As Trent says, NSW have the $500 rebate for colonial sires ( returned to breeder upon registering a foal) and whilst it can certainly be seen as having been a boost to stallion and foal numbers it is also easy to see it as a way that stallion owners can maintain a higher less competitive fee for their sire so that they moreso then the mare owner is the beneficiary of the scheme. Perhaps it’s time to review this scheme and reduce/remove the rebate for the production of a foal to a scheme whereby the extra is returned to the breeder when the foal becomes a starter.

Obviously every starter must once have been a foal, but not every foal becomes a starter. It is at the level of “starter” that a foal begins to contribute to the governing bodies revenue source by increasing field sizes and wagering returns, and in turn prizemoney. Whilst we do need more foals it is imperative that we get more starters from the foals we do produce. “Wastage” is not only an economic burden for the industry but weighs heavily upon the industry and public alike with regard to animal welfare.