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alistair leslie
Gold Member
England
1036 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 10:13:39 AM
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None of us know what the next years will bring economically but things could be difficult
Horses will still need to be well cared for but there will be owners who do get into difficulties through no fault of their own .
This forum could be a lifeline /helpline to get through it .
What is evident over the years on this forum is how many nice kind people there are in the Arabian community so those who need to only have to ask .I am not an expert but I did expand a business during the last recession .
May I offer some golden rules for survival which are purely personal......
Take care of business -it does not take care of itself !
Bring a value added factor to whatever do do
Be straight with people including your employers
Do not take wild risks but concentrate on steady progress
There will be enough gloom don't add to it --Smile
In our horse business it is easy to be dazzled into believing that the next horse will bring fame and rewards but do not be fooled by hype
That way we can enjoy our horses for years to come
I hope this is of some help .
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blue moon |
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pat ww
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3459 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 10:25:38 AM
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The old maxim a fool breeds horses for wise men to buy is likely to apply even more today. A large number of breeders are dependent on bought in hay / feed, so our costs go up while the sale price of our product goes down.
There is not much use asking for restraint in breeding, those that do breed large numbers of foals year on year will continue and the one horse owner will wait a year or two.
With the RSPCA getting vast new powers to take your horses, on the say so of some power hungry person in a uniform who may never even have ridden a horse let alone cared for one, we will all be trying to cover our backs by getting vets out for things we would normally treat more competently ourselves. More costs.
I do hope we get a strong network here as a community to help each other, even a few weeks grazing at a difficult time can be a much needed lifeline. |
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templars
Platinum Member
England
1852 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 10:42:32 AM
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The farmers in Ribble Valley have already received warning notes from Trading Standards and their vets that there is a potential welfare time bomb ticking because of the lack of forage and the credit crunch.
Warnings have gone out about the shortage or straw/hay/haylage and sileage and the increased cost of cereals. Farmers are being advised to "ease" their stock levels to try and avoid a potential welfare issue. Some farmers are already half way through their first cut of forage because of the poor summer (they wouldn't normally start using it until September but they had to start using it at the beginning of July).
We're all battening down the hatches!! |
   www.eviepeel.com    |
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arabic
Platinum Member
England
4562 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 11:39:02 AM
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Take care of the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves  |
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jackie k
Gold Member
Wales
889 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 11:50:38 AM
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Be realistic and responsible.
If any of us need help PLEASE ASK FOR IT - don't wait till it is too late.....
Jackie |
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gossy
Platinum Member
England
3639 Posts |
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Joto
Gold Member
855 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 12:41:51 PM
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absolutely jackie k
in defence of the RSPCA, I am a volunteer helper with equines locally. If you'd only seen what I have seen, walking skeletons, aladdins slipper hooves, untreated illness and wounds. the list, very sadly, goes on. If anyone is experiencing difficulties please get intouch with a welfare agency , at least for advise. No one takes horses off people just for the sake of it, there has to be good reason WITHIN THE LAW. neither the RSPCA nor any other agency can work outside the law, if neglect if evident then it will be acted upon, for the sake of the animals. Please remember also, that the P in RSPCA is for prevention. iF ANYONE IS IN DIFFICULTIES DO NOT BE AFRAID OF ASKING FOR HELP. |
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LadyB
Gold Member
England
964 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 2:25:11 PM
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| I also believe that winter is going to be a very tough time, unfortunately there are people out there who would let their horses suffer without asking for help etc, kinda like cutting their noses off to spite their faces! |
Louise
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vjc
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4952 Posts |
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trisha
Gold Member
United Kingdom
914 Posts |
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Suelin
Platinum Member
England
2514 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 3:51:22 PM
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| Very sensible view. I wholeheartedly agree. |
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alistair leslie
Gold Member
England
1036 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2008 : 09:17:08 AM
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there are other things you can do
Protect your supply chain
Hay-make sure you have a good reliable supplier
feed -ditto
Petrol/deisel -be a regular as you get priority in a shortage
Get to know other owners,all equines ,in your local area
Get a part-time job now before the recession hits when there will be too many after them
Get out of debt
Give customers lots of tlc-be a dependable service or supplier
Keep busy
Log all calls from clients or would be clients
-lots of business is lost by not ringing back
The customer is king when things are tight
By protecting your income streams you can feed your horses
Good luck! |
blue moon |
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Tahir
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4572 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2008 : 10:30:44 AM
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Sound advice Alistair, and I hope it's not too late for some people. This winter and possibly the next is going to be dire for some animals. Thankfully we have a good stock of hay, haylage and straw, so if hard feed prices hit the roof at least we know our horses/livestock won't starve - we might though!!!
Carla, xx. |
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crinks
Gold Member
England
650 Posts |
Posted - 04 Oct 2008 : 3:45:42 PM
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We had the same warning as Templars. Luckily we produce our own haylage and we have safeguarded a supply of straw for the winter. Compromises will have to be made we already know this and have cut down where it is safe to do so, the only things not on the hit list here are the insurance premiums for the horses, they get kept going at all costs, you never know when and wher you might need htem!
anoher tip that some small owners have been doing is banding together and pooling finances and resources to buy in straight from the field and to buy in bulk where possible, know it probably 'old hat' but at least some of you might be able to make use of that idea.
We have got the hard feed in for the winter now so thats another headache away for us ................ Carla your right its going to be very hard and nigh on impossible for some folks is this winter, but at least if we can come through this one we can get through most things.
echo the if you need help then ask! If folks can help they will if they can't they can point you in the direction of the help available!
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Edited by - crinks on 04 Oct 2008 3:47:21 PM |
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tut 99
Silver Member
401 Posts |
Posted - 04 Oct 2008 : 4:20:57 PM
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Welfare has always been a problem, the credit crunch will be just another thing for some people to blame for the way they treat there horses.I have seen for myself first hand mares and foals laying in there dung ,wet dung! not a sign of any straw to be had ,only for the ones on show. Stallions never going out of there boxes ,just hay thrown over the door to them.
To own an Arab is a status symbol to this type of person.Surely they can not love there horses the way we do. |
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alistair leslie
Gold Member
England
1036 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 10:10:48 AM
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God suggestion cricks
We have a village oil syndicate where we save 10% by ordering over 10,000litres
so cooperation |
blue moon |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 10:23:46 AM
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Think its going to be a very hard winter for many and I hope that
the horses dont suffer through it.
We had some hay delivered yesterday and we have always paid £2.00 - £2.50 a bale and the cheapest we could find was £3.25 a bale, when we
went looking for a new supplier (the last supplier didnt cut this year due to illness) we didnt go for the cheapest quality we went for
good quality at a reasonable price.
I went for some Happy Hoof yesterday aswell, my first bag of the Winter and I nearly fell on the floor £10.60 Now I will do without something to make sure my lad as what he likes (De doesnt like anything else only Happy Hoof and High fibre cubes and beleive me I have tried) just wondering if other people will do the same!!!
Long hard winter me thinks!!
Janet |
     
