I've been really frustrated lately.
My entire April book canceled because of recent flooding events and other personal issues. Of course, I'm a nice person and want these people to either breed in another month or some other time in the future. Well maybe I'm not all that nice and really just practicing good business by not holding anyone to booking fees etc. I want them to come back and then tell their friends to come to me too.
I've dropped his fee to $500.00 which is much less than my original $850. The $850 was already a break from his previous fee, which I decided could not be attained in ND.
I just thought that I had a nice horse and it wouldn't be this hard to book mares. I knew being in ND would be a slight disadvantage, but with shipped semen, who cares. I mean I haven't even gotten to turn away any fuglies. I'm beginning to wonder where have all the mares gone.
I know that my website gets great hits. I have an awesome stat counter that gives me great feedback. I know what pages are popular and so forth, that way I can edit the site and get the information out there. What really frustrates me is that I know there are people who have visited multiple times and have not contacted me. I don't understand that. You know at least shoot me an e-mail saying you like him or ask a question, even a dumb one. I don't care, I would love to answer any e-mail. (To the nice people in Minot, ND; Langdon, ND; Wilton, ND and Minneapolis who have visited the site, please shoot me an e-mail.)
On a good note, I started a Facebook and Myspace account for Studly. Facebook has been great, and he has a good amount of friends. Yay, networking! One May booking is the result of his Facebook page. Well technically, it is with someone I knew from before, but I wouldn't have booked anything if she hadn't seen him on facebook.
I'm also thinking of starting an e-mail/mailing list and adding that feature to my website. Maybe over Easter I'll get that done, but I've got two wooly beasts that the weather will finally allow me to body clip. I know its not really the right time to do it, but they have to live out in the winter and won't finish shedding until July if I don't help out.
Funny. I have that Bang Head Here sign on my office wall.
ReplyDeleteAND! I have a solid Paint mare that I'm thinking about breeding to some color within the next month.
What's your website with Studly?
Smokes Navajo's website
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Please check him out. I also put a button on the side-bar to the website.
Oh! (ding ding) found it!
ReplyDeleteI lived in ND for a few years. How are you holding out with the floods and storms?
This next couple of years is going to be very difficult for stallion owners. It's a shame for a lot of them. There are nice stallions out there that are going to be underutilized for awhile.
ReplyDeleteWe don't stand our stallion to the public as he was purchased to nick specifically with the set of mares we raised. Still, the last 3 years, we have only put 2 and 3 mares with him in the summer. So far only one foal to show for it and one due in a month. Some of the mares that were originally intended only as broodmares, I am going to break out this year. They have many years left to potentially produce babies, but their prime riding ages are rapidly dwindling.
As tough as it is on so many people and so many horses, I really think this is something that needed to happen in the horse industry. Too many people were just breeding to be breeding. Heck, we got overwhelmed in numbers just by leasing our old stallion on shares. We have been very fortunate not to have to reduce numbers just to reduce numbers though.
Hang in there...The good ones will prevail.
Hey woman! Hope I didn't disappoint you! I still have you on my list for a breeding! Just not the moment. >.<
ReplyDeleteCallie, most definitely Callie. I need a Smokes baby from her.
MMk I am going to go crawl back in my hole now. Sick AGAIN.
BrownEyed, thanks. I'll hang in. I'm just a little behind the 8 ball already with an older horse who spent the last eight years rotting in a stall. I don't want to be greedy at all or put horses on the market that wouldn't be of a quality that I would buy. I had set a goal of 10 mares for the season and I'm still going to work my butt off to get it. I know that when I get him showing this summer, interest will pick up.
ReplyDeleteND_Appy, no hard feelings, I just feel bad that I can't hold up my end for you.
I just had too many eggs in one basket so to speak. It was 4 mares with the same guy. With all the flooding though, he had lost use of most of his pasture, a building, and a bunch of hay. So I see where he really needs to put the money to hay.
Don't feel bad about it. Think of it this way, I have a FUTURE breeding with Smokes. So you still are holding up your end. And it's not like I have done my end yet either. >.<
ReplyDeleteGetting to be a crappy year all around.