Breeding the mare for an "in foal" sale-what stallion woud you choose?

[cyriz_s_mom]

While being a broodie may be her future, I think you’ll be hard pressed to “sell” her as one…give her away to be a broodie is more likely. Why do I say that? Well, in the last 6 months I have been given three mares. One is a Windfall out of a Hann/TB mare, one is a Quaterback out of a SWB mare who’s half (true half) brother was a 4* eventer (WEG team) and the other a TB mare who’s owner not only gave her to us, but paid close to 1k to have her shipped to us and agreed to take her back if we don’t like what she produces.

So, what I’m saying is that it’s a tough market for unproven broodies, especially those with any “issues”.

If you do decide to breed her and try to sell in foal, then temperament and disposition of the stallion would be paramount in mind. Do your research, talk to the stallion owners, ask them for names/numbers of foal owners. Unfortunately, there are a lot of stallions out there who have less than ideal dispositions (discounted as having “stallion prescence”) who are touted as having great temperaments.

Just my .02

[Vic_007]

^ that is why I suggested Harvard. He has an excellent temperament and his foals are highly saleable. All his goals turn put with great temperants.

I agree horses with baggage take a good long while of retraining and recovery. It would be chiro work and proper vetting with a sports vet etc. the one tb mare I have came from the track completely messed up, she has a bone chip in her front right and even though she is sound now it’s taken a lot of chiro and rehab to get her back because her hind end ended up really out.

[DownYonder]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;6977611]
Gray Fox Farm where Redwine used to stand no longer exists for the most part except on the internet. Her website is still up but that is about it as Redwine and Aloha are in Canada and Romantic Star is still in the custody of the humane society. I bring this up because Grey Fox Farm is very much still in business and has nothing to do with the Jill Burnell fiasco so I assume they would like us to spell carefully.[/QUOTE]

Sorry for the misspelling, and thanks for the correction. However, there have been comments on this forum and elsewhere that JillB is STILL acquiring mares, and her MO is to contact people like the OP who need to place a mare. And even though Redwine is no longer in JillB’s custody, he is apparently still owned by her, and I am not the only one who believes she has every intention of continuing to breed mares to him. My comment was just a word of warning to the OP.

[FayeHanoverian]

I really hate to say this, but if you are completely certain she is unsafe to ride and can’t keep her you are better off putting her down. There are a lot of nice TB mares out there and unless you can promise to take her back at anytime the chances are she will either; move over the years from nice sports horse broodmare, to backyard breeder, to truck to Mexico, or she will seriously hurt someone who decides she should be ridden.

Sadly even very nice broodmares don’t have a very secure future these days, she really doesn’t deserve to end up back in an abusive home. If you really feel she can’t be a safe riding horse and that she’s so unpredictable she’s a danger, either because of some physical issue or mental trama she needs a life long home as a pasture pet or she should be put down. I’ve seen people get seriously hurt with horses that had an issue that made them untrainable.

I would suggest that you try to find someone that seems to really click with her and let them know about her issues. Have them lease her for a few months if you can. Someone else may have more luck working with her for some reason. If that really doesn’t work I really think your best bet is to put her down.

[Laurierace]

[QUOTE=DownYonder;6978085]
Sorry for the misspelling, and thanks for the correction. However, there have been comments on this forum and elsewhere that JillB is STILL acquiring mares, and her MO is to contact people like the OP who need to place a mare. And even though Redwine is no longer in JillB’s custody, he is apparently still owned by her, and I am not the only one who believes she has every intention of continuing to breed mares to him. My comment was just a word of warning to the OP. ;)[/QUOTE]

Good point, I hadn’t thought about her actually taking the mare. I was just thinking of her getting ripped off for breeding fees. Still important to make sure we get the name right although if I were Grey Fox Farm I would toy with the idea of modifying my business name just in case.

[Lynnwood]

[QUOTE=Heinz 57;6977120]
Ok, I’m going to try to be gentle, but I have a couple questions.

First, you’ve only had her since the first of the year, so about 5 months, right? What changed between the XC video and the show jumping video to make you determine that she’s unusable as a riding horse? I’ve sorted through your past posts referencing her and is it just related to her change in personality with her cycles? How does she go with another rider? Is it possible that you are not a good match?

Frankly, in the XC video she seems like a very pleasant, game horse. Green, but relaxed and willing.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps simply this ^^.

I think offering her open vs investing in a breeding unless you can find one free or reduced that compliments her or the market is better to do. Unless you don’t mind breeding her to something you might enjoy should you not be able to sell her.

[Heinz_57]

I had one other thought, after re-reading through most of this thread and remembering some past posts of the OP’s. In a previous thread, she talked about her being witchy on the ground and nearly getting kicked in the head when OP went into the pasture with her, among other on-the-ground handling intricacies.

If she isn’t easy to handle on the ground for even routine, day-to-day things (going to/from turnout, handling for vet work, farrier, etc.) she isn’t likely to be very desirable as a broodie unless she’s really spectacular and one of a kind, I wouldn’t think.

She was really quite lovely in the XC video, it’s unfortunate that it isn’t going to work out for you.

[fairtheewell]

Redwine

[HickoryHill]

I would second this. Too many horses end up in a really bad situation especially when they’re difficult to handle.

