I have heard from a few of my pony breeder friends that they are not planning on breeding at all for 2012. I have bred one and plan to breed one or two more. That is pretty normal for me - I never breed more than 4 per year and usually sell at least 2 and keep one or 2 to bring along under saddle. I know that market is very slow right now, so I am curious to know what the rest of you are thinking. Thanks in advance for thoughts and ideas!
Nope, I am taking at least a year off and only had one this year. I am finding the market to be very slow and I have several U/S currently. Frankly, if things don’t improve significantly, I don’t see myself breeding much in the foreseeable future. Its sad… Curious how other pony breeders are doing…
I am breeding atleast two, maybe three this year. One of them is already sold and I haven’t even bred the mare yet, so I am hoping that is a good sign. I had a foal born at the beginning of this month that is for sale, but I haven’t even advertised him yet. I am only planning to breed one for 2012.
I have had TONS of interest in our foals this year, and have sold all the ones I wish to sell (quickly, and every one of them had others waiting in the wings to buy if the first person backed out), though I may end up offering one I was planning to keep. I am happy with the prices I’ve received and the great homes they are going to.
I have already begun next year’s waiting list and am breeding a larger number of mares than I did last year. The previous year I only bred one mare, then ended up with two additional mares that were in foal. The two foals I wished to sell sold immediately and I kept one of the three.
I have seen a significant pick up in the market.
I am breeding 17 this year: http://foxcreekfarm.com/Expected2012Foals
Compared to the rest of you I guess that sounds kind of crazy! But, I’m very excited about the breedings. I think it’s going to be a super crop of sport ponies!!! Outstanding bloodlines, and offerings for all disciplines: hunters, jumpers, eventers, and dressage! I have 3 foals this year - 2 are the first foals from my young, imported stallions. So far, I haven’t had any problems with sales. Will be preg checking 3 tomorrow - keeping my fingers crossed!
Wow, you’re going to have an exciting year!
Great to “see” you again. I’ve been wondering how you were doing! Do you still have DC?
LOL! I’m here! 
I just never read the COTH because I never have time! My 3 boys, (ages 5, 11 & 15) keep me running from “son up to son down” :lol: Plus, it’s crazy busy running the office for our “bread and butter” business - concrete construction!
I just happened to be on COTH because I’m searching for a Connemara pony named “Mollie”, and I happened to see the thread! My sport horse breeder friend who lurks on COTH tells me all the time I should be reading and posting, and I keep vowing to change my ways, but by the time the day is done and I have time to sit in front of the computer all I want to do is go to sleep!!!
I will be preg checking my Mardi daughter, Dancer tomorrow!
I’m breeding 3, maybe 4. I only have two foals this year, one has quite a bit of interest and the other will stay here until it’s under saddle.
I haven’t had much to sell so can’t comment on the market. I’ve sold all 3 broodmares I wanted to sell, so I guess that is a good sign!
HOLY SMOKES!! You will be much more busy than you even are now!!
I have one mare who is 19 and she will be bred again this year. She is preg right now for a late June foal by *Telynau Royal Charter and will be my only foal this year. I have another mare that I am not breeding this year because we are simply having too much fun riding her right now. I have a TB mare coming back to me that will be bred for a large and I may lease one more mare because the TB will not be stabled with me and I hate having lone foals. I need to decide that soon. That would be it for me, I don’t breed many as I have to pay board on my broodmares in the winter.
I think the market seems to be picking up, especially for made or started ponies. Any thoughts on that?
yes
Tamara
Same here! I have a couple of sales pending and then will pretty much have nothing else for sale right now.
We normally only breed one pony a year. Next year, we will have three foals coming, all of which are pre-sold except for one…and I don’t expect that one to last too long - a full sibling to Pony Hunter Champion, Poster Boy. I also already have a couple of in utero foals pending for mares that will be bred in 2012 and foaling in 2013! The market has picked up significantly for us…but we also don’t have anything for sale in the 5 figure range either! 
