by: Ron Anderson
We get our mail down the road in a box. It’s a very typical, rural situation. However, the location of the mailbox doesn’t seem to be on one of my usual flight paths when I leave home. As a result, “Box 7” is sometimes packed full.
The mail delivery person hasn’t made a personal appearance at my house to address this situation, but I bet the owners of Box 7 have been cussed out a time or two when they have had to jam one more day’s worth of mail into that space.
This time of year, in addition to the countless newsprint flyers advertising tremendous retail opportunities for groceries, electronics and don’t-pay-until-next-millennium furniture, the horse publications are also large enough to herniate (I think you can make hernia a verb) a full-grown man.
(Editor’s Note: No, Ron, herniate isn’t a word, but hernia is, so is hernias, herniated, and even herniation … but, sadly, not herniate).
Anyone in the horse business knows that winter is when mare owners are making breeding decisions, and stallion owners want to be sure their stud is included in those plans. Result: a lot of ads.
Shameless and often very creative statements are made about the ability of a stallion to produce a champion. It’s interesting reading these claims particularly ‘cuz they are unabridged by humility and unrestrained by truth.
Now, this winter hasn’t been very “wintery.” No complaints from me, except that I usually have more time inside to read all this important literature if it’s really cold out.
You see, it’s on those cold days, right after lunch, when a person can spend some quality time in the lazy-boy getting current with the equine industry. I don’t think I have to confess how often this happens. It’s not like it’s a daily occurrence … I have a partner in case my conscience fails me (you married men know the program).
Trends in the industry require my study. As a result, I have spent some quality “lazy-boy time” on those stallion ads. I’ve got some mares to breed and everyone with mares to breed is dreaming of raising world champions.
It’s that type of daydreaming that starts those “Man Ideas.” You remember from a previous column what a Man Idea is? It’s one you get without input from your spouse or female significant other. They’re not bad ideas, they’re just not burdened by practicality, common sense, or any other form of reality.
Now this Man Idea has me picking stallions with shipped semen from anywhere in the world and breeding them to my mares with champions on my mind. I’ve got embryo transfers happening, super ovulation, recipient mares, multiple births, and registrations of offspring and a whole hockey sock of other things I don’t understand very well. My breeding program is really ramping up for take-off – but that’s when I start to share the great news with my wife.
She patiently reminds me of some principled ideas I have shared with her (and countless others, whether they were asked for or not) about being a responsible member of the horse industry.
Breeding horses requires responsible thought. Planned parenthood is important in this business. Not maybe as important as in human situations, but damn near. (Note: for your relief, I do not have children).
The breeding game is not as simple as mating a superior performance sire to just any mare resulting in a great prospect. The long-time breeder will be quick to confirm that even two superior performance parents are no guarantee of success. Genetics is far more complicated than we think at first glance.
The technology of horse reproduction is a prime topic of research and improvement. Breed registries are pressured to keep up with advancing science. Is cloning just around the corner? Horse breeders have the benefit of enhanced reproduction and with shipped semen, stallions from thousands of miles away are able to inseminate your mare. All this raises more questions.
Is your program going to benefit from a shot of world-class sire genetics? Did you do the math (with all the costs in) of advancing your breeding program by employing any of the advances in reproduction? Does your mare deserve to be a broodmare? These are only a few questions that deserve your deep consideration.
I had the opportunity (as soon as my latest Man Idea subsided) to chat with some folks that have shipped semen, done embryo transfers, and a few other enhanced methods as well. WOW – was that enlightening! The all-in costs dramatically affect the production cost of your expected foal.
I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s parade, but don’t test the depth of the water with both feet. I spent a little more time in the lazy-boy (thinking with my eyes open). I had to move to the desk to get a calculator. I used up several sheets of paper and logged a few hours on the Internet getting details of breeding contracts.
Then I revisited my marketing program (there was an opinion ventured that I was struggling to develop one … I ignored that suggestion). I took a more detailed look at my mare band to determine what they had produced and what they could produce.
I also did some simple figuring as to how many horses I could produce (even just one foal per mare per year) before the offspring were market ready. I even did some “what ifs” on income from those prospective sales.
Reality is harsh.
Being a breeder requires the responsibility of producing usable horses for an existing market. The market sets the price. Today’s horse buyers are very knowledgeable and discerning. Don’t underestimate their abilities.
A successful breeder must have the complete criteria of producing mares, controlled production costs, marketing skills, and competent business savvy. It’s a business!
Sobering thoughts indeed for me, so I thought I’d share them with you.
As I finished this little “soap-box” process, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a very astute lady following a less-than-successful production sale last year. We commented on the low prices for young horses on offer that day.
Her experience in breeding purebred cattle came to the forefront in her summation of the sale. She commented, “There’s a big difference between a breeder and a propagator.”
That pretty much says in a sentence what I’ve been wrestling with here.
Well, I’m headed out. I’ve got some news for the ladies in my broodmare band. It might not all be good. Could be some career changes. Hope you do your thinking as well.
Horses All columnist Ron Anderson is a popular show and sale announcer, as well as a skilled competitor and trainer. He and wife, Marilyn, own and run Sylvancrest Stock Farm.
