Buying a foal for colour or performance?

[zoeshiloh]

I have had two foals this year. One, a stunning chestnut filly, that has already won at county level, is superbly well bred and has paces to die for already. Another, an equally stunning skewbald colt, with decent breeding, but totally un-shown.

After advertsing both for sale, the phone has not stopped ringing for the colt, and he was sold to the first person that came to see him (allbeit I did vet calls, and did let the person I thought was most suitable visit him first). For the filly I have had a trickle of calls, mostly timewasters, but the odd viewing - most with the response "we really like her but don't want to tie ourselves into anything with a deposit, can we see her again at weaning".

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

[cruiseline]

Are both foals going to be similar heights, types, breeding and are they bred for the same purpose.

I did buy a youngster for colour, but equally important was conformation, temperament, potential ability and bloodlines, no wonder it took me 4 years to find the horse I wanted.

[koeffee]

for me performance and breeding over colour every time, but im in the same situation, my bay colt is superbly bred, everything about him shouts quality, with one email enquiry? i had a little coloured filly of no known breeding who i could have sold 10 times over??im asking £1550 for him the filly sold for not much less, very frustrating.

[zoeshiloh]

Yes, to make same height 16hh - 16.2hh area. Very similar breeding - in fact foals are related. Both have good conformation and lovely temprements, and are bred for same discipline. Only big difference is sex - colt vs filly, and colour - chestnut vs skewbald. My partner is amazed as in his non horsey words; "that one has won loads, been in the paper and local magazines and there's hardly any interest, the other has been sat in a field with mum and people are falling over themselves to buy it!"

To be fair, the colt is stunning, and I almost kept him myself!

[zizz]

I also think the fact that the filly is more expensive doesn't help!

[zoeshiloh]

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I also think the fact that the filly is more expensive doesn't help!

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Actually I originally had her advertised at the same price, with limited response, lol. On advice from a show producer with whom I am friends, I raised the price, as he felt she was priced too low, and people would wonder why. TBH there is not an awful lot of difference in the price, lol.

Also, taking my own foals out of the equation - just wondered if coloured foals do sell easier in general?

[miller]

Shame she's not 2 years older - I really liked her but don't really want anything that young.

TBH I would say it is the fact she is a filly - a breeder friend of mine always has more problems selling filies/mares than geldings/stallions - and there is still a lot of people who won;t buy a chestnut filly

[zoeshiloh]

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there is still a lot of people who won;t buy a chestnut filly

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Yes, agree with that! Think I am going to have to send the mare to a homozygous coloured next year, as she seems to throw chestnut fillies with any other stallion! TBH not that bothered, as filly is stunning and just the stamp I like, so who knows, I might end up keeping her myself!

[tabithakat64]

Coloureds are fashionable at the moment, plus it opens up more classes if you show.

[Faithkat]

[ QUOTE ]

TBH I would say it is the fact she is a filly - a breeder friend of mine always has more problems selling filies/mares than geldings/stallions - and there is still a lot of people who won;t buy a chestnut filly

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I would, I would!!! I'm currently have my third chestnut filly. I love them and that what was I was hoping for when I bred from my mare. All through her pregnancy I kept poking her side saying "you'd better have a chestnut filly in there". I could not believe it when that was exactly what she produced . . . sadly, foal started to go grey and I now have a beige-roan 2 year old she's lovely,(and for sale!) but she's not red . .