A hard horse decision-what to do??

[heathersboers]

I have a 10 month palomino registered colt that I purchased to breed with in a year or so-he is very nicely built and has a great pedigree- My mares are getting old and I would like to breed them soon-they are registered, so I have had an offer on a bay/ white paint stallion-2 years old for equal trade for my colt- he was sold and now taken back by the current owner in pretty bad shape- he is NOT reg. and does need some weight. he is very gentle and can breed now which is a plus- Trade even or no trade?? I am leaning towards no myself, but what do you guys/gals think? I am sure with some good feed he will come back out-Am I better off to keep my colt?-discuss please....

My colt

The stallion offer

 

[SpringChickens]

If he's not registered, it's not worth it IMO. People really like those registration papers on babies they buy, especially if they're well bred.

Also, your colt is only a year younger than the paint stallion - it will only be one more year before he can breed.

A no-brainer in my opinion. Good luck!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would say no to the trade also. You're not really gaining much in return on this trade IMO!

 

[muddyhorse]

keep your colt. that stud may NOT be able to breed right away if he was ill, when a stud runs a fever it kills the sperm it will be several months before new sperm are ready. nutritional deficiencies also lead to infertility.
I don't know what horses are selling for in your area but around here a registered colt out of UNPROVEN parents is $100- free. Broke horses are selling for $300 and up for trail horses. Do you want a baby from YOUR mare or do you just want a baby ? I'm just asking, not criticizing it is hard to convey tone on a computer

 

[DelcoChix]

Just curious...do you have a goal with your future breeding program? Are you breeding for trail, competition, improving the breed, to carry on the bloodline of your favorite mare,etc?
That goal should be the determining factor in your decision--what are the temperaments of both of these studs? How is their conformation? Usually when you choose to breed you want to complement the 'good' and offset the 'not so good' traits the parents may carry, so I guess (imo) if you are going to breed you need to determine which if the stallions will be the best match for the mares you plan to use for breeding, not which one is the better deal. Obviously the younger one requires a longer investment in your time and money, but knowing his pedigree may make it a worthwhile wait as (assuming they are the same breed, or breeds that are 'allowed' to crossbreed and still be registered) the resulting foals should have more value. If you plan on just keeping the foals forever then it boils down to who you like the most (and it sounds like the younger one is the direction you are leaning), but if you are breeding for resale you truly have to have a plan and make sure you are breeding to improve the sire and dam...again, my opinion and good luck with your decision.

 

[Baymule]

Buy the paint stud, get him cut, fatten him up and find him a good home. Keep your colt, he will be a big boy soon and he is so pretty. You say your mares are registered, what breed are they? Paints? Palominos?

 

[heathersboers]

My 22 year old mare is an ex barrel champion reg with AQHA- and my paint mare is just a HUGE grade paint mare

. I want to keep both the foals from them , just to raise and trail ride possibly- My older mare means a lot to me and id just like to have a foal off of her before she gets way too old. he wants $800 for him selling straight out- Horses around here are free also- but not rideable or lame or old. A good stallion is about $1500 and up, and stud fees are $400 and up. As far as comformation-i think my palomino has it hands down compared to the paint. he is a registered breedstock paint with APHA-

the 22 year old mare- tardy's majestic Brio ( Fury)

Piper-5 year old mare

 

[lockedhearts]

I have a AQHA Black Stallion, By A World Champion, Qualified for the World as a 2 year old and was injured. My cost when I got him $0.
The market is still down and I am only breeding a couple of mares for babies for myself. I can't get any interest in him.
So if you are breeding to yourself, then breed a nice registered horse to a nice registered horse.
Barrel, Roping and Cutting Horses are selling better than anything else right now. I do Halter and Pleasure.
The Paint stallion might make a nice pleasure gelding, but it is hard to tell.
I would keep the Palomino, if you end up with Palomino Foals, color does still make a difference when selling.

 

[Baymule]

Your mares are pretty. I quit breeding my mares when the market hit bottom. I can understand the emotional attachment to wanting babies from your mares. That said, it doesn't make financial sense to make babies when you factor in the cost of feeding the mare for a year, then raising the colt for 3 years before you can ride it. If you really want to raise your own colt, then breed your registered stud to your registered mare. I don't want to sound harsh, but breeding the unregistered mare only creates another $50-$100 horse and the market is full of them. You can't predict what the future might bring, despite your best efforts, you might have to sell them someday. At least the registered horse would stand a better chance of finding a good home. I love my 3 horses, my 1 donkey and my mule as much as you love your horses. I know where you are coming from. But I can't bring myself to breed an animal that will live 20-30 years, not knowing where it will end up, because sometimes forever is shorter than what we plan on. Bless you, I know in my heart that you are a good "horse mommy".

 

[Evermore Ranch]

I agree Keep the reg. Colt. Worth the wait