Horses

monseiur

Hi Guys,
Looking for advise from any horsey folks on here. Thinking of getting a horse or two for breeding or perhaps a few ponies. I understand the market if on the floor at the moment, maybe it's a good time to buy. What's the best breed to go for, and what to avoid.
Any grants available for them ? Do they rate as stock like cattle and sheep, have been told that donkeys do. It's impossible to contact Dept. of Agri. for advice, left on hold for ages every time i call for info.
Thanks.

M.

Conmaicne Mara

Wouldn't go near them with a barge pole, even if free. There's a horse welfare problem brewing in this country with too much breeding and little demand.

AFAIK and I might be corrected on it but a horse won't count in regards to a stocking rate like sheep or cattle.

You might be better off contacting a breed society than the Dept. for info.

Base price

As CM said even if they were for free I wouldn't take one. Unless you are capable of producing a horse then forget about it. The country is flooded with lots of useless horses, reasonably bred horses, and well bred horses. Best case scenario is if you can show a horse that has a bit of mileage under the saddle be if for hunting, a few points for show jumping etc. It is a long wait from foaling to selling them as a 4yo with a bit of experience.
Best option is to go to the sales and pick up a nice 3yo which has been registered (IHR), chipped and handled then take it on from there. They are two a penny and if you are lucky and have the know how then you may cover your costs with a bit of extra change.
At this moment (2.55am) I am staying up to check on my last and only breeding mare who is showing signs of foaling - I think.
I have kept and bred horses most of my life and had reasonable success with some of them however I saw the warning signs a few years ago and actively depopulated my stock :rolleyes:

blue5000

My brother has 3 irish draught mares left, I'll sell them to you fairly cheap:pac: Last year what he got for the foals didn't cover the service fees AFAIK.

Bodacious

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Wouldn't go near them with a barge pole, even if free. There's a horse welfare problem brewing in this country with too much breeding and little demand.

AFAIK and I might be corrected on it but a horse won't count in regards to a stocking rate like sheep or cattle.

You might be better off contacting a breed society than the Dept. for info.

agree with ye all horses/ponies are a disaster .. pure money pit and waste of time, you'll get attached or kids will and before you know it you'll have 10 of them, horse breaking fees/ lessons, livery, grazing, feed, fert, farrier, society fees, blood typing kits, covering fees, mart entrance fees @€;50 min, diesel .. then get E100 for a foal sawdust, etc ect

Midlandsman80

Agree with some points but also disagree. The market will and is coming back strong for the right type of horse, but as mentioned above you need to be able to “produce” that horse to what is required. He needs to be extremely well handled and ready to be ridden down a busy street with cars, dogs and people all around him, if you have a horse that you would be comfortable too put a novice or child up on yet has a good bit of GO in him when asked they are worth very good money.
Breeding has ground to a halt so quality will be scarce in a few years, buying a few top quality yearlings for €6-800, handle them well and they will leave you a few quid at 4yo, put in a lot until 6yo and they could be worth 6k. Leave them out in a field and don’t look at them for a few years and they will cost you a fortune and someone else will pick up a bargain from you.
I bought a 4 YO lightly broken horse last June for €1k, nice big horse but needed some feeding and TLC, he is hunting around the UK now and got I €3.5k for him but he got a lot of hours work in him.
Not sure about the breeding route, when good 3-4 YO’s with little or no work done are still cheap you would need a serious quality mare to be worth breeding. If you came across a top quality mare at the right price and you have space/grass you prob won’t lose at today’s mare prices.

sheebadog

Always had a grá for horses as had my father, grandfather etc.
Some people would call it a "complaint" but once you have them about you they are more like therapy.
Now as for being a breeder there is an old saying " fools breed horses for shrewd men to buy".
Having said that I've a child that is addicted so plenty of 4am starts for 5 hours drive to a competition. Best days of my life. Also being around for your child's first day hunting ( not popular on here!) , priceless.
Horses and ponies can give a lot more than can be quantified in euros.

EamonKilkenny

Like everything in life, If you like it it's a hobby if not it's a chore. We breed and produce a good few horses along with the farming side of it. Put your costs in and any 3yr old is standing you 5k before you produce it. I love doing it but the figures are really break even when you take the good with the bad and these are all from mares who have Grand Prix and top event horses on the ground. If it's just something to keep down the grass and look pretty you could have your choice of horses from any of the pounds without spending a bob. As Sheebadog put it above I am that fool producing for the next guy to earn, but I love it!

TheFarrier

If your thinking of getting into breeding to make a few extra pound, then forget it. If you have a son or daughter that rides then a pony or horse for them won't cost a bomb to keep, unless you end up competing in a big way.
Even if you just like the idea of having one around the place then that's not a huge expense either, provided you have a few acres (4/5) spare. Stable/ shed for winter months wouldn't go astray, but not essential unless you're doing plenty with the beast.

Horses are a money pit, but just how much they cost you isn't a fortune provided you've a bit of common sense about you.

The man in red and black

Don't forget the sentimental attachment to horses, especially if you have young children. It's not like a cull cow where if she gets sick economics come into it and you can patch her up and factory her.
If you get a horse, you run the risk of serious vet bills if they get ill. If there is a sharp piece of fencing, wire, galvanize, in a field, a horse will almost certainly find a way to cut themselves on it even though you didn't know it was there/can't find it even after the fact.
If you are thinking of getting into horses for the first time then I don't think it's feasible to buy a yearling and try get it into work yourself and sell as a 4-6yo as has been suggested. If you have experience with horses then perhaps this could be profitable but you'd want to know what you're doing.

monseiur

Thanks guys for your informative replies, I've a lot to ponder on. Still someone has to breed them otherwise the bloodlines will disappear over time.
Heard a rumour that there's a huge market opening up in China...once quarantine issues etc. is sorted. As the old saying goes ''live horse and you'll get hay'' ...or something like that !

M.

seb65

monseiur wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Looking for advise from any horsey folks on here. Thinking of getting a horse or two for breeding or perhaps a few ponies. I understand the market if on the floor at the moment, maybe it's a good time to buy. What's the best breed to go for, and what to avoid.
Any grants available for them ? Do they rate as stock like cattle and sheep, have been told that donkeys do. It's impossible to contact Dept. of Agri. for advice, left on hold for ages every time i call for info.
Thanks.

M.

Horses are herd animals, you can't just get one if you decide to go ahead.

Do you have any awareness of how to keep a horse? They have specific feeding requirements necessary to prevent all sorts of ills. Do you know how to look for common aliments? Do you know how to safeguard your land to prevent a horse from injury?

How would breed the horse?

These are all considerations.

karolmc100

How much does it cost to get white book for unregistered horse