[QUOTE=FayeHanoverian;6978113]
I really hate to say this, but if you are completely certain she is unsafe to ride and can’t keep her you are better off putting her down. There are a lot of nice TB mares out there and unless you can promise to take her back at anytime the chances are she will either; move over the years from nice sports horse broodmare, to backyard breeder, to truck to Mexico, or she will seriously hurt someone who decides she should be ridden.

Sadly even very nice broodmares don’t have a very secure future these days, she really doesn’t deserve to end up back in an abusive home. If you really feel she can’t be a safe riding horse and that she’s so unpredictable she’s a danger, either because of some physical issue or mental trama she needs a life long home as a pasture pet or she should be put down. I’ve seen people get seriously hurt with horses that had an issue that made them untrainable.

I would suggest that you try to find someone that seems to really click with her and let them know about her issues. Have them lease her for a few months if you can. Someone else may have more luck working with her for some reason. If that really doesn’t work I really think your best bet is to put her down.[/QUOTE]

[columbus]

I have been here with a TB mare I took in from a friend. She was a mare with no value other than as a broodmare and prehaps I could use her. Unfortunately at my house she seemed to lose her mind and became dangerous to handle. There you have a delema. Can I try to rehome her hoping she would revert to her previous temperament in a new home? Can I spend a lot of money trying to determine what might be her issue? Can I accept this is the end of the line for her and humanely ethanize her? Dangerous is dangerous…knowing her behavior is dangerous means I can not risk rehoming her. She had no value as either a brodmare or a riding horse. She was euthanized. That is reality and is not a terrible end for a TB mare with no prospects. PatO

[Justa_Bob]

OP is in a really tough spot with a difficult mare and is turning over stones trying to find options.

Thoughts on looking for adding to the mare’s value in the hopes that will entice a buyer is a great idea. Unfortunately, breeders and others experience is that the buyer will need to love (or at least very much want) the mare in addition to the foal/embryo.

If there were a local trainer who might evaluate the mare / situation as a sounding board, that might be an option. Finding someone to take her for awhile and see if she settled differently would be wonderful. But that is a very long shot.

Best wishes and kudos to the OP for trying to figure out how to get the mare to a situation that works for the mare and the new owner. There might be some tough decisions ahead.

[Kyzteke]

[QUOTE=okggo;6976591]
I see a lot of people do this, but I personally wouldn’t. Reason being, you would be hoping for a buyer that really wants the mare AND foal, and that’s going to be far less likely then someone wanting the mare or foal. Meaning the one they aren’t too keen on gets sold off. In this type of situation the reality is it will probably be the foal that gets kept and then someone ends up giving away the mare or worse. TBs are easy to come by, and ones with “issues” are certainly harder to find good homes for.

If I were you I would be trying very hard to market the mare and find someone that really wants HER, to help try to assure a home for her. Getting WB approvals and providing a breeding health/soundness exam would be a bonus for a breeder looking to add a nice TB mare to their band.

The other thing with breeding her, if she doesn’t sell in foal, then you have two to sell, and not just one.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree. Why spend $$ on breeding this mare unless you want to keep the foal or sell it (which would make you a breeder)? You are simply increasing the chance that whoever gets this mare is only after the foal.

Basically you have a smallish (at least she looks small in the video; maybe the rider is really tall?) TB mare with behavior issues. The country is littered with these mares; many of which do NOT have behavior issues and could be ridden with alittle remedial work. Many of these mares have already been approved, and graded highly, then proven themselves by the quality of their get. You can pick these mares up all day long for $3000 and under. And many are actually bred at this price!

By the time you have picked a stallion, gotten her bred, AND had her approved (it’s not free, you know), you will have spent far more than this.

Instead, keep your money in the bank and offer the mare to a buyer with full disclosure. You might find somebody willing to take a chance, but unless you want to be the one to “prove” this gal as a broodmare, it’s really not a smart choice for you and it isn’t going to do the poor mare any good…once she has the foal, you can bet she will probably be for sale again – NOT a good choice for this type of temperament.

She needs to find a soft place to land, and being pregnant may not help her find that.

Now, maybe a newbie breeder who likes blood (and many do) may take a chance on her. She IS a nice looking gal. So price her cheap and if you can float it, an approval with a reputable registry can only help matters.

Don’t even dream about making any $$ on the project now…that ain’t gonna happen :no:. Just find the best home you can for this gal.

[magicteetango]

I am a new breeder, my first foal is due in June (!!) after 5-6 years of research. My mare is a TB, from a high performance family. I love TB mares but… I would be highly unlikely to buy a mare in foal (Who knows if we have the same taste, I breed to sell… I would just prefer not worrying about a baby on the way and focusing on what my vision for that mare is… I also want to get to know a mare WELL before I breed her) and far more unlikely to buy or take one with behavioral issues/unsound unless she had a full or half sibling with an excellent performance record, and a stellar dam line… And even still… Behavioral issues would cancel it out.

There are many good mares out there, I have two young children, and as Cyriz’s Mom pointed out so many stallions are touted as having great temperaments when, in fact, they do not. I want to start with a mare with a nice temperament, who I would be happy to have an exact copy of, so that my choices are wide open for stallions. A hotter mare, sensitive… No problem. I don’t expect nor do I necessarily want a mare who is a 1 on a temperament scale… But nasty, almost getting kicked in the head, unrideable… Way way too many nice mares out there and life is just too short.

[Marshfield]

Broodmare by default is often not a path towards security for the mare.