1968-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1968 January Voice RS | Page 104

much credit to its dam as to its sire , i . e ., that the stallion put the mare on the map , so there ’ s no special consideration due on either side . In any event , it ' s a question which could be argued all night without reaching a uniformly satisfactory answer .) " Leslie Combs II , who has handled many syndicates in various price ranges , considers syndication beneficial to all breeders , regardless of the size or financial resources of their operations . ’ It is an advantage to the big breeder and the little breeder , too ,' he insists . ' Some little breeders claim not to like it , but at least they ’ ve had a chance to get in the syndicate , whereas with a private horse they ’ re out altogether .’
" Lou Doherty , specialist in stallion management and development at his Stallion Station , also holds that syndication may help the small-scale breeder . ' From the breeding angle ,' he explains , ' the small man with four , five or six mares has a chance to make a lot of money from selling yearlings by a horse he might not be able to breed to after the first few years . You know , if a horse makes good , his fee rises and his book fills . The small man has a chance to buy into a young horse that may become successful .’ " A . B . Hancock , Jr ., boss of Claiborne Farm , on the other hand , sympathizes with the small breeders ' presumed distaste for syndication . ’ Of course it ’ s a terrible thing , I agree .' he says , from the small breeders ’ point ol view . You always hate to say , " No ”; to tell a man he can ’ t get in . But there are only so many seasons to go around , and I can ' t see how the small breeder can expect to get in if he ' s stayed outside the syndicate . The small breeder , after all , is playing in a big game : and , just like a poker game , if you expect to stay in you ' d better have a pretty good bankroll .'
" The horseman designated earlier as Mr . B . is even more positive . People moan about the small breeder not being able to get to syndicate horses ,’ he exclaims . Blast the small breeder ! He ’ s got no business in this business . He wouldn ' t get to those horses , anyway .’
" Some independent breeders seem to agree , if not with the language , at least with the sentiment that they are out of their depth in syndicate company . For example . Thomas Piatt , owner of Brookdale Farm , Lexington , Ky ., and a breeder for more than half a century , reports that the development of modern syndication has not altered his operations at all . ' It doesn ’ t affect me one way or the other ,’ he reports . ' I can ' t see any difference in breeding . 1 breed to my horses and they breed to theirs . I can ’ t afford those high-priced horses , anyway . That ’ s all right for the big rich , but not for me .’
" One result of syndicate development , in the opinion of many professional stallion managers , has been to make their tasks easier - a fact which may help to explain why they so strongly support this form of stallion ownership . ' The syndicated horse ,’ says Mr . Combs , ' is definitely easier to manage , because you don ' t have to sell seasons to him .'
" Mr . Hancock emphasizes the economy rather than the easy of syndicate management : ' It ’ s a little less expensive to manage a syndicate horse . He ’ s assured of so many mares , and you don ’ t have to pay out for advertising .’
" Most syndicate managers , though , find it advisable to do a certain amound of advertising , if only to keep the horse ’ s name and merits fresh in the " minds of
prospective buyers of his get .
' Mr . A . agrees on the ease ol managing a syndicate : ’ A syndicate horse is a breeze to handle , in so
many ways .' . .
" However , Mr . Doherty takes exactly the opposite point of view . ' The privately owned horse is easier to
manage , provided the owner is a reasonable man . l ' ve been very fortunate in my relations with all my owners . There is only one letter to write , only one man with whom to discuss matters of policy , only one
bill to send .
" ' With the syndicated horse the added difficulty is that there is fifteen , twenty or thirty times as much detailed bookkeeping . Why , I ’ ve got to have three
girls in this office now . " " Ivor Balding , manager of the C . V . Whitney farm , completely agrees : ' A privately-owned horse is much easier to " manage , I should think , although I ’ ve had no experience in it ( syndication ), because you have only one man . I understand some syndicates have had a certain amount of - ah - internal friction .’
" Mr . Balding also reveals that sentiment may be a factor in opposing syndication , at least in certain cases . ' We once talked of syndicating MAHMOUD , when he was at the height of his powers ,’ the Whitney manager relates . ' Mr . Whitney said , " No ,” that he didn ’ t want him syndicated ; that he had been a good horse to him , and that he wanted to keep him and , when the time came , to put him in his grave .’
" The wide diversity of opinion on stallion syndication , as indicated in this report , precludes the possibility of reaching many definite conclusions in this appraisal of the subject . But perhaps a summary of the pros and cons of the issue may now be attempted .
" Syndication spreads the high cost and risk of stallion purchase among many breeders . It enables syndicate members to gain access to top stallions they might otherwise not be able to breed to . The member of several syndicates has a broad selection of bloodlines , conformation and distance types . The syndicate member is protected against stud-fee rises , and may have his stallion-share gain in value if the horse becomes a successful sire . This is strongly possible , since most syndicated stallions are carefully selected as top prospects , are given professional management in the majorit }' of cases , and are generally afforded a wide variety of choice mares by leading breeders . Moreover , the syndicate horse is assured of a full book , at least for his critical first few seasons at stud .
" On the other hand , syndication may prove costly , not only financially but also in terms of damage to a breeding program , if the stallion fails to develop into a good sire , because the shareholders feel compelled to make use of their seasons long after they would pay a stud fee to breed to him . Shares in a poor sire are hard to get rid of . Small breeders are often shut out ol access to a syndicated horse ’ s book unless they can afford to join the original organization . Some breeders tend to send mares not especially suited to a syndicated horse merely to make use of his seasons . The horse may be bred to too many mares . Horses ol less than outstanding promise are overlooked by syndicates and hence receive inadequate stud opportunities - and some such horses have under private backing turned out to be valuable sires .
" The stallion owner , after considering all aspects of and opinions on the subject , must still answer for himself , in the light of his own particular circumstances and attitudes , that question with which this appraisal of stallion syndication was begun :
104
Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse