Torn

[Team1roper]

I have been breeding Quarter Horses for almost 20 years now and I am debating on gettin out of the buisness and just running cattle and few horses.
This has been coming for some time I have gradually been seeling my brood mares and am down to 3 now and my Doc O Lena stallion
He is 19 now and I have had him since he was 6 months old.

[EastTexasGal]

I understand Team1roper. I had to come to that decision back in 2000, different reasons I am sure. I ended up selling everything but my old show mare...Then in 2002 lmao..I bought a few more to just resell, ended up keeping them for awhile. Now I am back to just 2 mares and thats where it will stay till I am done with college. I guess I just decided to get down to a few, when I lost the fun in them. When it felt like work and I resented them, it was time I did something different. We still have the cows...

Life changes and I do really understand that torn feeling. Good luck in your decisions.

Easty

[Mrs.Greg]

[katrina]

Same deal here team1roper. Down to three mares and I'm looking for a good home for one older mare.... What I'm going to do is just breed one mare. That way I will have time to work with the colt and not get into the mess I am in right now with colts needing rode and not having the time or interest to do it..... IT's a tough descision. And I did alot of soul searching. And I felt really bad for along time, but a person changes and sometimes you have to go with what works for you.... There will always be horses to buy and really good ones. Plus if this horse slaughter thing goes through, horses are going to be pretty cheap.......

[Oldtimer]

About the same here- Sold a lot of the mares a year ago- kept only 7 mares- two studs, which I have leased out- and couple of old saddle geldings...

Part of it was speculation over the horse slaughter ban and the changing horse demand, partially because I lost all my cheap help I've had for years when the kids moved away- didn't have the help to work with and ride down a bunch of young horses like they should be... Decided just to keep enough of the mares that I can raise a few for some of my old local customers that bought them as colts or yearlings-- most now go for 4-H projects.....

[Team1roper]

I am glad to see that its not just me, When something I love so much has turned into such a job. I mention to people here and the only thing I hear is "oh let me get a free breeding before you sell" they do not realize all the years I have put into breeding cow horses and working horses.
and the bloodlines I have built for me

And they Darn sure don't come around unless they want something.
that is one of the things pushing this decision.
that and the kids are getting older now. Boyfriends and girlfriends on the brain.
I think I would like to keep just a couple roping horses and do more roping than training now.

thanks everyone for your input

[Faster horses]

I think you have it figured out. Do what makes you happy.
Sometimes that changes, so if more roping and less raising/training
makes you happy, go for it.

Having kids interested or not interested can sure make a difference.
That much I can tell you for sure.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!
Maybe some of your kids will decide to rope with you!

[Judith]

Team1roper, Why don't you lease out your mares for a year and see how you feel then? That way you still own them, you are just not paying the feed bill. You may feel very differently next spring

[Oldtimer]

If the grandkids get old enough to start helping me I may have to save a few filly's and build back up again...I just found out my cousin is building a monstrous indoor arena a mile and a half from my house ...I was wondering what all the dirtwork the last couple weeks was for- he's been busy moving cattle so I haven't had a chance to talk with him-- but I understand from some workers that it will be 1 closed in building with 4 arenas inside...His son in law is a pretty sharp team roper, so I'm sure it will have a nice roping arena....

Make working colts in the winter a lot more enjoyable.....

[RoperAB]

Well around here there are tons of QH breeders who will complain that they cant make a decent buck. And they are right, they cant make a decent buck.
However there are others right next to them breeding QHs who do really good at it.
The difference as far as I can tell is the ones who do good at it are using proven breeding stock. They showed their stallions, used really good show proven mares. They are fussy about who the sell to. They sell to people who are going to train, show and promote their horses.
These people have no trouble getting great prices for their weanlings. BTW Really good horses are in so much demand up here that a lot of them are sold before they are even born. You have to buy good prospects young because most are sold before they are yearlings.
Good horses are not affected by what average horses are selling for at the local cattle auction mart when they have their monthly horse sale.
Good horses are not effected by the price of feed.
Good horses are not effected by slaughter prices.
Even though you might be breeding really good horses, if your horses are not getting shown and promoted they will be considered average by potential buyers. You cant make any money with average horses around here. If your breeding average horses you would be better off with cows or renting your grass out to somebody else.

[katrina]

roperab, You are sooo full of it I need my hip waders on... Man what are you smokin???

[Team1roper]

OT that sounds real nice
there is an arena here I like competing at and it has 2 indoor arenas
real nice place

RoperAB
I have to Agree with Katrina, in all the years I have been raising and breeding horses A lot has to do with location location location.
We have had a few PRCA stars move down where we are at and try to get things going but do to the fact I live where everyone rides grandma & Grandpas farm horse and doesn't want to pay for anything else, the horse buisness never really gets good publicity.
Now 2 counties over from me is good horse buisness. Most of the folks work in the city and own hobby farms and want the expensive horses to compete on.
I am not doing bad in the horse buisness and I am not getting rich at it either. Just making ends meet and can't get the knot tide.