I also think income, or potential income, is “controlled” to a certain extent by…how to say this diplomatically…stallion owners’ inability to see past the pretty pretty horse they’ve put so much love and money into to the realities of the market.
I have one associate, for instance, who has a “unique” wb cross, he is licensed and approved, and out of a very well-respected and successful stallion standing in Europe. The son is nowhere near the quality of the sire, nowhere near the quality of the multitude of other stallions from the same bloodlines, and yet his stud fee is higher than not only his sire, but also most of the stallions available from that line, both in North America and Europe. The owner actually RAISED his stud fee this year and last given the foolhardy notion that potential clients would equate a higher stud fee with higher quality. But of course what people equate it with is an over-priced stud and delusional owners, and the only outside breedings she books are to a couple of friends. I feel her stallion, and many others, could be better marketed at about half the price, get some good foal crops on the ground, and then see if he warrants a bump in price. (And 5-10 breedings at 700 is a lot better than 2 breedings at 1500, and allows the potential for more foals on the ground and people who see them and say, to quote TrueColors, WOW!).
If you are pricing your base stud fee, the one that you publicly advertise, close to or higher than the top stallion(s) in your chosen discipline, and your stallion is not really equal in quality, achievement, and production, I wouldn’t even contact you.
