POV On the flipside, many breeders choose to gamble when it
comes to insurance, having minimal coverage (or no coverage at all) for their breeding stock. Some have weighed the likelihood of a death or expensive injury versus the cost of insurance and they feel they’re better off saving the money they’d have spent on insurance. And then there are breeders like myself—I’ve been insuring my horses for twenty-two years and I’ve luckily never had a claim. I could have bought a couple of nice broodmares for what I’ve spent on insurance premiums! Yet having peace of mind has been worth the investment.
Final Thoughts Sometimes there are ways to measure success beyond the financial aspects. Anissa says her horses and foals are a priceless stress reliever. “I have a very high stress job and I can feel my blood pressure lowering when I work with the horses. There is a joy in watching a baby being born that’s incomparable. There’s also a thrill in watching a horse I bred and raised compete for the first time.” Siegi also adds that she’s made many, many good friends
thanks to raising and selling horses, which is something money can’t buy. “I’m always meeting and getting to know new people,” she says. “The people who buy my horses become my friends.” The good news for breeders is that we may soon begin to
experience a shortage of good horses which will change the balance of supply and demand. Marion feels we may begin to see
this as soon as this year, because of the number of breeders who began cutting back in 2009 and 2010. Some breeders have cut production by half or more in the last few years. So now is the time to re-evaluate your broodmare herd, invest
in some training for your youngsters, polish up your advertising and re-vamp your website. You may find yourself in a great position to improve your bottom line as the sport horse market begins to turn around!
About the author: Gigha Steinman is an FEI level dressage trainer who each year breeds two to three Friesian Sporthorses at her River Oaks Farm
in Florida. Her breeding program has produced (three) consecutive Friesian Sporthorse Inspection & In-Hand National Champions, all sired by her Elite Book Friesian Sporthorse FEI dressage stallion Lexington.
www.RiverOaksFarm.net
100 January/February 2013
Carrie Simmons
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