British Breeder May 2023

Studbook News - AHS
Agriculture House, Charnham Lane
Hungerford,
Berkshire RG17 0EY
Telephone 01672 521411
Fax 01488 682074
Website www.arabhorsesociety.org
Is It Time For The Horse World In The
Uk To Pull Together And Work Out
Where The Young Breeders Of The
Future Might Be And How We Can
Help Them? - By Caroline Sussex
The competition season is in full swing,
endurance started in March. Arabians
and their derivatives are competing in
dressage to qualify for the year end
Championships. The showing season
starts soon with the desire to qualify for
HOYS still the ultimate goal. Arabian
racing has been on a downward spiral
but exciting news that Arena Racing
Company have taken over the Arabian
Racing Organisation with the ARO team
still operating the racing. The company
hopes to build up the grass roots
competitors. It is hoped that racing might
offer another discipline for the Arabians.
Demand is high for horses but sadly,
breeders are declining, mainly due to
the fact that there are very few young
breeders interested and or able to take
on the mantle. The real cost of breeding
horses has left breeders out of pocket
for many years with prices not much
better than the 1980’s. Why would this
encourage new breeders?
Avonbrook Odin & Katherine Bertram - BRC 3-Day Horse Trials. Photo - Action Replay Photography
Government is putting financial pressures
on owners and breeders all the time
and not helping out with trade with our
nearest neighbours – Europe.
If we cannot trade then what does the
future hold. Will horses become only for
the Elite and will we be importing them
all from Europe?
If you want organisations to continue
with their work, they need to be
supported by the Members. The Arab
Horse Society have a number of awards
for their Members to compete for.
On contacting owners of Arab Horse
Society Premium Stallions, it seems
that the number of breeders requesting
nominations are dropping and actual
mares being bred is decreasing. This
trend has been quietly happening for
many years. Initially, it was considered
good that not so many horses were
being bred due to the over production in
the 70’s – 90’s. That era has long gone
and various factors have resulted in the
reduction starting with Foot and Mouth in
2021 and recently covid has resulted in
numbers now at alarming levels.
In the last year large breeders of all
horses have passed away and studs are
being disbanded or scaled down. Is it
time for the horse world to pull together
and work out where this is all going and
seriously work out a future plan?
The general public want a horse to ride
but cannot afford land. The cost of
keeping horses, cost of living, cost of
everything is a serious threat to the horse
world in the future. Racing have
admitted it.
Man of Dreams
Perhaps it is time to think of sharing
a horse and breeding a foal jointly,
keeping it at a specialist breeding stud?
Get the younger generation involved in
breeding their own horse. We all know
how good horses are for mental health.
As an “older” breeder, there is no one
to carry on my stud, so I am gradually
downsizing and ensuring that the
stallions have frozen semen taken as it
is likely that I will have to geld all colts
in the future. However, even doing that
means keeping them until 3 or 4 as
entires. Those breeders around realise
the gene pool is shrinking fast but there is
nothing they can really do about it.
Potential breeders complain of the costs
of using frozen semen and sending
a mare to the Centres but owners of
stallions have less help and less ability to
take mares at public stud.
This includes the Performance Horse
Awards which is a year-long high
points competition in ridden disciplines
including endurance, racing, show
jumping, eventing, ridden showing and
dressage. The winners are invited to
receive their awards at the Arab Horse
Society National Show in July. Separate
sections are for Pure Breds, Anglo Arabs
and Part Breds with an Overall Winner.
The new Winter Dressage Top Ten
Championship was launched in 2021 to
encourage horses and riders to compete
in the winter months. There are also
awards for Premium Progeny each year
and the Ferishal Trophy in Endurance for
the Member with the highest points.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.arabhorsesociety.org.
Contact - Tel: 01672 521411
Email: registrar@arabhorsesociety.org
FB: Arab Horse Society of Great Britain
www.arabhorsesociety.org
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