We just got word this morning that Sporting Life by Penrhyn Sporting Chance is in foal to Blue Who from Sugarbrook Ponies www.sugarbrook.com!
I did sell last year’s foal pretty easily and anticipate I will sell Burberry’s colt as well as he is FANCY…but I have found sales very slow for under saddle ponies. These are well bred, premium, German papered ponies. I have five ponies in dressage, hunter, (or both) training and have found people are really not willing to pay what it costs to produce these types of ponies. Just seems to make sense to slow down until I get my numbers down or people get more realistic about breeders costs. Dosent help to have two kids two and under as well;)
I am breeding 3 warmblood mares, 1 shetland pony mare, and 6 full welsh mares for 2012 foals.
1 reg RPSI mare to outside stallion Saint Sandro. Will be for sale
1 reg Oldenburg mare, 1 shetland mare, and 2 welsh mares (one is section b — the other without papers, but full section a) to my welsh stallion - I may be retaining one of the welsh mares’ foals by my welsh boy, but all three will be advertised for sale.
1 reg Hanoverian mare and 4 welsh mares (2 are section a and 2 are section b) to my thoroughbred/welsh stallion - the hano/tb/welsh foal and one of the section a mares’ foals are already sold/reserved.
So I’m off to a good start for 2012 and they aren’t even confirmed in foal yet!! :yes:
My market is not usually for the very young ones, although I would like it to be.
We are almost at the end of having any ponies that are being ridden…market has been good for us.
NOPE. Not breeding even ONE (or maybe I might breed JUST one so that my customers mare who will foal here will have a buddy). And thats my position for the coming year.
[QUOTE=foxcreek;5638116]
I am breeding 17 this year: http://foxcreekfarm.com/Expected2012Foals
Compared to the rest of you I guess that sounds kind of crazy! But, I’m very excited about the breedings. I think it’s going to be a super crop of sport ponies!!! Outstanding bloodlines, and offerings for all disciplines: hunters, jumpers, eventers, and dressage! I have 3 foals this year - 2 are the first foals from my young, imported stallions. So far, I haven’t had any problems with sales. Will be preg checking 3 tomorrow - keeping my fingers crossed![/QUOTE]
Wow - that’s a lot of foal watch :). You have a great website.
I bred one mare a week ago… a repeat of a REALLY nice cross. I still have two pony yearlings to sell, but they need to shed out so I can get some decent pics/video and I think they will sell easily. I didn’t breed any mares for 2011 pony foals, but did buy one.
I downscaled more because I want to focus on showing the youngsters I have.
Thanks kealea31!!!
I’m am planning on breeding 6 or 7. I have acquired some really nice new broodmares and stallions this year because of the hard times and I am dying to see the results of the crosses.
I only have one yearling left for sale and she has only recently been advertised. I was going to keep her and might still do so, we’ll see. Sales have been decent in our area. I know of a few other breeders here in Ontario that have sold quite a few. I agree that the pony market is coming back. Ponies are much for economically friendly than the big WBs or TBs though, maybe that has something to do with it?
The market here is for going u/s not youngsters so much.
But, I have seen the interest in the Sport Ponies take an upward turn around here.
I have one foal that just arrived, By Benno’s Dream, last one for him.
And will be breeding one for 2012, pretty normal for me, only one or two a year.
I am breeding two mares that I leased in USA, in order to not have to deal with the fuss of importing fresh semen to Canada, and I may breed one mare here for a large pony. That part I am not sure about.
I never think of selling them as foals since I breed AI, and the costs associated with putting the babies on the ground does not meet the buyers’ general idea of what a baby pony needs to sell for:-).
My fillies are kept with an eye to the future for my breeding plans, and the boys- I keep them until going and ready to show.
Even the fillies that I will sell, I will get a foal or two out of first, get them started, and then sell.
Works best for me.
