Dwarf pricing

[MindyLee]

Ok Im putting my flam suit on....

BUT had to say that Im shocked at the prices reciently I am seeing on dwarfs.

I understand that they are horses too and need loving homes as well. But in less then 2 weeks I have seen or heard 7 dwarfs asking prices for more then $500 and as high as $1400!

Super nice horses or show horses from very well known named farms are getting less then that! I always understood that dwarfs are special needs horses and are usally given to a wonderful, knowlegable, and experianced homes for free or a small adoption fee. And personally asking these rates is a little rediculous! It dose not asure a good home at these prices and I even know personally one that was sold for $850 to a breeding home cause the breeder convinced the buyer that smaller is better. I also know of another friend who paid $250 for a dwarf colt which also had many other health issues, and was going to stud it out when it got old enough. Im sorry but also glad to say that the colt had passed away just over a month after he was purchased from health complacations.

If ANY of my horses produced a dwarf, NO MATTER WHAT them horses would see retirement so fast their heads would spin! And if the resaulting foal was able to make it to see weaning and eventually adulthood. I would either be the responable breeder and provide it with a forever home and or search high and low for one that is experianced to take it in for FREE!

Thanks for letting me vent, but im just a little upset at what I am seeing/hearing reciently all around me. It makes me so sad.

 

[Riverrose28]

I've been to auctions were dwarfs bring more money than good horses. We went to an auction in SC several years back, and one brought $1700. One can only hope they are going to pet homes and those people have more money then brains. I'm with you it's shocking!

 

[rimmerpaints]

WOW! I didnt know that. I know that around here minis will cost the same or alittle higher then the bigger ones. I went to an auction a few weeks ago and the registered big horses were going for around 250. I was shocked how low they were selling.These were some nice looking horses.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

I was just thinking the same thing a little bit ago! We have been to auctions where a dwarf filly sold for $4000!!!!! same sale another sold for $3800 and a colt sold for $1800, absolutely insane when it was hard to get a $200 bid on quality horses without health issues. Sadly enough a lot of the time the dwarfs are being bought by petting zoos that have no idea about the special needs of these horses and just want them because they are small "novelty items".

I just hope that the more people get the word out that the dwarfs have health problems and the cost it takes to care for some of them with their special needs that people might stop buying them. I cant even imagine the type of person it takes to actually want to breed FOR them

!!!! Ok off my soap box now!

 

[Chelley]

I would think that obvoiusly the people purchasing the dwarf horses are very unaware of the many health problems they can have, and the high prices are the result of the "cute" factor of anything little. So many people like tiny little "teacup" versions of various breeds of dogs even though it seems those smaller ones end up being sickly at times...I guess people can't resist the tiny little things. Not saying it is right at all, but I can see why they are purchasing them for high prices if the health problems are not apparent.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Yep go to exotic auctions and dwarf minis can really bring in a high price. I don't know if people think they are more exotic because they think they are smaller than the average mini or what?

I think education needs to be done on dwarfisim on animals period.

 

[Hawks_Eye_Minis]

I have a breeder about 45 minutes from me any time she sees one shell buy it then retire it she WONT breed them.. She says atleast with her shes limiiting the chance theyll get bred or breed again.. Theres no need for that.. I belive she had 5 last time i talked to her.. She provides a wonderfull retirement home for them to live out there days.. I wish there were more people like her

 

[heartkranch]

My friend gave me a dwarf about 2 months ago. Had a guy come pick up his horse and he offered 1500 for mine. I told him heck no, but really around here its crazy how dwarfs are sold!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I have a breeder about 45 minutes from me any time she sees one shell buy it then retire it she WONT breed them.. She says atleast with her shes limiiting the chance theyll get bred or breed again.. Theres no need for that.. I belive she had 5 last time i talked to her.. She provides a wonderfull retirement home for them to live out there days.. I wish there were more people like her

Thats awesome. I'm sure vet costs are extremely high just to keep them comfortable. I can't imagine how many of these dwarfs end up with some of these uneducated people.

 

[Hawks_Eye_Minis]

Were in wisconsin i know the one was a stud down in texas someone was studing him out.. So she bought him and gelded him.. shes an amazing lady

My dad wanted me to get into dwarfs when i first started getting into minis untill i explained ALL the health problems he figured theyd sell better if there smaller

.. My smallest now is 26 inches as a weanling he will mature arround 30 inches thats small enuff for me.. I want to be able to USE my horses

 

[MindyLee]

I would think that obvoiusly the people purchasing the dwarf horses are very unaware of the many health problems they can have, and the high prices are the result of the "cute" factor of anything little. So many people like tiny little "teacup" versions of various breeds of dogs even though it seems those smaller ones end up being sickly at times...I guess people can't resist the tiny little things. Not saying it is right at all, but I can see why they are purchasing them for high prices if the health problems are not apparent.

I totally understand that the buyer (most buyers) has no ideal what their getting into, BUT most breeders totally know what their doing and its selfish of them to do so just to make easy money. Its not fair to the horses involved in this breeding, the resaulting foal, and the unaware buyer if that person is 100% unaware.

 

Im just wondering is there anywhere or anything I can do to get more folks out there to become more aware of dwarfs besids just telling them? Post adds, pics, info anywhere?

