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Re: [RC] Arabian Numbers - Bette LamoreAgree with you 100%, Sandy!!!! And let me add that the mean age of Purebred Arabians is 18 years old, according to a statistic given in an AHA meeting I attended several weeks ago!!! Those of us who breed athletic horses might want to get into the game and start breeding again as I am getting inquiries from Sport Horse people every day who cannot find athletic, correct Arabians. I stopped almost all breeding for sales years ago when the prices were down-- over breeding in CA (and yes we have good breeders here-- look at the Magnesses who bred for athletic and correct horses)-- I started to just lease out my mares to breed to my stallion so that the foal was already purchased at birth-- it was safer that way. Who could compete with those that could afford to breed 250 mares/year, select the best 40 race prospects and let the others go for $500 and up. Many of those breeders have now left the market when the market went down-- poor publicity and bad politics and the race industry full of scandal with the so called Arabians who sure looked like and raced like Anglo-Arabs. People are now hungry for athletic Arabians and the AHA is working hard to change the image from show idiot to sport and family horse. This year is going to be the first in a long time that I am breeding unleased mares. Have already sold an "ooops" weanling at 2 months old for $3000 (Riverdance and the mare found a way to do the deed through a 5 rail pipe corral--- don't ask me how???!!!!) and am getting good money now for my tall athletic Arabians that I did manage to breed a few years back. I went to Scottsdale and saw the sport horse classes and liked what I saw--- no freaky halter horses-- looking for conformation, athletic movement, and good temperament. Hoooray! It is very expensive with hay costs (not to mention real estate costs) to market sales horses in CA for less than $5000 for a three year old-- one merely has to do the math-- UNLESS you have exceptional horses. Hopefully those of us that breed for athletic ability and conformation will find a good market in the sport horse and endurance arenas. My favorite market, of course, is the family horse :-) My daughter is going to show her Arabian this year for the first time since she was a child -- we are dipping our toes in the water and hope that politics has not yet crept it's evil way into the sport horse fields. My daughter remembers many fun times when she was a child showing at local shows--- kept her, her brother and sister out of much mischief and was a real family affair (Mark always had shoe polish on his knees :-) ) Shows aren't evil in themselves-- they can be a fun family experience and teach kids about grooming, responsibility, working towards a goal, competition (it's just as important to be a good loser as much as a good winner so long as you tried your best!) and cooperation. It was an activity we did together as a family. Just as endurance can be :-) I know you have had good experiences there as well, Sandy. And Lord knows, we have had our bad ones as well :-( Fortunately the halter interests are declining and the sport horse and hunter classes are now becoming the most popular-- and guess what! The noses were NOT behind the bit this year in Hunter--- the horse could actually see where he was going. Now if people would just learn to let their horse have his nose just in front of the perpendicular at an extended trot, like horse are supposed to do (and do in open shows!) we will return to better riding. The endurance horse buyer will benefit from this resurgence in the breeding industry for sport horse as the latter are looking for the same qualities as the endurance rider--- conformation--- athletic ability-- and good temperament. The add-ons of endurance-- i.e good P&R's and speed (for serious competitors) -- will have a select pre-screened (for conformation and athleticism) pool of sport horse prospects from which to select, if all goes well. Bette Lamore Whispering Oaks Arabians Home of Bunny and 16.2h TLA Halynov who lives on through his legacy Hal's Riverdance! http://www.arabiansporthorse.com Always remember: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." (George Carlin) SandyDSA@xxxxxxx wrote: Understanding that endurance is not relegated to Arabians, clearly Arabians dominate the sport. It would seem that this statistic below just released from AHA is pertinent: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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