Horses being over bred?

Question

People keep asking about horse slaughtering, and a lot of people are answering horse are being over bred, and thier are a lot of back yard breeders. I don't get this people are acting like they are being over bred by back yard breeders like dogs are. I don't see this at all here in New Egnland. Horse are a lot harder to breed than dog. Is this a problem in other states or are people talking about things they know nothing about.
I have been around horses for 16 years i know a lot horse probaly over a hundred. But I can count on one hand how many of them ever bred thier mare. And these were big time show horses. And these people spent thousands on stud fees, vet care. And spent many hours perepering for it. I just don't get people saying horses are over bred by back yard breedsers.

Littegirl i am not sure what your answer has to do with my question. I am not sayinh that top breeder should bred my question was why are people comparing horse to back yard dog breeds horse are not any where near as easy to bred. My point is you can not over bred them the way you can over breed a dogs. By over breed i am there are thousands of homless dogs, many get put to sleeep every year becuase no one wants then.

And horses don't have to be a pure bred or even have papers to show. In breed classes they do but not in open pleaseure, Equitation, jumping or dressage.

Just because some breeds thier it dosen't mean it is going to end at the slaughter house.

No one here is realy answering my question.
I am beging to think none of you know what you are talking about.

Muleriner# you are a prime example of what I am talking about. A horse that is unregisterable is iresponsable. It's not like dogs, if they don't have papers they can still be shown. And they don't have to be conformationaly perfect to be shown even in breed classes undersaddle, they are judge on performance, and pleaserablity and breed type. If you ever showed horses in anything you would know that.

can76chaser I never said it wasn't a problem, i am asking is it a problem in other states because the shelters in New aren't over flowing with horses the way they are with dogs and cats. There are horses in them but most of them are because they were taken form thier owners for neglect.

Do you people read the whole question and are you that closed minded that you just asume that every question is ignorant.

Muleriner my exact question was "Is this a problem in other states..."
For your informnation i do own a horse, and have been riding and showing for 16 years. My horse is bouble registered, but i have shown him in many classes that he didn't need papers. And many of my friends have horses that aren't regstered, and the horses have had very sucessful show careers. And there are many people who just ride for pleasuer, no registration needed there

I asked a question so i could become informed the "backyard breeder" i am quoting other people. And most of the answer I am getting are rude and have realy have nothing to do with the question so I am a troll?

Thank you to thoese who gave me serious answers with out being rude.

cowgirlofarbia, I am getting it. My point is people don't have to be so rude and call me a troll and a moron. There are many sides to every argument and there is no need to be so rude when you answer for your side. I Bama, as well as other peopel, i think answered the question very well with out being rude.

And i did just join the other day. I had no idea what my question would stuir up. I've been looking at the question for a while and this subject was somthing i would like to learn more about.

Sorry if i offened any one that was not my goal.

I have re-read my question. And i can see how it might off pissed people off. That was not my intention, sorry I appologize. I should of used other words then people do not know what they are talking about. What i ment was is it being blown way out of proportion or is it, as big a deal as people are making it out to be. I know that just because i have never seen it, that dosen't mean it dosen't exsit that is why I asked. Again I appologize if i pissed any one off, but this was somthing that i was realy interesed about learning more about.

Answer 1

YES, they are being over bred. Everyone wants to own his own stallion now days and raise lots of babies. There are so many horses in Ky that people are taking them out to some Gov acreage there and turning them loose. Want a horse? just go get one! Same thing is happening in Illinois.
There are so many horses for sale now that they are selling at sales in Tennessee, Ky, Mo, Ga and Al for $250 to $600. These are REGISTERED horses. It's not even worth registering them any more
If you DON'T have your own stallion, you are losing money big time.
Some of the TWH breeders pay from $1,500 to $7,000 stud fees and can't even get that much for the foal when they sell it.
I live and breathe right in the middle of it. I know what I am talking about. I GAVE AWAY a beautiful yearling colt this morning...(champion bred) to a young trainer who recently had a terrible accident that almost took him out. He couldn't pay his medical bills and almost lost his farm. He cannot sel this colt fot what he could have 3 years ago, but maybe it will help some. I'd rather help him than see one of my WC bred colts go through the sale way too cheap!
I'm sure this is not happening with ALL breeds. Some are managing breeding programs better than this.
PS: a serious breeder would never accept breeding a mare just twice in 10 years. Mare care for 10 years for 2 foals would be really dumb!

