People say they are cutting back on breeding?

[TDSMITH]

We breed our broodmares everyother year. give them a year off in between and allow them to do fun things with us instead of being pregnant all the time. We had 8 nice foals this year and all but two have gone to nice homes here in GEORGIA. We had all fillies except for one colt and he is a palomini appy just like his sire. We are going to evaluate the market for the 2010 season and decide if we are going to breed a few mares or if any depending on the market at that time. Sales have been ggod here this year and all minis have went to new first time owners who are wanting to show and/or just enjoy them as pets. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

DOUBLE TT MINIS AND TACK

 

[crponies]

I have quit breeding entirely for now based on several factors. The two biggest ones were lack of a market and lack of quality in my animals that I saw as my ideals changed. I bought my first mare in 1996 and she was bred in 1997. Altogether between my sister and I we had 13 foals born in our herd. The last one to be born was in 2006. I do want to get back into breeding sometime though.

 

[Coventry Lane Farm]

We started in 1993 breeding and we have 3 to 5 foals per year. In 2007 we decided to keep 2 of the foals, a sabino roan and a loud black appaloosa, and we sold the other which was a black and white pinto, and they were all fillys that year. We had always sold the foals but that year was the first that we retained for ourselves. This coming year we have anywhere from 3 to 6 mares bred, 4 of them I feel pretty sure they are bred, the other 2 are questionable. We will see about changing the breeding program in 2009, we will be breeding more ASPC/AMHR horses and depending on the foal crop of 2009 will be the deciding factor of who gets bred to whom as well and who will have a year off.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

We got our first Mini in 1998, first foal born in 2001. We average three foals a year, most was six four years ago. Only had one foal this year, we have six mares bred for 2009. We only bred one cycle each mare- if they didn't conceive we didn't breed back. But it does look like at least five are bred. Maddie is fat and hard to tell.... I had her under the camera this year and watched her for a week- till I saw her teasing to a stallion!

Next year we are only planning on four foals, we we want to try Elvis on two mares and Lotso on two mares. Looks like Buck and Rad get the year off....

We have 15 mares of breedable age. We breed for ourselves first.

Lucy

 

[Tony]

Our first miniature that we registered with AMHA was foaled in 1963 and registered at the age of fifteen in 1978. In the following forty-five years we have registered approximately 725 foals.

It is our business exclusively and has been our sole support for over thirteen years. We currently have 222 head and expect approximately sixty foals next year. I believe we currently have over eighty head 30" and under, with our smallest being 25 1/2" and we have had less problems with our under 28" mares foaling than some of our larger mares, but that's for another thread, to which I didn't respond.

 

[REO]

We got our first minis in 1993. One was a bred mare, so we had our first foal in 1994 and we still have him!

We always had between 1 and 4 foals for many years while I worked on getting the number of mares that I wanted.

And now that I have them............

We had 16 breedable mares in 2007, and I only bred half of them and we had 8 foals in 2008. This year we have 15 breedable mares and I only bred 6 for next year. Some mares are maidens, some I gave a break because their 2008 foals pulled them down. And some didn't feel like breeding back so I didn't make them. I'm not out to breed every mare that's not nailed down to get as many foals as I can. I stink at marketing so we still have some of our babies so I want to enjoy them until they sell.

Next year, I'm not sure what my plans will be.

 

[LC Farm]

No foals for me for 2009 by choice. I have had 2 for the last two years. I get sooo attached to them I hate selling unless i find the perfect home for them. I don't think I will have any in 2010 as my stallion will hit the show ring again next year as a 3 year old. We will miss him next year as he is our little helper on telling us when our percheron mares are ready to IA. He is so funny he thinks he could do the job if I would give him a leg up. So far he has always been right but looks so funny a little 30 inch guy thinking he could breed an eighteen plus hand mare. He is on one side of the fence and she is on the other to keep him safe.

 

[Margaret]

We got started in miniatures in the year 2000, with the purchase of a bred Buckaroo mare.

Since that time we grew and improved in what we were breeding,

and typically produced between 2 to 3 foals yearly, which subsequently sold .

But due to the changing times we are cutting back.

Only one of our mares was bred this year, and she sold.

We took in 5 outside mares for breeding this year.

This worked out well for us as I have the space to safely accommodate other peoples mares, and do enjoy the process of getting them settled.

We are "keeping it small" as far as what our farm will be producing in this economy, and do plan to re-breed one more of our own in the spring of next year.

 

[Riverdance]

I bought my first Minis in 1997. Had 1 foal in 2001.

In 1999 got a bit more serious and bought driving horse breeders and Windchaser and started buying some of his 1/2 sisters. Windchaser's first foal was born in 2002.(her first foal is an AMHA World Champion). I really started falling in love with the breed (I had been breeding Morgans). In 2004 I started selling out my Morgans and started buying better Mini mares for Windchaser. For years I had this beautiful stallion with no mares to breed him to, just a few 1/2 sisters and a couple of pet type mares except for Dandy. I was amazed how well he produced with not so great mares!!

Then I decided in 2005 to breed for halter only and started selling off the driving horse breeders The rest is history. Now I have 5 stallions, 23 broodmares mares and 16 youngsters. Funny, but now I am getting even better moving horses then I did before when I was breeding for them.

In 2007 I had 11 foals, 2008 10 foals, next year, who knows.

I half hardedly bred some mares for 2009 (I have several mares who seem to produce only every other year). I bred a total of 19 mares and I bought one mare in foal. 5 of those are every other year mares, so I expect they did not take. 1 was a dystocia mare who may not take for this year (I often find they wait a year again before getting pregnant, even though it was an easy dystocia). 3 of the mares were sold, 2 are for sale. The others, about 7 look like they are pregnant so far, including the for sale mares.

