breeders who want more $$ for their horses

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Deanna German dgerman@earthlink.net
There is a segment of the endurance market that is willing to pay
for measureable quality. For an unstarted horse, the measurement is
in the success of the horse's ancestors.

I purchased my 4 1/2 YO 3/4 Arab mare as a older yearling for $2000. 
No training except halter-broke and leadable. It sounds like most 
of the breeders here doing the complaining would accept that as a 
decent price for that age and level of training.

I wasn't looking for bargain basement. Heck, I would have paid more.
What I was looking for was a proven line of horses (successful at 
endurance distance and endurance speed). The horse I purchased has
many distance winners among her relatives including her dame, her 
sire's half-brother, her dame's full brother, her grand-sire, 
her grand-sire's get, etc. etc. As she matures, I am thrilled with
the speed at which she is progressing. She has great trail sensibility
is bold and wants to go! Recoveries are great; legs look great. This
summer I'll be starting her camping at rides. If she does well, I'll 
try an LD ride or novice CTR toward the end of the season.

But you know what? I'm not the least bit surprized she's doing so
well. SHE WAS SPECIFICALLY BRED FOR IT and has the long list of 
successful ancestors as proof.

Kat tried to provide a lesson in basic economics that at least one 
of you failed to understand. The MARKET drives the price. If you 
want to sell your horses for more money, develop the aspects that 
make them more valuable to your niche market. For people willing
to pay a few bucks for a competitive mount, you have to be able to
show them the wins!!! Conformation points toward physical ability,
but it's often the head and the heart that creates a winner. A 
potential buyer willing to spend a few bucks more wants to see some
champion endurance horses in the line in addition to top-quality 
physical characteristics.

For those doing the complaining who have endurance champions in the
pedigree, there is something called "effective marketing." You can't 
just put the product out there, stick a premium price on it and expect 
people to know they should buy it without telling them why it's more 
valuable. It might comfort you to criticize the potential buyers by
saying that they don't know the value of what they're looking at, but
if you want the $$, it IS up to you to communicate.
 
Deanna (Ohio)