 

[barbiedoll68346]

Well ,really sorry now for even placing my ad,, she is what I consider minimal dwarf, she has straight legs, teeth, no deformities, just needs s special home. maybe some should not be so quick to jump on their sopabox LOL Sorry but just took this post very personal and felt I had to comment.

Barb

 

[maestoso]

If I had the money to spend, and the room for the extra horses, and I saw a dwarf at an auction, I would buy it too....... why?

Because I DO understand the risks, health problems that they can exhibit and seeing one at an auction would tear on my heart strings. A few years back I saw an overweight teenage girl driving a 28 inch dwarf at a show...... Id have paid $10,000 to buy it if I had the money.

My point, it's hard to judge why someone might be purchasing/willing to spend money on a dwarf. For all we know, they are far more knowledgable than any of us who wouldn't buy one.

Personally, I'd be more concerned with a dwarf selling for less money. Usually when people have to spend more money, they think about it a little more, therefor hopefully will take better care. There are plenty of people with a dollar to spend that decide they want a horse on a whim and go for the "cutest" cheapest one.

 

[Riverrose28]

I'll probably get flamed for this but I'll say it any way! First off all horses even dwarfs deserved to be loved, and have a good home. I have one, it will be here forever, or until I pass, whatever happens first. Second: I've been to sales were dwarfs brought more money then a Boones Buckaroo daughter that was bred, buckskin and beautiful. I didn't have room for her or I would have bid, she went for $350. the dwarfs went for over $1000. Now to my point. People are greedy and money hungry, it's a fact. So they go to a couple of sales and see the high prices people are paying for these little, shouldn't be bred, horses and say wow I wish I had some of them to sell and make money. Next thing you know they are breeding them on purpose, not by accident. All for money. They don't care about the health problems or even the poor animal only the buck. It would be nice if when a breeder had a dwarf delivered on their farm that was a stallion, they had it gelded before giving away or sold. If you had a mare dwarf born, keep it or give to some one you know won't bred it just give it a good home, no papers! Stop perpetuating the high cost of buying one, maybe then people will understand that they don't bring in the big bucks. Got my flame suit on!

 

[Lizzie]

I do think, that the general public, seldom does a whole lot of research or homework, before purchasing animals. This we can see by the enormous numbers of extra small dogs for sale and being purchased in great numbers. These often with outrageous prices. Think 'teacup' anything. Many are produced and bred by equally ignorant breeders.

With the advent of the computer, there really is no excuse for not researching anything. However, there are always those who see something they view as cute or different and jump in. It is maybe wise, for all of us to put something on our websites, regarding dwarfism. I have on ours.

Lizzie

 

[ohmt]

We had one dwarf born here about 10 years ago. Her sire was gelded and her dam was immediately retired. The mare was an achondroplasia or what some consider to be 'minimal dwarf' (it's a term that still bothers me, but i'll leave that debate for other threads) and had good hooves and a good bite. I had a lot of offers on her over the years, but she was kept as a pet to ensure that she would never be bred. A friend of ours wanted two minis for pets for their children and the dwarf mare along with a mare that was not breeding sound were given to her. They would be going to the perfect home where we'd be updated on how they were doing and they would never be bred.

I don't think I could ever 'sell' a dwarf, especially with show some quality colts going for $200-$300.

 

[maestoso]

I think it's interesting how everyone immediately jumps to eliminating a horse from reproducing if the horse produces a dwarf.

If every dwarf gene carrier were wiped from the breeding gene pool, we would easily lose 50% of the breeding population. Many of these would be quality, world and national champion producers.

Like LWO, the only way to create a dwarf is to cross to carriers and even then the chance is small. The smarter choice is to not repeat a cross that has produced a dwarf.

 

[ohmt]

I have to strongly disagree maestoso. You said yourself that there could easily be half of the breeding population that carries a dwarf gene. Breeding a known carrier to any other horse is a risk that nobody NEEDS to take, especially with the number of excellent horses that have not produced a dwarf. With the horse market the way it is, it would probably be a very good thing to 'retire' half of the breeding population anyway.

P.s. I do not consider a 25% chance of a dwarf foal and 50% chance of producing another carrier to be a small chance. Not at all.

Until there is a test for the genes then a responsible breeder would immediately remove any known carrier from the breeding pasture.

 

[Lizzie]

The problem with that Maestoso, is that there is no test for dwarfism, as far as I know. With LWO, we all have the possibility of testing our stock, even if they appear not to carry frame. A breeder breeding two overo horses (heterozygous nO) can expect a 50% chance of producing an overo foal, a 25% chance of producing a lethal white foal OO and a 25% chance of producing a non-overo foal.

If a horse has produced a dwarf, then we know he/she is a carrier and will not know (and have no way to tell unless the other has produced a dwarf) if the other stud/mare we decide to breed to, is also a carrier.

Lizzie

 

[maestoso]

I think that it is safe to assume that every breeder with at least a few horses in their program have horses that are carriers. Without a test, there is no way to no and the fact that a particular horse has never had a dwarf is not enough evidence to say that they aren't carriers.

So, since it is likely that everyone has carriers, should everyone just stop breeding until there is a test?