What rules would you like to see to help stop the horse overbreeding issue?

Question

We have all seen the effect of the BYB's breeding anything with a tail. And since the slaughter houses have closed, I dont see it getting any better. What rules or changes would you like to see AQHA, APHA, PHBA, ApHC, PtHA and all of the other associations put in place to help? I think that maybe offering free registration to a horse that is less than 18 months old and has been gelded may help. Maybe would encourage early gelding. (As you can tell, I am a BIG gelding fan). This may not totally solve the problem, but it may aid in slowing it down some. What are your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

Gelding should definitely be encouraged for horses that are not of breeding quality. Stallions should need to be approved the same way that many warmblood registries require their stallions to be approved. Broodmares should also be required to pass an inspection in order for the foals to be registered.

One way or another, registries need to educate their members on what proper conformation is. People need to understand that a "pretty" horse isn't necessarily a breeding quality horse.

Answer 2

Well, registries make money off registration fees. So asking them to encourage restrictions is a great idea but perhaps a bit ahead of its time.

Free registrations for gelding early...great idea...I like this. Now, when you're breeding for performance or a trait...like gait..."pretty" doesn't count. You have to wait and see what the horse's performance. But a marginal stallion should be cut once you know he's marginal...before he's sold to someone who won't. People have left the hangers on to make a buck. In the past, the idea was that a buyer could always cut them off...putting them back wasn't an option! We have to get beyond that mindset.

In the TWH world, had The Pusher not placed that awesome gait on his get, he was definitely gelding material. Now he's a prolific sire, almost the modern day equivalent of Midnight Sun.

Suspending registrations for cross breeding...now that's a bit harsh and I see pros/cons. One pro--in theory, it would cut down on grade horses which inarguably bring down the market, but... Cons...enforcement would be impossible, developing new traits and discouraging hybrid vigor for horses that are bred for specific performance: reining, gait, driving...

I think education is the biggest thing anyone can do. In order to register a stallion, the registries could require the completion of some sort of course in good, ethical breeding practices.

A "decent" stallion prospect makes a great gelding. Only EXCELLENT stallion prospects should be bred.

Native Dancer's handler said it all...I know I've posted it before, but dang it, it's true! He said that had he gelded every stallion he ever handled, he would have made only one mistake. Talk about a man ahead of his day.

Answer 3

I agree with many points in the answers to this question yet i also diagree on some. I myself am a backyard breeder as it is supposedly called. I have only registered stock (save for the accident that my mare became in foal with before i got her) and I am VERY selective in what I breed to. I have raised 3 registered foals out of my QH mare. 2 quarterhorses and one paint horse. I still own the paint as she is very dear to me in that I literally pulled her out of my mare b/c "Big Girl" was having difficulty. The 2 quarterhorse I produced out of her one was a filly and the other a colt. I registered the colt at 6months as a stallion b/c his sire was a world champion and his dam has champion lines and excelled in many different events. When he was a long yearling I had him cut b/c he had yet to drop and i realized a stallion prospect he would not make even though he had already done well in halter and lunge line classes. I then had his papers immediately changed to gelding and found him a good pleasure home where he is now with a 12 year old girl showing western pleasure in state assoc shows. The filly i sold as a weanling . She's now running AQHA and NBHA barrels and doing quite well. So see all backyard breeders are not bad. I would do it full time if I had the money but I don't so I carefully examine all aspects of a stallion and how his lines would cross on my mares. That is one reason even though my mare has excellent lines (and I'm not trying to sound like soem of the other girls saying my horse is better than your:) I know there are horses better than her out there) she has only had 4 foals total the "accident" and 3 registered babies. By the way the accident was a half arab filly who is now my husband's trail horse:) so 4 foals all from a backyard breeder all 4 turned out to be conformatinally correct and went on to do good things:) I do agree though that there should be some rules and guide lines to breeding. Maybe be certified like you have to be to do the AI in the Aqha... i'm not sure but breeding for the sake of having babies does need to stop, if someone wants a baby they should check into the horse rescues or a pmu horse. that eliminates them adding to the mess. lso i think all rescues should be gelded or spayed to cut down on horse neglect

