The current state of the economy also has nothing to do with the over-population problem. The simple laws of supply and demand have driven prices in the gutter and the supply is only going to get worse as people continue to make more supply with less than ever demand.
Now...the economy does play a factor in that. Job loss, higher feed prices, slowed business, and a general recession will indeed slow demand even more for those still in a position to own a horse.
Now we also have a much, much, smaller up and coming generation adding yet another layer of trouble to the very real over-supply problem, and the thought is with this electronically "plugged in" generation there will be even less demand for horse ownership than ever before with this younger crowd.
So no, this is not "just the economy" and anyone who thinks so is sadly under informed. This is not just a case of "ride it out" and things will get better when the economy does, there are too many other factors at play here for that.
I don't make this stuff up, its very real and you can read about it too if you care to do the research. Industry leaders are very concerned about the many negative factors at play contributing to the now tragic state of the horse industry, and many think that far worse is yet to come."Futures" for the four legged stock market do not look promising.
Karen G www.princesscarriage.com
--- On Mon, 2/15/10, sanna4julianne <sanna4julianne@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: sanna4julianne <sanna4julianne@yahoo.com>
Subject: [haflingerfriends] Re: Haflinger Breeders???
To: haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, February 15, 2010, 5:23 PM
Hello friends
I know this subject is getting kicked all over the playing field, but I felt compelled to comment.
No one has commented at all about the abysmal state of the economy in general for being the real problem about horses selling for reduce prices, farms folding, people not being able to feed their horses, if you can't even feed your family how can you make choices that are NOT going to hurt?.
Here in California there are so many people that have had to give up their horses, unfortunately many have made the very bad choice to try to get by on poor or little feed with predictable results, skinny neglected horses that break your heart. We see more and more horses headed for slaughter in Mexico and Canada because people simply cannot care for them anymore.
There was a while that high feed prices here on the west coast was blamed on the glut of horses on the market, now it seems it is the generally sorry state of people's pocketbooks. So I don't think backyard breeders (I hate that term) are to blame, it is the economy plain and simple.
Someone mentioned TB's, we have here in Northern California a man named Joe Shelton that has a rescue called TB Friends and I read his posts daily. It is truly heartbreaking what is happening to horse industry in general, Joe regularly posts about once busy farms closing their doors, some honorably closing down, some dumping their wonderfully bred horses at auctions with predictable results. Joe used to only post about his breed, TB"S, but now he occasionally takes in paints, quarter horses...
http://tbfriends. com/
I really feel bad for any breeder that finds that has to reduce their herd, disburse their beloved mares, stop producing those lovely babies. Sad in deed..but things have a way of recovering, just give it some time, we are undergoing a leveling out, a monetary restructuring, give it some times.
Opinions are like noses, everyone has one, and I can see that many of you are very passionate about your point of view. I really feel that it is very easy to get pretty heated when you are typing on a keyboard, no one can see your facial expression, no one can 'hear' your voice inflection.
It is that old saw about someone saying 'Your face makes time stand still' or saying 'Your face could stop an eight day clock.' The way we state our opinion is bound to ruffle someone's feathers, we are human, we are prickly, we are vocal... We are people!
Now, everyone take a big breath and go take a big hug of your horse's neck, relax and just be glad you are alive, feeling the weather on your face and seeing the sun rise in the morning. Remember, two things, 'don't sweat the small stuff and remember it is all small stuff'!
Just some practical comments from an old lady,
Lee
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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