"Back yard breeding" has nothing to do with not having registrations and vet checks in order. Many back yard horse breeders have all of that taken care of. They just have so many mares and the population explosion has forced prices down until you don't even get your feed money back out of them when they sell! Anyone can go and buy a world champion and bring it home to breed their own mares and "outside" mares if they want to and it'd happening more and more now, constantly increasing the horse population.

If you have not been there/done that for many years, you don't have a clue. Don't even TRY to guess!

Horse population will NOT get out of hand in this country . IT ALREADY HAS!

Answer 2

You may not be able to breed them and produce several litters a year like the dogs and cats, do , but dogs and cats just do not take the timne and money a horse does either. The backyard breeders are the sinners here. They breed anything that has a tail and could care less about the result. There is one here where I live that has 20 mares. And a stallion that is an insult to the AQHA. But he is a "blue roan" and that is fashionable, and he is cranking them them out left and right. Same thing that happened 10 or so years ago with the black and white paint horses. Everybody had to have one and the result was awful. Just junk with color. Breed associations have turned issuing registration papers into a money making machine, instead if trying to preserve bloodlines and breed standards. Just because you have one or two mares does not make you a backyard breeder. A BYB is a person who cares about nothing but getting the almighty dollar and nothing about the horses he is producing. And what is really sad is that the uneducated keep on buying these horses. While I realize that not everyone can afford to spend $5000 on a horse, if the horse buying public would wake up and stop supporting these idiots, then they would go broke and quit breeding. I am glad that you do not have this problem where you live. Here in Texas there are so many BYB that they are killing the market for the rest of us.

Answer 3

What I classify as a back yard breeder, is someone who is not trying to better the breed standard. I do know alot of small breeding farms (less than 10 horses) that have produced National and Internation champions. These breeders are educated and have learned what matches , (in specfic breeds) that will produce quality conformation and temperment. The people I have a problem with are Susie Q down the road with a puke mare decides how cute it would be to have a little babie horsie and neighbor Joe who has left his horse a stallion who should have been gelded a 6 mo breed. No thought to how this really effects the market and drives the prices down which in turn hurts the breeder who is trying to get an honest dollar from breeding good quality horses. I do agree that there is a huge problem and some regulations need to be put into effect for some change......wish I had the answer.

Answer 4

I call myself a back yard breeder.....we have a small family farm, and sell what we produce. We also have several national champions in the field. With that said ALL BREEDING should be carefully chosen. Research bloodlines and study before breeding! The filly 8bells that had to be put down on the track at the Kentucky Derby had a predisposition to have weak legs. Just because a horse earned millions or thousands of dollars does not make it a good breeding canidate. Years ago horses were bred to last a lifetime, today many are disposable. (meaning that they can not hold up for years) We put to much pressure on young horses. Showing as foals, shown undersaddle as 2 yr olds etc. Intense training schedule keep most good horses from ever becoming great. To change the breeding practices we have to start with the judges etc that determine what is "in fashion". Many breeds brought to the US have been bred for popularity reasons, not usefulness. Look at the Arabian, we breed for beauty, in the mid-East they still breed for longevity and have imported hundreds of American bred horses to infuse beauty back in. This doesn't just happen in the horse industry, look at dogs, bred down for smaller sizes to become acessories for people. Their bone structure gets smaller, but organs like brains do not and it created crainial pressure causing some mean spiritedness and attitude problems. Same as in horses the QH huge hip Huge body tiny feet. Go figure many are not useful after they are over 10 years old.

Answer 5

I don't know any thing on this subject either. I am also from New England, and don't see this either. Horses are very expensive up here and i know a lot of people who go down south or out to the Midwest to find horses because you can find a good horse for a quarter of what you would pay here. The only people I know who breed up here are responsible breeders, and have never sent a horse to the slaughter house. I known that means it doesn't exists.

From what others are saying it does sound like it is a big problem in other states. I wonder if any knows more about New England? But I am afraid to ask because people are being so rude to this question.

Some people have been very rude when answering this question. But some people don't know how to debate with out being rude or just have no class. And name calling is for people who have run out of other ideas. I would not pay any attention to those that can answer nicely. People may not mean to be as rude as they are. In my many years of experience i have found that horse people are either open minded or are closed mind and their opion is the only opinion that exists.

Theses same people will probably call me names for what I have said, but they are just proving my point.

