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I have a set group if foundation rescues & other misc foundations that when they hit 10yo, theyre auctioned off regardless. Its incredibly rare, but if theres one or two foundations placing well enough to earn year end rewards for their era or color, I hold on to them.

Then I look at my lined horses, starting with the ones that are close to leveling off at 10years (pts like 9.8 - 10.6). I then ask: Are they consistently in the top 7 of nationals or worlds? Keep them, check them next season (make sure theyre not only earning from shows but also gaining winnings & more points from good show placings). If theyre close to leveling, at the bottom or near bottom of the class, and are not in nationals or worlds, theyre put to auction.

I check my 11pt & ups starting at 10 years just to see their projections, and keep or sell accordingly. A horse consistently placing in the top 7 at 6w,7w, and even 8w has proven to me to make more in show winnings & daily payout, than a foundation with 300 points but not showing well.

Once you get higher PT show horses, you can play by ear & adjust where you think is best. For example, you have an 11yr old horse, 12.2pt, but is starting to level at the bottom of 8L. Thats one Id send to auction in favor of a better placing show horse.

Hope this gives some guidance, Im curious if anyone else has any strats!

I guess I've kept myself at a manageable level, so I only need one barn full of show ponies. Like you, I keep mine until they age out. Though what I also tend to do, is throw older mares and Stallions that can no longer breed and have made it to 20+ into the show barn. I generally keep pretty ponies which replace or slowly grow my show herd. Sorry I don't have much advice on how to get better.

When I need to cull, I run a search for all my horses, usually over age ten, and then sort them by "earnings this month" (Only works when halfway or more through the month). I then jump to the last page, and start with auctioning off leveled-off horses who are placing at the bottom of their classes. Depending on how much space I need, I keep going even with the horses that earn 14hbs/mo, usually stopping somewhere between 50 and 100 hbs/mo.

I check all my new 10-year-olds each month and auction off pretty much everyone who has less than 500 total points.

Gives me a nice chunk of change to start breeding season with.