose to use him. The fee was deliberately set low since there is such a long time frame before the foal would be old enough to use under saddle, and to encourage those with small finances. Since so few did, I wondered did people think it was too low so increased it to $1,000 for a few seasons with no result so returned to the $250. He has been available to those who wished to use him for over 22 years. The choice has been there. Since so few wanted his stock there was no reason to produce foals for the doggers sales as so many breeders do. That is why so many endurance riders source their future mounts from these sales and will continue to do so until breeders stop producing foals on spec and dog the unsold. Except the majority of these horses are show bred not endurance bred so any not up to the job are simply redogged by the buyer to lose only the cost of the feed consumed while they tried it. I know because that is the policy of at least one past Quilty Winner, who told me so himself when he wanted to buy some of mine but only offered $1.00 per kg and gave his reason why. If you want to supply that market that is your choice. I wont. If you would like one of my stock then there are 3 of his sons available at stud. I do not breed foals on speck. Unless it is ordered then it is not bred unless I want the mating for my own use. |