This message is from: Starfire Farm <starfiref...@usa.net>
Steve McIlree wrote:
I certainly agree that several breeds have been bred to excess, but I'm not sure it's fair to point a finger at Morgans.
Not trying to point fingers (except for the QH industry). Just comparing numbers. I happen to like Morgans (my best Horse of a Lifetime was a Morgan ...though Obie is coming really, really close!) and chose to research their numbers instead of some of the others (plus, they were the other breed brought up in this discussion). I'm sure the Thoroughbred industry has contributed much, much, more to this glut as well. There are "animal multiplyers" in every breed, not to mention the folks who have tried to make a buck by crossing the latest fad breed with something more common to create something more "affordable" - perhaps more marketable - than a purebred horse. Oh, oh, I can feel the flames coming now...I'm not saying that a purebred horse is the only kind of horse to have but MOST of the time (note: I said most, not all of the time) quality (by quality, I mean good temperament, good conformation, hardy and intelligent) horses are not the ones being crossed.
As for the number of registrations, that also does not take into account the number of registered horses that are actually alive today. However, I still believe it shows that we, as Fjord enthusiasts, still have a relatively rare breed in this country. If someone has the time to research current numbers of live horses within the various registries, I would find that interesting.
Beth -- Starfire Farm Beth Beymer and Sandy North http://www.starfirefarm.com Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
