@AJeventer Any insights?
Have you considered getting in a breeding & sales partnership/syndicate? Several farms offer these where you pay a reasonable buy in fee and share in the profits after the foal sells.
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not rich but the only way we made any real money with horses was that it was discovered that their pastures were setting on top of a natural gas field that we owned the mineral rights. The drilling rights contract more than paid what we had put in (originally thought “invested” but having horses for the most part is not an investment)
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That sounds awesome, I’m going to start researching those.
This is an example; I’m at work and 99% of racing websites are blocked on our network so it was the only one I could easily access:
https://www.countrylifefarm.com/partnerships/
There are all sorts of different entry price points through different farms.
I did notice that Jena Antonucci is a partner for horseology which offers broodmares, weanling shares so I might keep an eye on them.
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As you said you were breeding outside of the normal racing states, did you find that affected any value on the foals? I would not mind having them at home at all, I’d actually prefer it I just don’t want to hurt their potential success in the sales or as a prospect on a technicality. Do trainers care if they are missing those benefits? I know they would have to prove themselves in open company.
I can’t answer that because my breeding endeavor was never successful. I was not able to get mares to settle jockeying them back and forth between states for covers.
But yes, it will absolutely impact their value in some way. Anyone connected with the horse is going to understand where the most money can be made, or else they are not very good at the game.
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Yeah, thats my main concern, it just feels like starting off on the wrong foot, or setting them up to fail. 
Reality is tough. Syndicates it is.
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I have never done a breeding partnership but it might be a good way to get your feet wet.
I spent most of my life involved in breeding so I foolishly thought I could overcome the challenge of being based in a non-racing state (TN at that time). The universe laughed in my face.
I don’t regret the experience, though. I’ll get back into it eventually.
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I’m definitely not giving up on the idea, but it’s gonna take a lot more time.
Because the jockey club requires live cover, you would want to keep your mare as close to the stallion location as possible. The further away the stallion is, the more difficult it is to get them bred, unless you can find a hauler or don’t mind driving back and forth. Since many mares do not take the first time, I always budget for 3 breedings to the stallion. If you get lucky they will take on the second breeding.
Also having a good reproductive vet, being able to afford the ultrasounds you need before breeding and the right drugs (oxytocin for fluid or sucramate for timed ovulation). I think people make a mistake in thinking because it’s live cover they don’t need to do ultrasounds or whatever other vet work is required. I did live cover this year and I think i paid my vet about $600 altogether and that was for all the ultrasounds and culture/cytology. I think that was fairly reasonable as it took 2 cycles to get my mare bred. A good reproductive vet is going to be the key to success. However, even then some mares just won’t take.
I think breeding is easier if done on a larger scale. Because certain things are going to be harder for an individual. If you have multiple mares and one doesn’t take or has reproductive issues, you can focus on the others. If you only have one mare and she doesn’t take and that’s your only investment, then what do you do? Get another mare? Start the mare you have under saddle in a different career? What’s your backup plan?
If you talk about boarding your horse somewhere else, then you are depending on other people to take care of your horse, and that doesn’t always happen. My friend was boarding her horse somewhere. The workers there cleaned the water troughs with chlorine tablets and her horse came over and ate one. It was a simple mistake and it very nearly killed her horse.
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I grew up in the same county as this farm, and I am on their email list. Years ago their night manager boarded her horses at my farm, and I got to go there many times with her. This is NOT a picture book farm, but I think I would feel comfortable in their ethics and in their horse management.
I find their partnerships very intriguing! If you aren’t local (I am no longer in MD) you won’t get to enjoy their events, though.
If this is of any interest, you can read Country Life Diary and Merryland about, respectively, the breeding farm and the training farm. Obviously I have a local interest, but reading those books made me feel like I would trust the Pons’ and would enjoy being in a partnership when I have some mad money.
