From The Publisher – Back to Basics

While perusing the worldwide web, I came across several listings of horses for sale. This is nothing uncommon in the modern world of digital advertising. Everything’s for sale on the net, horses included.

I was, however, surprised by the price of the horses offered for sale compared to their show records. Most of these horses had points in halter and performance… not just a few points, but double digit. Many of these horses had over 50 points in halter and performance. Others had Superior awards in performance and halter events. Many were state champions. Most were priced under $10,000.

This singular fact probably does not surprise anyone with their finger on the pulse of the horse industry. We all know that top contenders, those capable of winning at the big shows, command high prices while mid-range horses cannot find a taker. This is a simple reality facing today’s breeder of purebred horses.

The concern about the lack of a broad market for the breeds we all love is the impact on the breeders and the registries of those horses. We have watched breeders disappear and registrations fall over the years. We have watched the bank accounts of some programs decline dramatically or cease to exist. We have seen local and national futurities decline, disappear or be replaced by new programs. I think the aforementioned problems are symptoms of the lack of broad markets for our beloved breeds. The problem facing all of the registries is what can be done to remedy this problem?