[QUOTE=Oakstable;4627905]
As mare owners, we take the risk of investing in a stallion. We have to sell the resulting foal. We expect the SO to respect our investment. We’re stock holders. [/QUOTE]
In that particular stallion. If the stock “fails”, so do you. But it doesn’t prevent you from looking at another “stock”.
Sure, they got publicity. Much of it strongly negative.
Just on the one particular stallion. Look at the “spin” and “speculation” involved! the negative publicity is focused on ONE stallion. However, the farm is receiving “accolades” for their foresight in removing something that may or may not be a “blight”. And, negative publicity is ALWAYS better than no publicity at all. It gets them noticed!
Will mare owners want to jump on their next bandwagon? Don’t think so.
<smile> Mare owners are a fickle lot. I have no doubt they’ll jump on the next hot item. It’s just the nature of the beast!
There was no damage control. It’s human nature to watch a wreck along the side of the road.
Comparatively small numbers for Germany. And, German breeders have a much more practical view on breeding. Less emotion involved.
Their lack of damage control allowed people to speculate on the WORST of conformation defects.
You’re looking at it solely from the perspective of the one stallion. I step back and look at it from the viewpoint of the entire breeding farm. People will pat them on the back for removing a horse that they perceive as “bad”. I suspect it is much more of a marketing decision than that there is truly anything horrific about the offspring. One would have probably heard something more if the foals were truly conformational freaks.
A lot of people in this thread now think Doolittle was throwing something other than a less typey, smaller foal that might be the truth of his FIRST foal crop.
As many breeders here have pointed out, there are many stallions that throw less than typey foals that go on to be great performance horses. And, it’s strictly speculation as to what exactly is wrong with the first foal crop. I’ve yet to hear anyone say what exactly it is that is conformationally flawed.
As a mare owner/stock holder, I would not be investing in Blue Hors’s stallion roster. Way too many other choices and too date, I’ve invested in stallions standing in NA who understand the sensitivities of the NA market. And who avoid this kind of PR blunder.
As a stallion owner and one that is very much invested in the North American market, I tend to choose only stallions that are standing in North America. Support the market that I have a vested interest in so to speak. But, having done marketing and advertising for some top corporations, I am also very well aware of the “spin” that can be put on things in order to push that marketing envelope.
So, a breeder that did indeed breed a mare to Doolittle calls up with a WHAT??? My foal is subpar?? Stallion owner merely says, no, no…your’s is one that is quite nice. We were referring to some of the “other” foals.
Nope. From my perspective, I see it as quite a smart marketing move. Stallion wasn’t getting the breedings anticipated. Not enough foals to create a real “buzz”. Still sufficient money generated that there was no real loss on the stallion. Easy to simply remove the stallion from the roster and use him as a “promotion” for their superior “culling”. Even if he is indeed gelded, he’ll probably sell for good money to a rider. They created a real “buzz” for their other stallions, got people that normally probably wouldn’t have taken a second look at their other stallions to flock to their website and take another look at what exactly they have! Someone should do a poll on how many people that looked at this thread went to their website and then on to their North American affiliates! I’m betting just about every single person that checked into this thread will have done so. 
Yeah…brilliant marketing move. And again, as I stated previously, I’d take the boy in a heartbeat <grin>. I’d be willing to take a “chance” on him <lol>.
