KY TB farms like Lanes End, Ashford, Three Chimneys, Hill N Dale, Taylor Made, etc are undoubtedly the gold standard for broodmare and foal care.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t safely and correctly breed quality horses on a condensed scale. Years ago I foaled out my first three mares of my own on 5 acres in FL with basically no grass (free choice alfalfa though, and horses were NOT SKINNY). My facility wasn’t fancy or extravagant, but it was safely fenced and well maintained. I only had 12x12 stalls, not foaling stalls, but I had attached runs if needed. I already had years of foaling experience at a classy KY TB farm. I had wireless baby monitor cameras. And I slept outside (shedrow barn) in front of the stall on a cot. I milk tested. I groomed the mares at 10pm every night before bedtime (assuming I slept). I was there for each foaling and did everything by the book. I raised three healthy foals, now 6yo and 4yo, two of whom won FEH Championships as yearlings.
The point is, it’s all about how much you care and what you invest personally with your $$, time and dedication. You don’t necessarily need to do all the work yourself, but if you demand quality care that your horse deserves, you’ll be paying for it and still carry the responsibility to ensure your horse is receiving it.
It’s mind boggling to me how so many “repeat failures” can happen. I made a mistake once; I left my cherished retired mare and gelding with a friend-of-friend KY TB farm in November while I went to Florida. We traded; he agreed to pasture board my two retirees, in exchange for me taking his green 3yo appendix QH for training over the winter. I trusted this individual; mutual friends trusted him; I spoke with him on the phone monthly, checking in on my horses, and giving an update on his filly. I had been told “They lost a little bit of weight, but still look good, you know…” and I thought that was okay, because they truly were FAT and overweight when I left them. My husband was in KY and checked on my two old guys in March; he was shocked to find my mare a BCS of 2, the gelding barely a 4. My husband immediately came back to FL, hooked up the trailer, loaded the QH filly and went back to KY to exchange the horses. I cried when my poor mare unloaded…skin and bones, lame behind. This, from a pretty big TB breeding farm. From then on, I vowed NEVER to board my horses again, and I have severe trust issues with anyone else caring for my personal horses! I can’t imagine letting a situation like this happen MULTIPLE times. Can it happen once? Yes, to anyone. But ONE TIME should be all it takes to ensure it can never happen again.
