Monday, October 6, 2008

Auction

Gerald ended up selling 3 yearlings and bringing home a yearling and 2 weanies. He gets to ride my dun colt out of Lady o Lena this winter and he bought the buttermilk buckskin for my winter project. I love her already. The palomino is for me too. She is Skipper W bred with strong reining bloodlines. The buckskin mare is cow bred too. It was very sad at the sale because the market has crashed so bad. They mainly had babies. They will all be eligible for a competition in the spring and fall. Babies were selling for $30 and up, yearlings $5o and up. Broke horses barely brought $300. Next year we are only breeding Stacy and maybe Ann. Gerald will sell the rest of his broodmares after they foal. We only breed what we want to ride and show. If my pretty little mares prove themselves in the show pen they will end up being bred to Spider. Sorrel babies no matter how well bred are harder to sell. Nice bred colored horses are dirt cheap right now. We can raise and show them and not bred for a couple of years. The one breeder brought less then half of what he had last year. He has really cut down his program. This sale brought in more breeders, they are all cutting back. I have to admit that most of the babies were pretty well bred. It is just so sad they went so cheap. What a slap in the face selling a colt for $75 when the stud fee is $500. AQHA is going backward, they are raising the fee's next year. It cost more to register and transfer the foal then what it sells for. The one breeder is selling out because of health issues. He brings 5 babies that will not sell with papers because he did not DNA the mares before they were sold. It would have cost $35 per kit. Those babies were a no sale at $25. All the weanies sold on breeders certificates. They bad thing about that is if the DNA test wasn't done you have to get that done first and if the mare or stud is dead or sold with out papers you will not be able to register the foal. If the foal is from Impressive bloodlines it will have to have a HYPP test that costs $75. I have a lot of horses in my name that I have not owned for years. Unless people show or bred they do not bother to transfer the papers. The DNA testing doesn't matter to them. It will not stop the switching of papers after the DNA testing is done. How many people will retest a horse? People are just giving away horses. It's a gamble buying anything right now. If you do it is best that you plan on keeping it because they market may not come back.

12 comments:

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

I would be devastated if I raised foals for resale. This market is not discriminating that is for sure, well-bred foals, yearlings and 2y/o's are dirt cheap and you can't hardly give a plain one away.

Looks like you picked up some cuties though. They aught to be fun to bring along.

Any word on your weanling?

Andrea said...

It is sad how cheap babies are right now. ANd when I say babies I mean weanlings to yearlings. If your baby doesn't have super wonderful bloodlines, then it better be super broke. Halter broke, lunges, etc..if you want more than 100 bucks for it. Right now we have one weanling. She is a brick house. I think we might keep her and break her out and give her a job workig cows. Then we will see if we can get more than 100 bucks for her.

I have always said that the "W" in Skipper W just ment more work. Those horses are super "cowy"!! Very cute babies, and super cheap.

And I DNA all our horses. I will have to do a HYPP test for one baby next year. I have always sworn not to own an Impressive bred horse. But now I am going to have two of them next March! Crazy.

Have fun with your winter project and take lots of pictures so we can all see her grow!!

Vaquerogirl said...

Man! That is sad.But if you quit breeding, then the market will have to catch up- I have several friends that quit breeding two years ago and won't breed again for another year or two. They are keeping the babies they had and breaking them themselves. Luckily most of them can do that, they have the land and the resources, but I know a lot of people don't have that luxury.
Love the two babies, I am a sucker for a gold horse- no matter what color the mane and tail!

photogchic said...

That is horrible news. I hate to be pessimistic...but our equine friends are in big trouble in this economy. I am bracing for the stories we are going to start seeing. Love the new babies...tons-o-color!

Twisted Oaks Quarter Horses said...

B.E.C. my weanling's hoof is growing back. He still is not lame and it's healing up nicely. I will be happy when I don't have to bandage it anymore. Andrea I'm glad to here that you think enough of what you breed to do the paperwork. I do mine even if it is sold before I get the breeders certificate back. They get to pick out the name, I still take care of it. I had 3 colts out of my Skipper W mare and they were super cowy and never bucked, they rode of like broke horses. I can't to start playing with my palomino. I usually don't care for that color, she is unique. V.G. I think a lot of the smaller breeders are just breeding and riding what they keep. I'm lucky with my Docs Oak mare, I have a place to go with her babies. We have decided to keep the fillies and sell colts. You can hardly give away a Sorrel colt. P.C. thanks! I usually go for the sorrels, it's not to often that I add color. My boyfriend is color blind, he has inproved on going for the better blood lines.

Becca said...

Callie,don't let anyone tell you that Skipper W horses are not worth the trouble! One of the nicest barrel horses we ever had was a double bred SW. Pretty palomino, that was as sweet as they come. The market down here in Oklahoma is terrible, folks are leaving there horses at the sale barn! Just driving off and leaving them there. I raised babies for several years, but had to sell out because of the market being so weak. You just can't put a stud fee, two years worth of feed and training in one and not get enough to cover your expenses. It was just a hobby for me, all I wanted was to raise nice horses and break even. When you can't do that something is wrong. Good luck with your colorful crew, they look really nice. Stay warm, we haven't even had temps below 55 yet.

Unknown said...

I am surprised when I see the prices of the horses.
I do not know a foal's price. I know that if you want to buy a horse about 4 years and who learns his job (jumping and dressage) and who has papers, it costs about 1000 euros ($1500 around)
So, when I see $75 I am very surprised.
And if you put your horse at a club for stable and food, it costs about 300 euros for a month (around $450).
So I hope I'll have money enough later to buy a horse.

kdwhorses said...

What cuties you picked up! Looks like a fun winter project!!

It is sad about the sale!

Train Wreck said...

Oh that is terrible. How devestaing to the horse breeders. We just bred one of our mares several months back and recieved the DNA packet in the mail. I hope the economy picks up soon for everyones sake!

Twisted Oaks Quarter Horses said...

Hi becca, this is Callie's blog, but I contribute on it. She will probably want my little gray/buckskin. Like you it is more less a hobby. I sure haven't been able to even break even at it. I get my reward when a horse that I bred and raised goes on to the show pen. My goal is to have one at the NCHA Futurity ever year. This will be the 3rd year. I've had very good luck with my Skipper W horses. I have a Doc Oaks Stud to cross them on. I have a friend with a couple of Playgun studs so we trade. I've heard of people going so far as tying unwanted horses on other people's trailers. It's only going to get worse. Le Chevel the prices seem cheap to buy, the big cost is care. $450 a month seems high. The people closer to the city pay that. People around here in the country can still find it for $250.

Callie said...

Jess is right. I love that little cutie with her feminine face and black points on her ears. She is a cutie.

Strawberry Lane said...

What a sad situation for horses and breeding farms. How horrible to sell at such cheap prices.

Times have changed and that forces more changes down the line. I couldn't possibly sell anything I had raised, much less at an auction for pennies on the dollar.

I worry so much about the horses that don't find homes. Not far from our farm, people are just turning their horses loose.

As you know, the poor starving boy I rescued had only about a month left to live.

I'd honestly take in more if I could.

I have to keep thinking ... times will get better. In the meantime, if I were a breeder ... I wouldn't.