Benjamin 19 Report post Posted January 7, 2012 The sales will be interesting this year. I note that the Tasmanian Premier Yearling Sales at the weekend saw 31 lots at an average of just over $4800 and a top price of $8000 (Art Major Colt). Certainly not cream of the crop stuff bred in Tassy but not too many breeders covering costs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightymo 0 Report post Posted January 7, 2012 It was a Major in Art colt, not an Art Major Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
G Unit 1 Report post Posted January 7, 2012 The main issue crippling the industry, more than anything else, is stud fees. they all need to be halved. That will help foal numbers more than anything else. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightymo 0 Report post Posted January 8, 2012 G unit That would be a great idea, but it will never happen. The studs have paid too much to the US owners to get the horses so are over a barrell... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
G Unit 1 Report post Posted January 8, 2012 Granted, but the ball has to start rolling somewhere. Henley, O'Rourke, Grierson, Le Lievre etc need to get together and agree to pay no more than X amount for a stallion. The Americans will meet the market if it means they get money coming in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stables 577 Report post Posted January 8, 2012 The situation in the States is no better. I am sure that most North American stallion owners wqould be happy to take what they can get. If stud fees are not reduced many of the stud farms in New Zealand will go under from lack of patronage as it is uneconimical to breed horses with stud fees set at current levels. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girl Power 8 Report post Posted January 8, 2012 I have been a commercial breeder and selling yearlings at the sales for a few years, and I have a nice breed. Those days are over. Stud & associated fees are just too high. The ball has to start somewhere. The studs are complaining numbers are down, well that's because the average breeder can't afford it any-more. Reduce stud fee's significantly and you will get your breeder's back. We are the one's that have to take care of and raise and prepare our stock for the sales, and the rewards are no longer there to make it worth while, and the hard work & heart ache that go with it. Just breeding full-stop whether commercially or just for a nice horse to race yourself is too expensive now, something has got to give. It's all good and well saying the Stud's can't reduce fee's because of the money they pay to get stallions over here, well if they don't listen to the breeders, it will be them that go out of business. They can't operate a stud if breeders decide to stop sending their mares to stud, and just breed at home, or not breed at all. They will be the biggest losers overall. Top commercial breeders that can afford to continue to breed will not be enough to carry these Studs through, it is the many average breeders at there that make your numbers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stables 577 Report post Posted January 8, 2012 I agree with you Girl Power, the studs are not only charging too much for sevice fees, other costs such as vet contracts and working fees are way too high. I fail to see how studs can charge working fees at all. For way too long stud farms and veterinarians have been taking all the cream out of horse breeding. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightymo 0 Report post Posted January 8, 2012 What about vet fees? They are totally outrageous too. I know of vets charging around $1000 to serve a mare twice, and that doesnt even guarantee you a positive test! The bottom line is that fees in every area are too high and someone needs to do something , and quick! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yajyaj 0 Report post Posted January 8, 2012 I have to say that Alabars have reduced their fees to owners who have supported them in the past. But like others have said its the extra fees that are crippling. Unfortunately I havent been able to afford to breed for the last couple of seasons, 2 broadmares, bred to race not sell. On the other hand, these stud farms have staff to pay, rates etc, nothing is for nothing. Bad enough just paying the rudy power bill.Maybe next year. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
moema 0 Report post Posted January 21, 2012 The main issue crippling the industry, more than anything else, is stud fees. they all need to be halved. That will help foal numbers more than anything else. You are right about stud fees needing to be halved. Perhaps small breeders should form a co-operative and buy a sire this may help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browsing 10 Report post Posted January 22, 2012 What are the rules with regard to selling a horse that has been catalogued for the sales? I see that Lot 183 'Tupelo Honey' entered in the Auckland Sale had a change of ownership on 30th Dec 2011 going to Nevele R Stud. I now see that it has been 'withdrawn' from the sales. Thought there was some rule/clause with regard to this stated somewhere in vendors rules and regulations...Perhaps it had been injured? Would be interested in knowing what the story was with it as mate had it marked in his catalogue...??