The Breeding Business in Maryland, continued view,
visualizing
the horse in- dustry fi ve years hence, when all the old competi- tion horses ev- eryone had nur- tured through the bad times (instead of trad- ing in for a newer horse every other year) fi nally are pastured,
and
the demand for young horses al- ready under sad- dle will increase. Given the recent statistics,
the
supply will be lean, very lean. For those own- ers who dared to breed during these times, they might very well be in the catbird seat, the only ones with horses to meet the rising demand. Natalie indicated that that is precisely part of Hilltop’s long-range business plan, and Hilltop does expect to see the demand (and thus prices) increase in the next few years for horses with about six months under saddle. However, other breeders have not seen the
Wendy Costello of Kent Island Sporthorses says the collapse of the economy has made her re- think her asking prices for her young stock.
dramatic decrease that some have seen, and perhaps this was because they were smaller, more specialized breeding farms. Esther Noiles of Wood’s Lane Farm in Mount Airy (which stands three Elite Hanoverian stallions) has continued their limited in-house breeding program of producing three to four foals each year, and reports that they continue to see a steady demand for young horses.
Finding A Niche T ose producing rare
breeds seem likewise to be holding their own in this economy. Gypsy
Vanner
Horse breeder Virginian Mariam Mortenson has always bred, and continues to breed, four or fi ve home
mares each year. She notes that Gypsy Vanners are not common in the states, and they are one of the few providers, so when pro- spective buyers want one of these unique breeds, they have limited options. T eir clients tend to be families with children seeking a romantic-looking, easy-to-handle family horse.
Bonnie Lorenzen of Just The Right Horse says people are starting to apprieciate the vaulue of buying a young horse vs. a horse trained by someone else.
Niche marketing does appear to have been the saving grace for many breeders. Claire Lacey reports that her breeding of warmbloods is slow but steady. “My breedings did cut back drastically initially as people took stock of the situation,” she explains, “but [they] came back to pre-2007 levels fairly quickly. My market has really been custom breeding.” Claire sees some optimistic signs. “We are all adapting to a new status quo. As we are becom- ing more comfortable with that, I am seeing an increase in interest from mare owners and people looking for a quality young horse to bring on. I do think people were more cautious in taking on a youngster as an extra mouth to feed for a while but I see some recov- ery in that. If your resources are limited you think more carefully about what you buy, and quality matters. Ultimately we may see con- sistently better young horses as a result of the recession.” However, the pony breeders (who might be considered niche) have not experienced continued...
for SALE at HORSES BASCULE FARMLLC R’Aisson
‘07 15.2 Hanov/TB mare. OMG quiet. Fancy enough jump for hunters, but likes it outside too. Easy ride. $16k
Clever ‘05 16.1 TB gelding.
Just restarted for Eventing. Sound, healthy and inexpensive. $4k
Will ‘02 16.3 TB gelding.
Lovely mover and jumper. Could go hunters or event. Sound. $9k
Bob ‘02 15.3 TB gelding. Solid
Novice horse w/enough scope to move up. Puppy dog personality, sound & beginner safe too.
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RICHARD & JULIE HAGEN • 301-972-8943 20800 Whites Ferry Road, Poolesville, MD 20837 •
www.basculefarm.com
18 | THE EQUIERY | AUGUST 2011 800-244-9580 |
www.equiery.com
Marty Costello
837604-110811
832820-110711
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