Answer 6

Well last year a bought a welsh pony for my son. The pony is 10 years old and has pumped out 6 foals. The only reason the person sold her is because the Vet said if she has another foal she will most likely die. If that's not over breeding, then I don't know what is. Oh yeah I didn't mention 2 of the 6 went to slaughter because he couldn't sell them fast enough and I herd of others doing the same thing. So just because it's not happening in your area doesn't mean it's not happening else where.

Answer 7

You have NO IDEA what YOU are talking about!!! & Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it is not happening!!!!!! People like you are 1/2 the problem!!!! Records show that 10,736 horses were sent south of the border in the first 19 weeks of the year!!! Up from 2,744 for the same period in 2006, nearly a 400% increase!!!! There will be 56,000 US horses will be processed by Mexico & Canada in 2007!! A May 2006 report predicts the cost of maintaining the nation's unwanted horses after a slaughter bad would amount to 220 MILLION!!!! And you are tring to say that the backyard breeders are not a problem??? READ!!!! Look at the facts!!! I have been training , showing riding for 30yrs.

Answer 8

This should be the question. Who do you think should own and have horses? Who do you think should chose who can have horses?
There is a country that the goverment owns every thing. Read about it! It is Cuba. And if you like it go there. I am not stopping you from leaving.
Some of the big breeders of horses or other animals. Have done a lot of damage to the breeds. I can name some of them if you want.
Then what you call the back yard breeder. Has proudce top horses.
To start to become a big breeder you have to start as a back yard breeder. So if there is no back yard breeders. Then there will not be any big breeders.
Like cows there can never be overbreeding. But as long as people are making big money. With yelling that a horse is better then a cow. It is only hurting the middle class people that want a horse.
Breeders are going to get rid of the avarge horse. That means horses are going to be going up in price. How many of you can pay $10,000 for a horse.
Because mares do not have a foal every year. Ones that do burn out. And have to quit breeding them. Most horses you will be lucky if you get 5 foal out of them. Then there is the risk to the mare having a foal. You can lose both of them.
And champion mares do not always breed. Because if you wait till they are 10 years of age to have the first foal. The mare mite not take.
So if we breed only the top horses. Then it will be after the are shown. Then there is a chance the mare will not even have a foal.
So if you get it. Horses will only be for the rich. Just hope you can get a job at their place.
Ask a rescue person how they make their living. Because if you do not have a full time job. Were are you getting your money.
Heard one say she was clearing a $100 a day. Good money to me.
And if you do not think people have the right to eat. I think you should quit eating right now!!!!!!!

Answer 9

Backyard breeder is a defination of anyone who is breeding any animal-horse,dog,cat,elephants- that breed without the confirmation,health,background,good traits,faults,gentics,pedigree information ,color,size"designer pups ring a bell" without understnadin of how it will contribute to the world and population.
Overbreeding is not the only reason so many horses are going to teh slaughter houses,also ill mannered,sick,and irresponsible owner ship.
If you would look at all the posts we have made this past week on the issue you would see what we are trying to say is that now there are no slaughter houses in america thanks to the ban-now where are all these horses that the meat buyers typically going to buy go? What we are trying to say there is going to be a overbundence in unwanted horses in shelters and there are not going to be enough people to adopt or save them.
yet these same people that have passed the ban are usally the ones who say their horse is so pretty-even if it has cowhocks,ewe necked,parrot mouth-and still going to produce a foal out of them with the same problems and if the foal ends in the wrong hands can be neglected abused,and in the professional world where you are judged in a show for confirmation will not best reprsent the breed standard.
What we are also saying is what is next that can not be put down-chickens?because they live in chicken coops and these animal rights belive that they should be free roaming in the wild-look they already harrasing teh fast food chains!Also harassing our schools where if you as a child are not a vegitarian than you are a animal killer and subject all creatures to torture-that right there is over stepping the bounderies.
WE as horse owners DO and I repeat DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA of horses going to slaughter houses in america (which now there are none) But we knew that in cases it was needed and did help the population of horses not to get out of hand like we belive it eventually will now. Where do you think the amount of horses that go to slaughter anually last year will end up this year in the U.S?

Answer 10

I am in the midwest, I think people here can get a horse bred for $200, even less! So I think people will breed several horses (as many as they can) then try and sell the foals to earn some money. Maybe they don't know how much they'll wind up with, but it probably works out for a lot of folks. I think most people don't know that there is a lot of horses in rescue groups all over the country, and when they breed their horses they don't know they are contributing to a problem at all.