Re: Breeding/Cheap Horses

["Becky Huffman" <TOS@htcomp.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>> Research and experience -
endurance racing itself -  is pointing to a > certain kind of horse for
endurance.  At the widest, it appears to be the  > Arabian.  Within the
breed as time goes on there *should* be a narrowing  > down to certain types
of Arabians.  But this cannot happen as long as  > people are not willing to
support the breeder who is trying to produce that  > specialized endurance
horse.
>
> It is possible that the majority of endurance riders don't need a  >
specialized endurance horse.  But from another point of view, anyone who >
falls into that category might consider this:  If the keyboard could feel, >
would it still be OK to use it as a hammer?  Lif

I completely understand people wanting to make the best deal they can.,

((although/but/and as a breeder, I do occasionally, or will eventually, have
some for sale I would like to be able to break even, plus a little.  I saw
an ad today for a farm that sells pinto warmbloods, unbroke 3yr olds
starting at $5000. I've seen them priced over a quarter million.  I'm not
asking for that.))

What I don't understand is the insistence that 'culls' and 'killer horses'
make 'the best' endurance horse.... YES, there are exceptions, but they are
*not* the norm.  For every Cash, and every Rio, and every Jedi, how many
failures and broken hearts went back where they came from, on down the road,
or are taking up space because someone is too guilty to sale an unusable
horse? That question has been asked over and over, and people just reply
with repeats of the same few success stories.

and this thread did not originate about prices, but about bloodlines....
just because a horse is cheap or free, does that mean it popped out of thin
air? No, it has Ancestors!!   And it is Great! if you can buy a Project
horse and turn it around, but if you don't have the time/skills to train it
yourself, you have to send it to a trainer, but people don't generally
consider that part of the purchase price... I think they should!  If you
spend $1000 on a horse and $500 a month for rehab/training for 4 months...
I don't see that as a 'bargain' compared to a $3000 horse that you could
have ridden immediately.

Becky Huffman
Huffman's Arabians ~ The Original Series ~
http://www.htcomp.net/Huffman/