I not only want to cut back on breeding, but I want to cut back on the number of horses I have. I want to get down to 3 stallions and about 10 brood mares and 5 foals to grow out for show and potential breeding stock. I am looking to breed a few exceptional foals a year in the future. Quality not quantaty.

The hard part is deciding which mares to let go as most of them are quite nice. I almost sold the World Champion producer to England last year (this was before her colt won a World Championship), but they backed out and needless to say I am VERY HAPPY about that.

 

[Tami]

I started in 1983, bought one bred mare. In 09 I have 6 foals due. Most I have had born in one year is 11.

 

[albahurst]

We want to stay small here by choice. I feel it is very important to work with the foals (and all my horses) alot. In 2008, we had two nice foals from our PtHA WR Champ/AMHA Top Ten stallion! They are shaping up to be nice performance candidates.

We have had several foals for several years prior to 2007 also. Can't even remember when we started in minis??? Maybe five years ago - some QHs before then.

For 2009, we have two foals due from the same stallion as last year's foals. We also bought a mare in foal to Star Skipper (and it will be a half siblling to our multi-World Champion Reflections Star Bright!). So, we are hoping for three in the spring. Two are looking very pg now and one should start showing in a month or so. I am hoping to show one or more of these in the future.

I now have a new AMHA WC stallion. He will be shown in 2009 by me and we will have a great time. I have a couple of mares which I think he will cross well with, too, and I plan to breed those two to him.

I am striving for quality (conformation, movement, personality) and will gear my program with that in mind.

So, I guess we haven't downsized, just in the process of changing direction somewhat.

Peggy

 

[Katiean]

1 in 2006 1 foal in 2007 none in 2008 and none planed for 2009

 

[Equuisize]

We bought BabyZee in 2002.

After looking long and hard we found Zoe in 2003.

We were breeding for one colt. Ha ha!

Zena was born in 2004, Zuni in 2005, Zita in 2006 and

Zoolii in 2007. No colt yet.

Zoe took the year off - no baby in 2008 - maybe a colt

this year???

We're not cutting back because of the economy or the

marketplace as we don't sell our babies anyway.

 

[backwoodsnanny]

'We bought our first minis in 2000 we have had 8 foals here in 9 years.and will have none for 2009. We will see what we will do for 2010. For now there will be no breeding but that is subject to change.

 

[Genie]

We bought our first 2 minis in 1991.

We have 16 little ones today and 6 of them are weanlings, 4 are fillies, 2 excellent small stallions, and 4 mares, 2 which are bred for 2009 foals.

Our numbers have been higher and our bred mares have been higher, but age and our health means "cut back" and actually doctors orders were to stop doing what I am doing, but I could not be without horses in our barn.

We can handle this number and the young ones will be good for the 4 H members to work with.

The best number for us would be 12 to 14 horses total and then they would be well handled, better trained and we could spend more time driving and enjoying our horses, rather than the constant work, which has consumed us the past few years.

In the 17 years of being in the mini horse business we have averaged about 5 foals a year.

We have done a lot of buying and selling and planning to get our herd with the look we like.

We prefer "A" registered horses but have some "R"'s too, which we raised ourselves.

Our goal is for most to be 30's and under, as I believe the market for the tiny horses will bring better prices. Especially stud colts, which do not bring much unless they are really special and very small.

 

[Ashley]

Hum, not sure when I started......... 2002 maybe?? I have had 7 of my own foals. I have 5 foals comeing next year. I was trying to sell some of the mares now but they are all due in Feb/March so am just going to sell them after. I dont plan on breeding any of my own next year. I have a few outside mares to come in if I still have my stallion.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Started in 2002, I've had 15 live foals.

The most I have had born here in one year is 4, and one was a client's foal, average 1-3 of my own foals each year. I won't do 4 foals again for awhile, that was too much work!

I have two mares in foal for '09. I haven't decided if I am breeding for 2010, I will either breed one mare or none. I think I'm ready for a break, as much as I love foals!

 

[lyn_j]

First mini I had was a therapy animal for the psych facility where I was a nurse. that was in 1980. First foal born in 85 we had 2 that year, since then we have had 12 in 29 years. we had 1 last year, and expect 1 next year. I have kept that foal from this past year.

Lyn

 

[HGFarm]

Got my first Mini in February 1995. Had my first foal in 1997. I have had one to three foals a year- had four one year, but had lost one due to dystocia. Foals have always been sold before or by weaning time, til this last year.

Had bred four mares for 09, but two are pg. for sure (one to each stud

) and maybe a third but not sure on her yet- she just isnt very big around, but I have not seen her recycle either.

Will try to decide this spring who I will breed. I may only breed three of six mares- give a couple a break this next year.... Will probably breed the ones I pick to my old stallion as I dont know how long he will be fertile- I hope he is like Rabbitsfizz's old guy and is fertile for many more years, but you never know!

 

[horsehug]

Laurie,

How old is Bob?

Susan O.

Got my first Mini in February 1995. Had my first foal in 1997. I have had one to three foals a year- had four one year, but had lost one due to dystocia. Foals have always been sold before or by weaning time, til this last year.
Had bred four mares for 09, but two are pg. for sure (one to each stud

) and maybe a third but not sure on her yet- she just isnt very big around, but I have not seen her recycle either.

Will try to decide this spring who I will breed. I may only breed three of six mares- give a couple a break this next year.... Will probably breed the ones I pick to my old stallion as I dont know how long he will be fertile- I hope he is like Rabbitsfizz's old guy and is fertile for many more years, but you never know!