The foal season is in full swing and the first online foal auctions are scheduled. Is buying a foal online from the comfort of your own home too good to be true? Or is this really interesting and possible? We looked into it for you.

Nothing beats the view of mares and foals in the field. However, breeding is not for everyone. Besides having enough land at your disposal for the mare and foal, there is a lot more to breeding a foal. A breeder faces both costs and risks.  

Buying instead of breeding
First of all, you need a broodmare. Preferably one that is interesting from a genetics point of view and possesses various talents herself. Next, you have her covered and you have to accept the upkeep expenses for this mare for an entire year. Besides, a mare is not always in foal at the first insemination. There is also the chance that the mare loses the fetus, or worse, the foal. Add to that the risks and costs of the delivery and the first months after the foal is born. Considering all this makes buying a foal via an online auction instead of breeding one yourself a deliberate decision.  

Looking for something specific
One plus one is not automatically two in breeding. You may have put a lot of thought in the stallion choice, but sometimes the results turn out differently than expected. Thanks to the many foal auctions you can focus your search to specific bloodlines to your liking. Since the foals have been born already, you can immediately see if the foal appeals to you and how it moves. Often, you have the opportunity to view the foal at the breeder before you decide to put in a bid. 

Buy with confidence
The foals are closely inspected by a selector on conformation, movements and pedigree. If you would like to receive more information about a foal, you may contact the auction committee that can tell you all about this foal. This allows you to buy a foal with confidence.  

Carefully selected
In addition, buying a foal online saves you a lot of time. The selectors have traveled the entire country to put together an interesting selection. The collections are carefully composed, and you no longer have to actively search for a foal. Thus, it is possible to buy a foal online that matches all your wishes. Bidding from the comfort of your own home, or while on the road via your mobile phone. How easy can it get? 

Patience is rewarded
Are you looking for a talented sport horse? Even then it may be interesting to invest in a foal. Young, promising horses are scarce, and they come with a heavy price tag. Buying a foal is in that regard much cheaper than a three- or four-year-old horse. Naturally, you have to wait a few more years, but you know the horse inside out when you purchased it as a foal. That is another added bonus of investing in a foal. 

The Global Dressage Auction is known for auctioning genetically interesting embryos and dressage foals. The next auction is scheduled from the 19^th up to the 22^nd of June. Should you have any questions about the selection, please contact us here.