Personal Experience Buying @ Hanoverian Verband Auction in Germany

[Touchstone_Farm]

Bellfleur, I’m sorry for your heartbreak and your financial loss. I think your story is a good reminder of what can happen in BOTH the U.S. AND in other countries. One has to have a healthy skepticism whenever and wherever one buys a horse or has a horse in training.

Suing for a transaction gone wrong in the U.S. isn’t easy either. It’s a test of fortitude, determination and a belief in the principle, whether or not you win. And as Yankee Lawyer knows, you can win a suit, but…in many cases, it’s the lawyers who go home with more in their pockets than the plantiff.

I bought a wonderful G.P. horse in Germany, sight unseen. But…I would NEVER have done it if I didn’t trust my German-born trainer 100 percent – and he was there for the prepurchase exam. (This was my second purchase. The first I did on my own and it went fine as well.) A friend told me years ago, when you buy a horse, if you can’t afford to throw the money over your shoulder and never see it again, you can’t afford the horse. I will trust my trainer again to find me a horse, but I know buying a horse is always, always, ALWAYS a risk.

I’m sorry you had to learn such a hard lesson. Too bad any of us have to learn “lessons” like this. No one should have to. But, it can happen in the U.S. as well!!! So one can’t just lay all the blame on doing business outside the U.S. It adds an extra element, to be sure, but people get ripped off in the U.S. every day as well.

I’m glad you have given this horse a good home. Best wishes to you.

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

Bellfleur, I will be at Devon to cheer you on!

Marieke, I am sorry so many people you have dealt with have not been trustworthy. I thankfully have had the opposite experience. I have shipped semen across the country and out of it many times on just a promise, and those breeders have come thru for me in every case. In all of the years, I only have one bill still outstanding, and I sent that horse home, knowing the owner had a big financial problem. That lady actually contacted me a year later to offer me a horse, as she felt bad that she had still been unable to pay. There are many good people out there, and I hope they find you, so you can also heal from the bad experiences you have had.

[YankeeLawyer]

I have been really fortunate also, like Fairview. When I showed H/J, I rode with the same trainers for 15 years, and they were (and are) wonderful and very honest, and they found my horses for me. Since I have had my own farm and switched to breeding and dressage, I have been extremely fortunate to have met truly outstanding vets, farriers, and other horse people – a number of whom I first met, directly or indirectly, through COTH (in fact, every horse in my barn --even the imported ones – have some tie to this BB!). But, woe to the person who crosses me or my friends!

[DownYonder]

Bellfleur, I know you are heartbroken about not being able to ride your wonderful mare, but she has given you the best gift she possibly could. Long after she is gone - which I hope is a long, long way down the road! - her offspring will bring a smile to your face. I wish you wonderful good luck with them! I would love to be there to see your “team” in the 3 y/o Materiale at Devon!

[Bellfleur]

Down Yonder Do you think we could persuade Lori to give us the same number with A, B,C,D ?? That would be harder for the judge and even funnier!!

[YankeeLawyer]

[QUOTE=DownYonder;3408444]
I would love to be there to see your “team” in the 3 y/o Materiale at Devon![/QUOTE]

The thing is, she stamps her foals so much that, although by different stallions, they all do look very, very much alike! I had a hard time telling a couple of them apart as foals! And they are a jet black matched set!

[DownYonder]

[QUOTE=Bellfleur;3408464]
Down Yonder Do you think we could persuade Lori to give us the same number with A, B,C,D ?? That would be harder for the judge and even funnier!![/QUOTE]

You will have to ask Lori. That would be very funny, though!

[DownYonder]

[QUOTE=YankeeLawyer;3408487]
The thing is, she stamps her foals so much that, although by different stallions, they all do look very, very much alike! I had a hard time telling a couple of them apart as foals! And they are a jet black matched set![/QUOTE]

What a hoot! I would love to see them!

[talloaks]

Bellfleur, do you have 4 foals from the same year out of your GP mare?? I can’t quite figure it out in your post, sorry.

[Bellfleur]

Yes via embryo transfer I had 4 foals. A good friend of mine now owns one and I own the other 3.

[talloaks]

@Bellfleur;3411288

Yes via embryo transfer I had 4 foals. A good friend of mine now owns one and I own the other 3.

WOW!! That is quite an accomplishment in itself to get 4 ETs out of one mare in one year!!! Congratulations!!:winkgrin:

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

Bellfleur, I seem to remember a discussion/article? about ET mares. It seems that they tend to shut down, after producing about the same number of foals that they would naturally. I know years ago at Cornell, they had a mare with problems that they believed was due to all of the flushing, as she had been used for ETs.

[Bellfleur]

Good Grief! I hope not.

She has produced another 3 so far this year and we only did 2 cycles. They are flushing her once more this week (a Silver Moon breeding so I am hoping!) and then she is being bred herself to Florestan. She is not showing any signs of slowing down either even though it is late in the season. i think she is just an over achiever in everything

When she produced the 4 foals she was only flushed 4 times in 4 months and then was bred once. She carried and delivered one foal of her own. She so kept wanting to steal any foal she saw so I let her have one of her own. She was thrilled with her small daughter. She multiple ovulates most of the time.

The mares have so many eggs for their lifetimes and when they are gone or too old to be any good they are done. I have not heard of any research that suggests that flushing a mare for embryos causes her to lose more eggs than she normally would. They produce their eggs every month whether they get bred or not so I am not sure why flushing would effect them.

If you have any research or know of any could you point me in that direction??

I will be checking with the Embryo Center tomorrow to ask the question now that the subject has been raised.

Anyone else know anything about this??

[Home_Again_Farm]

It was good that you allowed your lovely mare to carry her own foal in addition to being flushed, Bellfleur. Many top repro vets are coming to the conclusion that repeated flushing can cause some harm to the donor mare’s uterus. They theorize that letting the mare carry her own foal on occasion is a good thing.

I have three coming next year from my mare Wolkenstanza. That was from two breedings. I got very lucky. :winkgrin: :yes:

[dutchfan]

Bellfleur’s gorgeous mare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA4r_eykLs8

[slc2]

Do you think she was sound when this video was taken?

[Marieke]

What an Exquite mare.

[egontoast]

Lovely mare.

[Bellfleur]

OK Since the cat has been let out of the bag.

With what this mare accomplished would this have been your sales video??

Wouldn’t you have one from one of the top shows or from the Nurnberger Burgpokal Finals where she was quite highly placed?? I know, they just did not have any!!!

[slc2]

No cat let out of bag. The info was all on youtube.

Question - does this horse look sound in this video?