b4breeding

Wrapping up my short series on some positive steps for our breeding industry.

These are, in general, solutions that are in our hands. While significantly higher stakes would help all parties in the industry and create a more buoyant market for breeders, breeders and their representatives are not in a position to directly make that happen.

What we can do is make decisions on the four aspects I’ve covered – or at least lead the charge in pushing for change.

The four things I’ve suggested all increase the ability of breeders to be masters of their own destiny.

1. Allow breeders to breed 2 foals from an individual mare (no more than 2) per breeding season.
2. Place a limit of 100 on all NZ available stallions for the next 3 years.
3. Create meaningful breeders bonuses related to first win (larger amount) or all wins (smaller amount per win) or % of stake of all NZ-bred horses – this is a progeny bonus, not just applicable to fillies.
4. Breeding credits, and paid to the original breeder (not the future owner of progeny).

Allowing a mare to breed up to two progeny in the same season, using embryo transfer, appears to be something governed by the rules of harness racing, and therefore able to be changed. It is well within the jurisdiction of our representatives (whether at conference level or at governance level) to lead a change in this direction. For a good overview of the logistics here is an article that outlines it in layperson’s language.  The logistics and costs of embryo transfers will limit use. It is not opening the floodgates to factory farming, nor is it likely to dramatically increase the number of registered foals. But it will provide breeders with another option in terms of managing their investment in a mare, and it may well encourage breeders to experiment a little more in their choice of sires. Check out my original blog on this for the full list of benefits.

Placing a limit on books is a tricky one because of legal rulings. It may need some hard negotiations and some clear parameters, but a short-term agreement maybe covering 3 seasons could be enough to ensure greater diversity and commercial viability of both sires and stud farms to keep our industry healthy. Yes, successful sires (and their owners) should be rewarded by getting increased numbers of mares. But there is a point where, over a number of years, dominance can skew a market (and even the genetic make-up of our commercial mares).  Eventually the market will self-correct – or more likely set the pendulum swinging in another direction. Settling the market into a healthier, less extreme pattern over the next few years will build a stronger and more stable foundation for our industry.

Finally the idea of mares credits and breeders bonuses – these depend on having a pool of money that can be distributed. And that’s the rub. I believe the only way the breeding industry will strengthen is for breeders to develop some funded schemes that are independent of the funding of the wider racing industry.

It’s true, that sometimes you have to put more in to get more out.

As a breeder, I already pay numerous “series” eligibility payments that are designed to make my mare’s progeny attractive to buy. In the yearling sales marketplace they are essential – but you will see many, many yearlings who are paid up for multiple series still receiving only $5-10,000 sale price.

Basically, breeders are paying several hundreds of dollars per yearling for series which are extremely hard to win and offer small, if any, immediate return to the breeder even if the horse makes it into the final of these series.

So why not have an additional option – payment into a scheme that relates directly to the breeder and the mare’s progeny and rewards breeding success – either a mares credit scheme or a breeders bonus for wins. I would be a willing payer of $250 per foal or per mare bred, for example, if I knew it was making me eligible for reward and recognition as breeder if that horse goes on to succeed.

I would willingly pay a small annual fee if it kept me in a breeder’s bonus scheme. I would see that as an incentive and an investment, rather than a cost.

Money attracts money. Positivity attracts positive responses.

I think potential sponsors would be keen to step up and contribute more to breeders schemes if breeders started developing some really exciting options that would give breeding a more modern and commercial shape.

So yes, I will put up my hand (and I am by no means a wealthy person) and say: Let’s put more in. Let’s create something that is ours. Don’t wait for handouts. Have more control because it is our funds, from breeders and for breeders.

Where do you stand on that?