Herd dipersals

[Riverrose28]

Over the past few years I have seen herd dispersals, People saying they are no longer breeding and selling off. Well I've noticed these same people still producing foals. I've noticed that some will say, just keeping a few to show, well I thought if you had a dispersal that meant you weren't breeding at all any more, am I wrong? I've seen some of these same people showing in the foal classes and advertising foals for sale. Am I reading the word dispersal wrong? Is it merely a reduction?

 

[kaykay]

I honestly think some get confused on using the correct term. I have been helping someone lately who insists she is "dispersing" but shes only selling some of her herd not all of them. I keep telling her that that is technically a herd reduction not a dispersal but she still says dispersal.

Then there are some that know but do it anyway

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

It does mean they are selling off their stock , but... its an addictive thing we are involved in and even when people know they need to stop it is hard. Often they decide they can hang on for just a few more years once they have fewer horses demanding their time and attention. It is often a good chance for those who are building their herds to pick up some nice stock that wouldn't normally be offered.

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

, well I thought if you had a dispersal that meant you weren't breeding at all any more, am I wrong? Am I reading the word dispersal wrong? Is it merely a reduction?

I too believe people may use these terms interchangeably and either its a marketing gimmick to get your attention or they just simply don't understand the difference.And maybe its ME that doesn't understand the difference?

I myself always thought a dispersal meant selling everything and going out of business whereas a reduction was to cut back numbers (for whatever reasons). When dispersing - I take it they are getting rid of all the stock - not just simply not breeding anymore.

I always feel sorry for folks that have to disperse as I can't imagine how stressful and emotional it must be to be forced for whatever hardships to get rid of all your horses. I can only imagine what a difficult decision this must be.

Perhaps its me that doesn't understand "dispersal" and will follow this post to also be educated. Good question Theresa!

 

[CKC]

I've wondered that as well. I've never understood the ads that say that they are dispersing the entire herd except, for a few horses to be kept as pets....

I can see where someone might post an ad that said..... ie: dispersing breeding stock.....

Then still have horses that weren't used for breeding(show,pet).

I personally would only use the words dispersing or dispersal if I was selling all of my horses.

Kim

 

[SampleMM]

I think it all comes down to people's intentions..

Are they intending to draw attention to their farm by using the word dispersal as an aid to sell off their horses they no longer want but they continue to buy and breed miniatures........ or are they are selling out maybe just keeping one or two as pets. The first type is being deceptive but I have no problem with the latter.

 

[wcr]

Just speaking for myself, I am dispersing my herd but it is hard emotionally to let go of some of the loved ones. You put a lot of blood sweat and tears into building your breeding program and get very attached to the horses you have shown and I can understand people keeping a few. I had a heart attack and ended up going through bankruptcy but I was always fortunate enough to have hay in the barn and haven't had to dump my horses for anything I could get. This market is hard to sell horses in so I have had the luxury of placing horses in good homes.

I stopped breeding last year but had to take a horse back that is pregnant so I will be having a baby this year. I have hand-picked my mares from some of the best farms in the country and when the stallions are pacing the fence for mares and here are some top quality mares sitting there open it is hard not to breed. And then the question pops into your head that maybe the mares would sell better bred. What if you don't sell them, you are having babies.

To me dispersal means selling them all or keeping a couple for pets. Downsizing is just that, downsizing the herd. If our economy was like in years past and not in the dumpster, horses would be selling so we wouldn't have horses sitting around that we couldn't sell. People probably wouldn't be dispersing like we have seen. And we would live in a perfect world.

 

[Charley]

We put all our horses for sale a little over five years ago. Everything was to be sold. But when we didn't sell the farm we found we could keep a few. So we, at that point, had two that hadn't been sold, so we kept them. We had one that we bought back. And we had one that the buyer quit making payments on. So out of 14 horses we kept four horses and still have them. We have not bred any though.

I guess what I am saying, is that we all can make plans but fate sometimes steps in and changes what we intended to do.

Hopefully, this next year, we will be moving back to our farm and our remaining horses. I have tried to keep track of the ones we sold and it is interesting that all of the registered horses have been resold but the four unregistered horses were not resold and are still in their forever homes.

 

[Joanne]

I have bought a few awesome horses in the last few years at these true ranch dispersals. My recent find was buying one of Kathi's at Wards Creek. While I was sad at her reasons for selling, I am delighted at having Tinka here and look forward to her foal next year (fingers crossed as she is not in foal yet).We have bought some very well kept horses that have added greatly to our breeding program.

Here is the horse we got from Kathi, a buckskin, homozygous for tobiano pinto mare which Kathi showed for many years. She is the friendliest horse that has obviously received a lot of attention and love. Easy to catch and adores "spa days" (when we brush and groom them). We have not bought cheap horses, but high quality ones at less than they would have gone for a few years ago.