Answer 4

Great question! I had the great opportunity to spend a few days recently at the Friesians of Majesty farm in Townshend, Vermont. I was completely fascinated by the process it takes to become an approved breeding stallion in that breed - most don't make it until they are 10 years old! They are very particular, and have to pass performance, conformation, fertility and disposition tests, and then have their babies graded as well. I know it is very costly and complicated, but it is a place to take ideas from.
That only covers registered horses, though. I like the gleding early idea for free registration, but we need to figure out how to stop the $25 stud - holy cow!! I am not big into legislating the masses on every aspect of our lives, but there ought to be a law!

Answer 5

I am a stud owner and would have no problem with having to pay for a license for him, having him approved, or whatever. Mares should also need to be approved, for that matter. But the BYB is another matter as the majority don't pay any attention to rules or orders or much else. There's a stud in this neighborhood somewhere with a 25 dollar fee. Don't know for what. Woman who was breeding her mare to him was delighted with his fee. When asked what breed he was, she said, "Stallion." So we will shrink up the papered horses and have an infestation of cheap, poorly bred, hard to ride mutts, no market for them except the BYB club. They also help bring down prices so a good, well bred horse can't be sold for much more than peanuts. It's depressing. My stud's not doing much these days besides mowing the lawn and looking at a great possibility of a visit from Dr. Gelding as I am finding the breeding biz most depressing lately.

Answer 6

I feel this is an excellent question, the modivation for BYB to continue contributing bad conformation, health problems, improper mare and foal care just to say my horsie is having a baby! The horse market is already suffering and I would think that just the horse value market would make everyone stand up and start asking questiions. There is an exceedinly huge amount of excellent quality horses on the market from good responsible breeders, its the same in dogs, every idiot feeling they need to breed their dog and then get on yahoo and ask how to welp.....its insaine..... I dont know what the answer is, but its a great topic for debate...

Answer 7

I think maybe those registries should have inspections, just like the warmblood registries do. Perhaps, if horses (particularly young stallions) with the APHA, AQHA, etc.. etc... were inspected, and received scores based upon that inspection - it might discourage people from keeping those stallions intact. Less intact stallions could lead to less over breeding of low, poor, or even mid quality horses. I too am a fan of geldings - or gelding, anyway.

Answer 8

Paint Pony, you have some great and valid points that I think all of us horse lovers would love to see resolved so that less of these creatures suffer on our behalf.

I love your thoughts on registering and think that would help. I would also love to see breeding more regulated but I am afraid to put too many stipulations or rules on it as when people are confined by rules they find ways to break them and can you imagine how ugly an "underground" breeding ring would be if people had to hide it?
I really wish that people had to take a course on breeding and how to PROPERLY do it to make the most of pairing quality mares and studs that will ensure foals who will live sound, healthy and long lives not the crap that most people produce. Also to ensure the safety of the mare (make sure she is healthy enough to endure pregnancy!) and of the stud.
Ugh, this is such a hard topic with all animals. It is the ignorance of our race that makes us do this to the animals that love us and look to us for care. And to which we return that love with over breeding them and sending them to pounds or slaughterhouses just so we can make a buck or 2. The topic just infuriates me as do the people who don't care. Sometimes I think we should geld people too!

Answer 9

This is being tossed around by dog breeding associations, AKC i think.

If you own a stud, you pay a yearly fee like $1000. I think that stud should be shown and promoted.

It should excel at atleast 2 disciplines.

I think all studs should be registered through a national agency and patroled.

Any offender should be fined heavily and they should pay the yearly fee and one year to promote their stud for the specific disciplines.

Any offense to the above, the stud is gelded at the owners expense or jail time.

I think these need to be regulated, if the bleeding hearts want to help, I haven't seen too many ideas from them, but this is the best I can come up in in "mulereiners world".

Answer 10

I agree with your gelding idea. I think that all horses must be granted a breeding license before they can breed, and that the owner must pay for each time they breed his or her horse.

Studs should also ge given a maximum standing stallion limit, and pay fees for each breeding they make.