> > I got the veiled hint btw, that I think my horse is valuable because I love him, but I don't think you are getting my hint, that some people are fooled by the emperors new icelandic clothes. > Janice
Well, I get your hint, what I do not like is you calling people Stupid, or fooled....some horses go for that and their are reasons....the person that bred your boy, did so at some time and expense...and unless she is independently wealthy could not keep breeding for profit if she were to sell her foals at a monatary loss. Breeding is a buisness for some of us...I take it very seriously as I live in a very small community, only 150,000 people live on our big island, and poor breeding, and selling foals at a loss would mean that Icelandics would get a bad reputation very very fast. As it is we have a good reputation here with long term residents....most of whom love QTr Hrs and never have heard of a 'Gaited Horse' at all...we are starting from scratch and have to be careful....it costs us now around $4000 just to import a horse from the west coast....If we sold at a loss their would be no breeding... And I am very concerned about where my babies go...I hand select every home...I take monthly payments so that people can pay for them, with no interest...I help them by placing their babies in an amazing huge pasture with other Icelandics so that they can grow up in a herd...I work hard to place my horses, and so far I have not had to take a loss for any of them, I do not have a big bank account, I can not do that for charity.....I do however take in rescue horses and place them at a loss....I feel if you breed you should do some rescue work as well...thats how we are...we have a new rescue Qtr horse in our roundpen right now...she never had hoof care, and was starving....we will rehab her and place her at a huge loss for us... But how long could you keep your job if your paycheck never covered your expenses of having the job? How many hours would you work for free if you could not pay for your gas, buy food, feed your horses? All I am saying is do not expect breeders to sell horses at a loss..thats not fair. And yes at yearling for $15,000 is a lot of money....and some people will pay it...and I bet that the breeders who sell horses for that amount have many more breeding expenses than I...I bet their farm looks Perfect, their truck and trailer nice....all their saddles are newer and expensive....their client base has different needs than mine.... I do not buy my clothes at name brand stores where you can sit down on a couch, have a glass of wine brought to you, I know people who do, I go to Walmart and Target.....I will pay $20 bucks for a shirt where a lot of people will pay $200.... Different strokes for different folks. I do not call those people stupid because they shop at high end fashion stores.....I just buy my clothes where I buy them...let them buy their clothes where they want. Enough of my rambling...mabye you will get the point. S Lee
