Sunday, February 14, 2010

[haflingerfriends] Re: Haflinger Breeders???

Here's MY 2 cents worth - as an equine insurance agent I see lots of 'new breeds' come accross my desk - a gal who works w/ me also shows dogs on the national level - and she too sees 'new breeds' of dogs come accross - many (and perhaps most) are people who think 'that would be a nice cross' but - at least w/ the AKC you have to jump through alot of hoops before they'll even CONSIDER a new breed - and specifically because there are so many people who don't know what they're doing! I am also a farm manager on a brood mare farm and I cannot tell you how many unwanted horses there are around here - and we're in KENTUCKY - Horse capital of the world! If a certain breeding (specifically chosen for 'PEDEGREE' - PUREBRED - does not fit the 'requirements' to be a show horse then down the pike they travel - and HOPEFULLY end up w/ a good home - some free, some really, really cheap. Many end up in places we wouldn't want our worst enemy facing. Do I hate the thought of slaughter? YES - but I also believe that starvation, abuse, neglect are worse than that - and the influx of people wanting a 'new breed' only adds to our problem of too many horses. I purchased a pure-bred, papered haflinger filly - 4 years ago - and I love her - but I also do not consider breeding her just because I CAN - papered or NOT - just because there are too many unwanted horses already. I AM able to promote the haflinger breed without breeding my mare - only because she sticks out like a sore thumb and because I DO things with her - my trainer and I take her places and most people ask 'what is THAT?' - we're quite a rarity in these parts!

The owner of the farm herself said that she was part of the problem - and we have NO BABIES expected this spring! YEA!!! While I LOVE THE BABIES I also HATE the uncertainty of their future if they're not just what was 'ordered' by the owners of the mare/stallions.

It is my opinion that until people STOP the bleed then there will continue to be too many horses that face uncertain, often terrible futures.

Thank you for letting me voice my opinion!

Barbara in (expecting MORE SNOW) - KY
--- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "kiolak" <kiolak@...> wrote:
>
> I'm sorry... but I can't believe that the people who know the whole story here are not saying anything. I have had it, and I have to speak out.
>
> Jennifer - you say you are promoting the breed. I say you are promoting yourself as a pretty good trainer. I will not disagree that you have done a nice job with Rosie. The thing is, you are not promoting the Haflinger breed. She is a unregistered, grade horse. You have nothing at all to prove that she is purebred.
>
> You would like to say you are promoting the Haflinger breed, but really by using Rosie you are telling folks that a grade horse is what they are after. You are not supporting the hardworking Haflinger breeders who dedicate themselves to inproving the breed and researching bloodlines and going through I&C by doing that. Being a responsible Haflinger breeder takes a lot of time and let's face it - money! That is why purebred Haflingers cost more.
>
> You are encouraging people by your example to simply go out and buy a horse that is labled a Haflinger. Why should papers matter? Look how wonderful Rosie is. In today's economy, a bargain is a bargain and a lot of people are looking for it even with horses. The unpapered horses are usually cheaper.
>
> ALSO, and this is a biggie... let's talk about WHAT breed of horse you really are breeding for!! Let's see... you own a Gypsy/Haflinger stud stallion as well as a Haflinger stallion. You are planning on breeding both of your registered Haflinger mares and your grade Haflinger mare to a Gypsy stallion. Sounds like you like into making feathered spotted crosses. Hmm... last I heard that was a pretty trendy breed.
>
> Oh, and by the way... one of those home raised foals that you sold so easily this year was actually not sold at all but raffled off right?
>
> Would you like to dispute any of the things I just said? I would appreciate it if you would please tell the truth to the people here. And DON'T tell me your brother has been writing things in your name again. No one's going to buy it this time.
>
> ~Kiola~
>
>
> --- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "wapirose" <riatafaline@> wrote:
> >
> > I think as long as you not only have good quality haflingers/horses in general that are good BROKE horses the market will come back and people are still looking for good safe broke horses.
> >
> > As for who will breed haflingers, what about people like me, who discovered the haflinger 6 years ago with little Rosie, who now wants to promote them and get them known in my area? I now have a stallion and three mares, nothing big but it is a start. there are always young up and coming breeders, just like with anything. There will never NOT be breeders for any breed. We all love certian horses and will do what we can to promote them :)
> >
> > I am not worried about it at all. People see what I do with my horses and go "OMG I want one!" I easily sold 2 foals that I raised as people were impressed more with how they were trained for babies over their lineage. Get a GOOD horse, you won't want to get rid of it. For the most part anyways. Markets always go up and down, why worry about it when it is down when you really can't fix it, but just have to ride it out? I'll be breeding my three mares this year. Can't wait to see what those foals look like next year!!
> >
> > Just my 2 cents.
> >
> > Jennifer in cali
> > --- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "Rich-Lin" <rich-lin@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Jackie,'
> > > How is snowy Ohio??
> > > I think that most of us so called breeders, who use to have at least one stallion and many foals, and sold them at good prices, can NO longer still do that. with the prices sooo very low right now, unless a person is rich, they just can't afford to keep 25 or more, as we use to do.
> > > I have seen this coming for some time, and we are now down to just 4 geldings and one mare.
> > > All of my customers just want a family-type reliable, sound riding/driving horse. AT a reasonable price. No ones ever comes by to purchase a foal, and does not care about any special breeding of a stallion or mare.
> > > I just recently sold 2 mares at an extremely LOW price, when years ago, I have sold up to 30 haflingers per year... How times have changed.
> > > I think people are finally realizing this sad truth.
> > > Linda
> > > Rich-Lin Farm Haflingers NH
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: haflingerhorse@
> > > To: haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 5:30 PM
> > > Subject: [haflingerfriends] Haflinger Breeders???
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hey everyone. In the past three days I have heard of two Haflinger breeders (they owned four or more mares) who are done with the Haflinger breed. One is completely finished, and the other is keeping a couple Haflingers but has purchased friesans. Even our farm, having 9 broodmares, and 6 foals last year, are now down to two foals coming and just two broodmares, we have sold or given away the others. Considering that only around 600 Haflinger foals were registered last year, as compared to at some points 2000 a year, it is to me, getting a bit scary. There aren't to many Haflinger breeders left only a handful that I know of who are still breeding. What is this breed to do? Do you think with the resulting 'shortage' of Haflingers that will be coming in the next 2-3 years, the prices will go back up? Or, are you afraid (as I am) that the breeders are getting out, but the backyard breeders will continue and the quality of the breed will suffer?
> > > I pose this as a discussion only, I am not surprised with these breeders getting out, as we have drastically cut back from our highest number of Haflingers at 38, down to 10 Haflingers total. I am just a bit worried as to if the breeders are leaving, where it will leave our beloved Haflinger, and in who's hands?
> > >
> > > Jacque in Ohio
> > > Woodward Performance Haflingers
> > > www.hfbhaflingers.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>


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