LFG

[Wander West Miniatures]

Hello All

I am brand new to this forum but not new to Mini's.

I've had several people ask me lately if I give a LFG with the bred mares that I sell.

I'm not sure how to respond other than this.

When I sell a bred mare and once she leaves the ranch I really have no control on the care that this mare receives until she actually foals.

So if this bred mare is chased by a pack of dogs and is run through a fence or she slips on the ice and falls and aborts, then why should I be responsible for that mare aborting? I no longer have control of that mare's safe keeping after she leaves.

so what I'm looking for is some feedback on this topic. I don't charge huge amounts for my horses.....but a fair price as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks for your time on this subject. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

yours in spots

Bonnie Hetherington

Wander West Miniatures

www.echoview.ca

 

[Marty]

If you have documented proof from a vet at the time of sale she is bred then you can say sold as bred. Other than that, I wouldn't even go there. As you said, once they leave your property you have no way of knowing what's going on. Another reason no more breeding for me.

 

[disneyhorse]

Usually there is an increased price for any guarantees (fertility, live foal, etc) such as $1,000 or $1,500 with a LFG. Usually the mare owner does have to pay for mare care and any breeding fees associated with rebreeding (ultrasounds, artificial insemination, etc) so it's fair to both parties.

 

[eagles ring farm]

LFG is just offering a free rebreeding to the same stallion should the foal be lost she was carrying when you sold her

and as disneyhorse said all other fees are still in place, as if you were doing a breeding to an outside mare.

Transportation back to your farm would also be at the cost of the new owner.

If you suspect the mare was not taken care of properly, have a clause in your LFG contact about the concern,

Specifying under what circumstances the contract would be null and void, to include with the sale

 

[targetsmom]

For me, I wouldn't go there. What if the birth is unattended and the foal doesn't get out of the sac, or as you say, it is no fault of yours or the mare's. You would need to put in everything... I once saw a mare offered with LFG that was tempting except (at age 11) she had NEVER had a live foal and I figured there was a slim chance she would have that one. A re-breding was likely not going to help. So a LFG would not necessarily be an incentive for me to BUY either. If the buyer really wants a live foal that badly, they should buy one already on the ground. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Casey0Lee]

I would say no, no LFG with the sale of a bred mare.

But, you COULD offer a LFG with proper documentation. Documentation/proof from a vet that all vaccinations, nutrition, care, etc. was met during the pregnancy. Then, still, a LFG is usually only good up until the foal stands and nurses.

 

[eagles ring farm]

I haven't considered a LFG worth anything when we bought a horse, as they were too far away to ship the mare back

And I picked the mare to breed to our stallion. So would just move on and breed her to our own stallion the reason we wanted her in the first place

 

[Carolyn R]

As said, from a buyers point, a sensible buyer is buying the mare for her outstanding qualities, not the foal she may or may not have. From a sellers standpoint.......while it is good business to offer a live foal gaurantee, you don't know what may or may not happen with the pregnancy, how the mare was cared for, if she looks healthy but has come in contact with a virus causing her to abort, if she will bring back a virus to your horses, will it be one rebreeding, will it be one live foal, and three years later still no foal, will you off a substitute mare if the mare sold has reproductive issues.......it just doesn't seem worth it ......I would have a vet document the pregnancy via blood test or US and just sell as bred.

 

[stormy]

Wow, really surprised by the answers posted. All the bred mares I have purchased came with a LFG though the wording varied....some just say a term foal, some say attended birth.....

That said I would expect to have to fulfill all requirements of the stallion owner if the mare turned up not pregnant, that is have proof the mare is fully vaccinated as required by a breeding contract and provide health certificate

 

[Casey0Lee]

I kind of agree with that too ^^^

After all... if you buy a bred mare, the price is probably going to reflect the fact that she's bred... as in.... higher than if she were not. After all, you are potentially buying 2 horses.

 

[Minimor]

I haven't sold any bred mares...but if I did I would not sell them with a LFG unless the buyer was willing to sign an actual breeding contract. Simply telling a buyer "she comes with LFG" is simply too vague and can cause problems in future.

What surprises me is how many people say they don't offer LFG because they have no control over how the mare is cared for after she leaves the seller's farm. This is the case with all breedings--and not generally something people consider when writing the stallion contract. And yes--there are many LFG contracts out there.

When we were standing our Morgan stallion to outside mares, our LFG contract was a 3 year contract. Live foal was described as a foal that stands and nurses. (Note that some LFGs will specify that live foal means a foal that lives for at least 3 days after birth. There is a difference.) We required that the mare have her pneumabort-K vaccines at 5, 7 and 9 months of pregnancy, with proof available in the event of loss. We specified that the birth must be attended. If the mare did not produce a live foal she could come back for rebreeding the next year, or mare owner could substitute another mare. Same for the following year should there still be no foal. After the 3rd year, the contract was ended. There would be no refunds except in the event that the stallion died or became unfit for breeding. If a refund were required, it was pro-rated--75% the 1st year after the initial breeding, 50% the 2nd year and 25% the third year. The breeding contract was non-transferable. (And in my view that is VERY important wording. That non-transferable clause saved us a lot of grief after one mare we had in for breeding was sold and then came up open.)