Sunny Cheshire |
Edited by - Kazzy on 06 Oct 2008 10:24:25 AM |
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precious
Platinum Member
England
2253 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 10:29:40 AM
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| Im going to have to look into buying in bulk to try and save money although the feed company are trying to not put up the prices they wont have much choice. |
     
Gemma Thompson
Birmingham West Midlands
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Ryans_gem
Silver Member
England
262 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 10:29:43 AM
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Unfortunately because of several problems I now have to sell my two arabs I never dreamt that this would happen but as me and my boyfriend who lost his job 3 months we have lost everything we own including our home and now we have to go and live with our parents again I don't have much choice but to sell the horses.
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precious
Platinum Member
England
2253 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 10:36:35 AM
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| OMG ryans gem, so sorry to hear this! |
Gemma Thompson
Birmingham West Midlands
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Christine Pollard
Gold Member
England
686 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 10:39:00 AM
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| You poor thing my OH has lost his job and I can see the time ahead is going to be tough. I was just thinking the other day thank goodness I haven't got a horse. How heartbreaking for you. I pray something works out for you. Christine x |
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Ryans_gem
Silver Member
England
262 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 10:52:48 AM
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Thank you very much for your replies the way things are is hitting everyone in some way  I have had my hours in work cut to the bare minimum and no overtime at all for months its trying to survive off a small scrap of money trying hard to stay out the red is really difficult, I won't let the horses go untill I am happy with where they are going. I told my parents how bad things were they don't think I will cope emotionally with the selling part but I have decided not to get any more horses in future even if things really pick up as can't go through this again. |
  
My horse is my very best friend. Nothing in the world can separate us. When he dies I know he'll be waiting for me at the gate... just like always.
A horse doesn't care how much you know, untill he knows how much you care.
~ Pat Parelli ~ |
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vjc
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4952 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 11:16:06 AM
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| Well i have bought my spillers H&P nuts in bulk and made quite a saving!!! at least if they go up again in the near future i have mine already!!! |
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nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 11:47:33 AM
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oh gemma i am so sorry, i do hope something turns up!
I am currently doing a cv, as there is a job in the loacl petrol station from 10pm til 6am, which will suit me just fine. wish me luck! |
pagey |
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weirton
Gold Member
873 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 11:54:23 AM
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Please be very careful in the way you store a large quantity of Spillers H&P nuts. A few years ago I thought I'd buy in a few months supply and thought the place I'd put them in was dry and well ventilated but when I got half way down the stack I found some of the nuts were going green and musty, so ended up throwing them all away. Expensive!!! Now whether it wasn't as dry as I thought or maybe I couldn't use them quickly enough, although still within the date limit, I don't know but of course the former was blamed so no joy from supplier.
Difficult to know what to do for the best really but won't do that again.
Jean |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2008 : 12:00:36 PM
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You're right Jean. I took advantage of a 'buy three' offer on conditioning cubes and lost all three to mildew because they weren't in a heated and dry environment. I ended up giving them to my local farmer for his animals which apparently aren't fussy!
I think hard feed is less important than good quality, ad lib forage, though mine will get a feed a day. I'm going to get advice on using straights to see if it works out cheaper, though even with any savings it will probably be more costly than last year!
My local farmer said there is a glut of wheat on the market now as the crops have been good globally so the costs should go down soon. However he countered that by saying fertiliser costs have gone up threefold, so everything is going to be more expensive. |
Roseanne |
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