 

[HGFarm]

Definition:

Disperse- to scatter, break up, spread out, to cause to evaporate or vanish, to cause to become spread widely, to break up in random fashion, to spread or distribute from a fixed and constant source

Reduction- (reducing) to diminish in size, amount, extent or number, to narrow down, to make shorter, consolidate.

To say you are dispersing your herd means you are getting rid of it... to reduce it is just reducing numbers.

 

[minie812]

Just speaking for myself, I am dispersing my herd but it is hard emotionally to let go of some of the loved ones. You put a lot of blood sweat and tears into building your breeding program and get very attached to the horses you have shown and I can understand people keeping a few. I had a heart attack and ended up going through bankruptcy but I was always fortunate enough to have hay in the barn and haven't had to dump my horses for anything I could get. This market is hard to sell horses in so I have had the luxury of placing horses in good homes.

I stopped breeding last year but had to take a horse back that is pregnant so I will be having a baby this year. I have hand-picked my mares from some of the best farms in the country and when the stallions are pacing the fence for mares and here are some top quality mares sitting there open it is hard not to breed. And then the question pops into your head that maybe the mares would sell better bred. What if you don't sell them, you are having babies.

To me dispersal means selling them all or keeping a couple for pets. Downsizing is just that, downsizing the herd. If our economy was like in years past and not in the dumpster, horses would be selling so we wouldn't have horses sitting around that we couldn't sell. People probably wouldn't be dispersing like we have seen. And we would live in a perfect world.

I to had MAJOR health issues arise and I guess when you are facing the fact that you may not come out of a surgery each time you go in you get to worrying about those "WHAT IF..." I to thought it was the end for me with my minis and was ready to chuck it. I will not let my minis go to anyone and with the economy what it is I did take alot less then what they were worth because I new they were being placed in good homes. I had already bred some prior to my illness so have one colt this year & am a granny to another. I ended up downsizing alot and still have a couple to place but the majority of emails I have gotten were from horse flippers. I have a good hubby that helps me so until I can continue to find a nice home they will stay here. I am down enough I feel comfortable to handle them. Again, that could change. I will NOT take them to auction. I guess until you have been put in a position of health-job loss-death in the family-divorce then we should not judge. I do not hold a grudge against someone if they are able to keep their animals as each situation is different. I didn't know it was written in stone that you had a time-line to sell them?

 

[Riverrose28]

Well, well, well, I too went to the dictionary and looked up the definitions. I had not heard of a herd dispersal, coming from the arab world, only reductions. I thought it meant you were selling out and not going to continue, and as a buyer it would benefit you, as a seller not so much. A reduction was just that maybe you want to change your breeding program or just to downsize for whatever reason.

I guess some one could change their mind after advertising a dispersal sale and selling to get back in if times or circumstances change.

No one has a perfect life, and times change, your health starts to go, finances are low, etc. I would think I would start out using the phrase reduction sale, if I had hopes for the future. Not herd dispersal.

Let's look at an example: Dell Tera Farm. We own several of their horses, after J.C Williams passed his daughters had a herd dispersal sale, people flocked there to buy a piece of history. Those horses are worth their weight in gold as there won't be any more. So in my opinion if some one attends a herd dispersal sale offered by a reputable farm they are making an investment.

I feel if a big name farm states they are no longer breeding, just showing then that is what they should do. Period! I think of the buyers that have attended those sales and now the farms are still producing. What about their investments in the bought horses?

Maybe it is just a advertising ploy to get some one to buy, but I feel that is deceptive to the buyers.

More opinions please! Thank you

 

[ruffian]

My 2 Cents - a "dispersal sale" is a sell out. A "reduction sale" is a sell down. I've seen lots of big name farms come in - be in for about 7 years (tax write off time limit) and disperse. They sell everything - all the animals have prices and are sold.

I will be doing a "reduction sale" shortly, once the mares foal. I am reducing the number of horses I want to keep, not selling off everything. While every horse on the farm has a price, some will be a whole lot more than folks want to pay!! LOL

Although I have used the "reducing numbers" phrase before - it's usually when I'm reducing SOMEONE ELSE'S numbers! (ie - bought one!)

 

[Riverdance]

There have been a lot of "dispersal" sales over the last couple of years or more. Almost none of these farms are out of business, but it makes people think that they are getting a deal.

I too am having a reduction sale soon as I will be moving and can not take them all with me. But, I am still keeping about 20 horses including my old lady that I got at 18 years old, she is now 22 and gave me an outstanding colt 2 years ago. She will stay on my farm till she dies.