Does being in foal mean Higher $$$'s

[Genie]

I was looking at some horses advertised for sale, with the notation that they would be priced higher once confirmed in foal.

To me, being in foal does not mean I am getting a foal and also could involve a vet bill.

When I am shopping for a horse this way of pricing does not make me more apt to buy.

I wonder if others feel more inclined to pay more because they may be having a foal?

 

[Carolyn R]

When i was purchasing, I never considered a mare worth more in foal, maybe a bonus for the same price, but that's it. You are correct.......no gaurantees, possible vet bills for sick foal, possible vet bills for mare that may have complications or miscarry......I never based a decision on who or what a mare was carrying, I always based it on the mare herself. I actually preferred horses under three and not bred.

 

[2minis4us]

I think sellers feel you are getting "2 for 1" and the price goes up. Although I purchased my mare for a good price she got really sick after having her foal and it cost me $4500 in vet bills.

 

[HGFarm]

Why wouldn't they be priced higher? The buyer is getting two horses, rather than one. Not only is the additional horse a plus, but there may be stud fees and other things involved in the added expense. I dont understand why people would think one horse would be the same price as one and a half (lol) or two. In my opinion, a mare who has foaled and has vet bills has nothing to do with the selling price of a mare or mare in foal. You could buy an open mare and have a horse colic the next month and still have high vet bills. That is just the chances you take with animal ownership.

 

[MountainWoman]

To me it depends. Are we talking about a quality broodmare bred back to a champion stallion? To me, that's worth more than an open mare because it gives me the chance to have a foal from an incredible stallion. There are no guarantees if you don't have a live foal guarantee. I agree with Laurie about vet bills.

 

[Carolyn R]

It boils down to the concept of "if you are shopping for a mare in foal" then of course you would want the best quality "potential foal" you could get.However, if you are mare shopping and are looking at it from a realist standpoint that you weren't nessecarily looking for a bred mare and acknowledge that, by purchasing a bred mare, you are inheritantly adding to the possible risks that may occur, then ads like the following just aren't appealing, "hurry, hurry,next month the ultra sounds are getting done, get em now before they are confirmed in foal and the price doubles"

Disclaimer.......Exaggerated ad may or may not exist in real life. Writer of post is using it exclusely as a scenario and has not taken any such info from any real content she has come across. Writer has not intended or intentionally directed any "poking fun" at any one particular persons, ads or farms. Not intended to do any p*ssing off of any real life persons, may annoy my imaginary friends Bob and Billy, but they have to revamp their breeding practices anyhow, and need a wakeup call before their herd of phantom horses takes over their community. Sorry folks, just my warped humor on a boring rainy day......

 

[HGFarm]

LOL well Carolyn R send some of the rain this way please. I gotcha... I think I would hesitate to purchase from someone running an ad like that- and yes, I have seen very similar ads. (Ditto 'disclaimer' above) Either they are bred or they are not, but if I was for sure shopping for a mare not bred, I would hesitate to look at one that was exposed and 'likely' bred then too.

Also certainly depending on the quality, I dont know that 'double' the price would be in order either. Sounds like a ploy to move some stuff and oh boy for this cheapo price you might- or might not, get a foal. I would hope that all the appropriate paperwork would still be done (stud reports, etc...)

 

[targetsmom]

Well, I would have to say it would certainly depend, but my experience (which everyone should know by now is pretty bad) is that I would only buy the mare for the mare herself and not what she "might" be carrying. We have purchased 2 bred mares: one bred to a National Champion - foal did not get out of the sack. Second mare was bred to a stallion we really liked, foaled out elsewhere but needed immediate medical attention (our $$$$) and foal has some other issues. Now both mares have had other foals for us (both had live foals this year) so we are not unhappy with our purchases at all.

 

[Minimor]

Well, I've got a couple mares here that I would give away, but if they were being bred to my stallion before they left I wouldn't be giving the breeding away--and same goes for a mare I might offer for sale. Open she would be one price, bred, probably a little more. If a buyer didn't feel the mare is worth that extra amount for being in foal, they are welcome to shop elsewhere.

That's the way I look at it when I buy--now i don't buy bred mares but a few years back I did buy several. I have no idea what those mares would have been priced at if they were open, but it didn't matter since I was buying bred mares. If I didn't feel that the mare was worth the asking price, I didn't buy her. I don't count on getting a live foal, but I also don't worry about a possible loss--a free mare can cost thousands in vet bills just as easily as a $5000 mare can--and an open mare or any horse can have some ailment that results in a huge vet bill--I have to be happy with the price applying to the mare only--and I have to be willing to gamble that I will actually get a live foal in due course.

 

[Riverdance]

All of my mares that are for sale are open. Most often the buyer is buying the mare to breed to their own stallion. They do not want to wait another year. Also, you may love your stallion, but others are not interested in the resulting foal that they will have to find a home for.

The only time, I feel, a mare could be sold in foal, is when they are in foal to a great stallion who has a great production record. Still, often the mare is not a great producer (thus she is being sold in foal to that great stallion, to get a sale and get her off their farm.) Many times they will buy a mare somewhere cheep and breed it to their stallion to sell for a lot to make money.

All I can say is, do your homework. Get on the studbooks and see if they have produced anything that was good or for that breeder.

