Thanks Sandy, I was trying
to figure out how best to respond to what looked like trolling to me. Not
to mention that I have indeed paid a 'mare fee' when I wanted a foal from a
particular mare, either through a lease or purchase of that mare or
foal.
Wow - I don't know what to say except that without question over the past
3 decades of competing, breeding, riding, training, any stallion we have owned
cost more than any mare. I suppose when the fee for mares being nominated for
Sweeps, etc. goes up; when mare owners take out full page ads for their girls;
the cost of general care (since by and large boys must have separate
accommodations and sometimes even handling) hits a status quo....in general
the costs bear out that the mares should be the ones charging the fees :),
then perhaps it would be a different story. I would agree that MANY mares are
FAR superior to a ton of stallions. But here is the thing - who gets the
foal??? If a mare owner is going to get to keep the foal - which is usual - of
course that owner should pay for the service of a stallion. If a stallion
owner spies a great mare and wants a foal then he or she can possibly lease
the mare. In addition, since a mare can only produce one foal per year (don't
- DON'T get me started on ET!), the high cost and the extent and gamble of
advertising a mare for, what, lease, is not only a crap shoot but not
very financially appealing. We do offer a mare or tow each season for breeding
leases - and of course a mare can only be leased for one person - a stallion
can be bred to numerous mares - though that issue too is a hot button for me -
something wrong with a stallion siring 100 or more foals on his debut
season.
In the end, the stallion owner bears a huge cost of both money and effort
in promotion and care. It seems fair that a mare owner shares that cost should
the mare owner desire a foal from that union.
my question has always been why stud fees??? there are mares out
there superior to stallions, mares i believe contribute at least as much if
not more to the quality of the foal... shouldn't stallion owners be
paying and courting to breed to these superior mares... ( i know
partially private treaty allows for this) but really the few foals a mare
could have should be more valuable than the thousands a stallion could
... the whole stud fee thing is sexist, don't you
think?
