Jeanette GowerAuthor, The Thinking Horse Breeder · Writer of the Thinking Horseman series of books

What distinguishes successful breeders from the rest?

27 Feb 2025 · 1 min

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In this brief talk, the speaker draws on two famous Warren Buffett sayings to illustrate why some horse breeders thrive while others falter. The first saying, “A rising tide lifts all ships,” suggests that a strong economy benefits all breeders, but it can also mask underlying weaknesses. The second, “When the tide is out you can see who is swimming naked,” highlights that economic downturns expose those who lack sound practices or reputation. The speaker argues that successful breeders endure year after year by consistently producing high‑quality, useful stock and cultivating a steady market through word‑of‑mouth referrals and repeat buyers. Rather than chasing wealth—a goal deemed nearly impossible in horse breeding—they concentrate on minimizing avoidable errors by relying on proven, trusted methods.

Chapters

That reminds me of two of Warren Buffett's famous sayings: 1. "A rising tide lifts all ships," and— so a good economy assists— all horse breeders. 2. "When the tide is out you can see who is swimming naked." When the economy is stalled, you easily see who is unable to do the right thing, who is not reputable. Some horse breeders survive year after year producing quality, useful stock and have a steady market through word of mouth and repeat buyers. These successful breeders are not trying to get rich. In fact, we all know that that is almost impossible with any facet of owning horses, least of all horse breeding. Instead, they focus on making fewer avoidable errors by using proven, trusted methods.