>>>> why, aside from the profits of breeders, do we need to do that?
If you really think that breeders make a profit, you need to think again. There's an old joke in the horse world. "How do you make a small fortune with horses? Start with a large one." And actually, it's hardly a joke. In the USA, if a breeder has a conscience, it's almost impossible to even come close to breaking even raising horses. Breeders who care enough to do it right, vaccinating, worming their horses, getting basic medical and dental care, farriery work etc. rarely, if ever, will recoup the price of their breeding stock. Most of us don't even pretend that's ever going to happen, and consider ourselves lucky if we don't lose money on each foal - and we pray that each beloved mare will safely make it through her pregnancy, because there is always a risk with each one. And that's not counting a penny for the sleepless nights on foal watch, the hours and hours we spend learning about breeding, nutrition, the breed standards... And nothing for the time we spend showing visitors the horses. If you love horses enough to take good basic care of your horses, you breed only for the love of the breed, the love of the mares, and because you love babies - there's really no logical/financial reason for doing it. I'm certainly losing money in my small breeding operation, but I wouldn't take anything for the joy of having had seven healthy foals born here. I'm not sure I'll have the stomach to do it forever, but there is a true joy in parts of this job. Just no money...:) >>> they're hardly obscure as it is; they appear even in most kids' books of breeds. Well, giraffes and tigers are in many children's books, and dinosaurs too - but that doesn't exactly make them common in my neck of the woods. :) In a country that has 10,000,000 horses, I'd consider the 2500-3000 Icelandic's fairly obscure. That's only 0.03% of the USA horse population. I think Judy's question very fair, and I'll answer it separately. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
