Definitely agree with you Kay - I hate the 'flavor of the month' buyers! There are a couple - yes on the forum and sale board that fall in love and talk endlessly about the horse of their dreams, only for it to be up for sale within weeks or months. Surprise it is repeated again and again! I won't sell to those types.
That is much different than someone that is educating themselves and building a breeding program where mistakes and changes of direction will occur. Generally the purchases are thought out and any horses culled are sold with care too. We all do that, that perfect mare or stallion may not work for various reasons in your existing program or life happens and adjustments need to be made. That is completely different from the get a high on buying/selling types.
As for high volume seller, well not all of them are awful. There is also nothing wrong with making money selling horses - if there is then alot of us are in deep trouble! I have a friend that sells a high number of horses, but she does this as a service for lots of small breeders in our area - she has a great network of clients and generally fits the right horse to the right home. She also foals out for the smaller breeders, too. I've never seen a horse leave her place that wasn't in better condition than when it arrive. Her paperwork is always in order, the horses are well cared for and she makes money at this. I don't find anything wrong with that.
I've bought horses for resale, and probably will do that again - sometimes its to good of a deal to pass up, others its to get a horse out of an undesirable situation. 90% of the buyers we've sold to become friends and I do have a first right of refusal in our contracts. I also offer assistance should they need to rehome a horse and I can't take it/buy it back.
But I know what you mean about too many homes, Kay - I just placed a mare with a 'lifer' friend as this mare has been in too many homes for my comfort level. I have another one like that right now - she's been in three different states in six different homes and she's only 10. I think she would do better in a smaller herd situation than what I have, as she's a fairly docile mare, and gets lost with our mostly alpha type mares, but she'll be here until the right situation comes along.
Really getting to know a buyer, their goals and thoughts can help get a horse into the right home in the first place. I tend to talk at length with buyers about what they're trying to accomplish or want, expect from their minis.
Good topic Kay!
