Connemara inspections are the worst business strategy possible

Posted on: October 7, 2012

Did Steve Jobs let Bill Gates tell him how to run his business?

Of course not.

By what logic do Connemara breeders think inspections are any different than just such a scenario?

If you are a breeder, you run a business.

You produce a product and compete with others for clients’ money.

Clients either spend their money on your product or your competitors’ product.

To succeed, you must beat out your competitors for some of those dollars.

So, under any normal circumstances, would you let your competitors control your business decisions?

No, because their agenda is their success, not yours.

So, who thought up the idea that breeders, your No. 1 business competitors, should be allowed to tell you how to run your Connemara breeding business?

Well, if you look closely, the idea was thought of by people who were getting beaten in the show ring and sales market, and they were losing clients.

So, they thought up the idea to inspect competitors’ horses and tell them their horses were no good.

This allowed them to pretend their own horses were the true “value” when it came to buying Connemaras.

It is somewhat puzzling that they got away with it.

Let’s compare it to other scenarios:

Would you let the manager of the opposing team be the umpire of Game 7 in the World Series?

Would you let the owner of one of two racehorses in a photo finish decide who won the Kentucky Derby?

Would you let the lawyer defending O.J. (and being paid by O.J.) decide if O.J. was guilty?

No.

You don’t let someone with a vested interest in the outcome take part in important judgments.

You certainly don’t let your competition control your business.

Unless you’re a Connemara breeder, and you’ve somehow been led to believe this is a good business strategy.