Me, I would not buy a mare in foal unless it was a really good mare with a good production record for that breeder. Sometimes the best mares to buy are the older ones who have a production record. Often breeders sell these mare so that they do not have to keep the as geriatrics. I bout an 18 year old mare who was a multiple World Grand Champion producer. She was in foal to a stallion I did not like and an every other year mare. The foal I did not want was a chestnut pinto that I sold. Then she had a black colt 2 years later. I still have him. He is beautiful! then she surprised me after 3 years and at the age of 24, she gave me a buckskin filly!!! Those mares I would spend more on if in foal to a great stallion that you like.

 

[MindyLee]

I have a older broodmare for sale now. She is open. I really really really like her and like what she has produced in the past as she out produced herself. HOWEVER, even with my really nice stallion, I have had 2 foals from her with him, and altho they are cute, she has only produced herself but with a prettier head. Because of this, I will not offer her bred. If someone wants her bred, then Ill charge extra for stud fee but not much. He's an awesome stallion, and has had some outstanding foals. But if not bred to the right mare, then not going to continue the crossing. But since she has proven to out produce herself, Someone might have that "stallion" who could cross to give them that "WOW" foal for them. It's up to the buyer...

Personally It depends on what the mare and stallion looks like and if the cross with past foals looks like. If the stallion has an outside stud fee, and I have that "perfect" mare, then I would go that route instead unless its totally worth it. Buying a horses of any size, bred, foal, or stud is taking a chance in itself!

 

[Joanne]

Ahhh .... yes !

Confirmed in foal, not exposed, "I have not seen her come back into heat", possibly, maybe, could be, stallion got away from me one day, etc.

I have over the years bought a few incredible mares that were in foal to an outstanding outside stallion and had awesome foals unrelated to my herd. Some of which I still own. Of course it is great when they are in foal to a well-known stallion, but if it is a beautiful, not shown stallion, I personally do not care. I am looking at the horse, not the show record.

I do not expect a breeder to sell a CONFIRMED IN FOAL mare to me at an open mare price. Get real !

Only the Buyer can decide if the mare and the stallion she is bred to fits into their breeding program.

IMHO you should ALWAYS buy the mare for her own sake, not for the foal she is carrying, as you never know if she will have a live foal. There are too many variabes.

And, if I see an amazing mare for sale that has an amazing stallion at their ranch, I may inquire for her to be bred to this stallion in hopes of adding some new blood into my breeding program. That is just good breeding strategy.

And one more thing, If you buy a mare in foal, make sure you hire a transporter that knows they are in foal and will take excellent care of your mare.

I personally HATE a pregnant mare being moved late in pregnancy. I think it is unfair to the mare to be jerked around at the end of her pregnancy.

 

[targetsmom]

Or better, yet, do what we did - leave the mare where she is to foal out, if it is late in her pregnancy. The mare and foal should be OK to ship when the foal is a couple of weeks old.

 

[ohmt]

I rarely buy outside mares, but do sell mares in foal on occasion. They all sell exposed, never confirmed or guaranteed in foal and sold at an open mare price. I don't like selling them in foal though. Too many variables there. While something can go wrong even with a healthy, open mare, breeding her greatly increases the risk if a $1000+ vet bill. And if the foal is not spectacular, I will lose money on it in the long run so a mare in foal has little appeal to me. Bought a mare "vet checked" in foal from an online auction this past spring and picked her up 3 weeks later. Came to me in season/open so thank goodness I didn't pay extra for that imaginary foal (no vet records could be provided either so i'm not sure she ever was in foal). That's fine by me, I just wanted the mare

 

[MountainWoman]

I agree if you are searching for a mare, you should absolutely love and want the mare. A bred mare to a stallion you love is an added plus for which I personally am willing to pay. I can't imagine shipping a mare about to foal. Wouldn't even consider buying one from someone that would ship a mare that is due to give birth. What an unnecessary risk.

 

[eagles ring farm]

We have an open are for sale - she was offered for sale at a much higher price as we know she has had 4 super nice foals 2 fillies/2 colts for us

she foaled a gorgeous Perlino filly on 5/6/12. So yes her price was quite a bit higher when in foal.

And now we are offering her for sale open as we are learning many prefer open mares.

at a much lower price.

But we were thrilled to keep her for this years foal again. We have retained 1 of her fillies for our broodmare herd.

unfortunately had to offer this years filly for sale as we haven't had any foals since 2010 and needed some income

from the horses so we reluctantly sold her 2012 filly

 

[Charlotte]

As a buyer, and because I only buy mares as potential additions to our breeding herd, if a mare is breeding age Then I want her to be in foal as proof that she CAN get in foal. That is no guarantee that she will carry to term, but if she is old enough to have produce I want to see that reflected in the stud books and I want to see that she is a consistent producer. I am very suspicious of an 8 year old mare with no registered offspring because "We didn't bother to register them". That is a red flag for me.

So my answer to this would be that I will in effect pay more for a bred mare than I would for an open one because I am pretty unlikely to buy a breeding age mare that is open.

 

[Just_Rena]

When I recently was looking to buy a new mare one of the requirements was a live foal, pictures of one thats been sold or still at side. I know for a fact my new mare -1 can produce 2 is a good mother. The stud colt that came with her was a bonus in my mind, I would have bought her at the price I payed for both of them anyway.