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan patch 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2012 I was wondering what would have a bigger effect on the harness industry in New Zealand, cutting the stallion fees in half or cutting the cost of racing the horses in half (cut in half training fees,trainer wages, groom wages, vet fees, blacksmith fees, shipping fees, staking fees etc) ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaggers 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2012 I was wondering what would have a bigger effect on the harness industry in New Zealand, cutting the stallion fees in half or cutting the cost of racing the horses in half (cut in half training fees,trainer wages, groom wages, vet fees, blacksmith fees, shipping fees, staking fees etc) ? cutting the trainer fees would cut out all the small trainers in the industry. they barely scrape by as it is after the big stables get the majority of the stakes. the industry would be ruined if this happened Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaggers 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2012 What are the rules with regard to selling a horse that has been catalogued for the sales? I see that Lot 183 'Tupelo Honey' entered in the Auckland Sale had a change of ownership on 30th Dec 2011 going to Nevele R Stud. I now see that it has been 'withdrawn' from the sales. Thought there was some rule/clause with regard to this stated somewhere in vendors rules and regulations...Perhaps it had been injured? Would be interested in knowing what the story was with it as mate had it marked in his catalogue...??? i saw this horse in the flesh a few months ago and didn't like it at all. a tall leggy girl and quite skinny around shoulders etc. looks nothing like her mum or the good mcardles around the place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan patch 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2012 jaggers - Thank you for your polite responce. I have been from one end of New Zealand and Australia to the other visiting trainers and breeders on my trips from America and realize how hard small trainers work to just keep their heads above water. The same is true in North America. I made the statement to make a point that there is no one thing that if changed would resurrect our industry. Punters would love to have the takeout halved and if they were there is no doubt that handle would go way up and purses would go up and more owners would race horses and buy more yearlings at higher prices and then small breeders would be better off. But the people who put on the races aren't going to work for nothing. The people who send studs down under would love to have the expenses for getting a stallion there and back halved. Those costs have tripled in the last few years but they are not going to go down. Every race horse owner complains about the high cost of racing a horse but I don't see these expenses getting any less. Stallion prices are self adjusting to some extent and have come down the last year both in New Zealand/Australia and in North America They will continue to fall across the board.That is a double edged sword. With an expence of about $ 70,000 just to get a stallion down and back and with less breedings available many of the stallions from North America in the under $ 5000 range will stop traveling and stay in North America. That can't be good for small breeders. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Hadley 0 Report post Posted February 3, 2012 jaggers - Thank you for your polite responce. I have been from one end of New Zealand and Australia to the other visiting trainers and breeders on my trips from America and realize how hard small trainers work to just keep their heads above water. The same is true in North America. I made the statement to make a point that there is no one thing that if changed would resurrect our industry. Punters would love to have the takeout halved and if they were there is no doubt that handle would go way up and purses would go up and more owners would race horses and buy more yearlings at higher prices and then small breeders would be better off. But the people who put on the races aren't going to work for nothing. The people who send studs down under would love to have the expenses for getting a stallion there and back halved. Those costs have tripled in the last few years but they are not going to go down. Every race horse owner complains about the high cost of racing a horse but I don't see these expenses getting any less. Stallion prices are self adjusting to some extent and have come down the last year both in New Zealand/Australia and in North America They will continue to fall across the board.That is a double edged sword. With an expence of about $ 70,000 just to get a stallion down and back and with less breedings available many of the stallions from North America in the under $ 5000 range will stop traveling and stay in North America. That can't be good for small breeders. Never a truer word was said. The costs of sending stallions Down Under are crippling for all the studs. This may see less and less of it happening. May end up a trip down Memory Lane, when NZ ended up with local sires, and stallions that had no commercial value in USA. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trakdap 390 Report post Posted February 3, 2012 What about vet fees? They are totally outrageous too. I know of vets charging around $1000 to serve a mare twice, and that doesnt even guarantee you a positive test! The bottom line is that fees in every area are too high and someone needs to do something , and quick! as are farriers fees, far to high. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaggers 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2012 i saw this horse in the flesh a few months ago and didn't like it at all. a tall leggy girl and quite skinny around shoulders etc. looks nothing like her mum or the good mcardles around the place. my mistake Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBHunter 100 Report post Posted February 5, 2012 as are farriers fees, far to high. Farrier fees are expensive. Lets say $120.00 for a set of shoes. The reality is that the price is easy to justify. Ive been on both sides of this fence and putting a balanced set of shod feet on a thin walled, under run thoroughbred isn an art that shouldnt be under estimated. Thoroughbred horses are expensive. There are ways to cut costs but they require large investments in education and practice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
