Our foal - an update - 2

It's been a while since I've updated on our foal, the last post being back in Dec 2010.

Well our boy is now 6 months, 3 weeks old, and is growing into a lovely lad. He is a big strong lad, with plenty of bone, and quality, we just need to keep our fingers crossed that he keeps on the track he is currently on for the next 2 and a bit months, as we'll be selling him in Sydney on 22-24 June!

He was weaned off his mum in early Feb, and was turned out into a big paddock with 6 other weanlings, however he is proving to have a very very good appetite, a bit too good for this stage of his life.

With Thoroughbreds, if you're raising a foal to sell, you have to be ultra conscious of the leg development.

If a foal gets too heavy, it can cause his legs to deviate through their knees, which if you imagine a horse leg, the bone should be aligned above and below the knee, when they deviate, the bone below the knee misaligns from the bone above.

A foal being too heavy can also put unwanted pressure on his developing legs, and cause the lower leg to turn.

Both of which are not looked upon favourably by buyers.

When you're selling a foal as a weanling, alot of buyers are looking to buy a horse they can sell as a yearling the following year.  So they're looking for a young horse that is growing well, and one that looks like it will continue to grow well.  Any problems in the legs as a weanling can get get significantly worse a year later as a yearling.  Saying that though sometimes mother nature looks after it and any issues can right themsleves.

However it's a punt and when buyers are spending 10's of thousands, sometimes 100's of thousands on wealings to pinhook (resell) as yearlings, it's a punt most don't want to take.

So back to our colt, he was starting to get a bit top heavy, which would, if left unchecked, have started to put undue pressure on his growing legs.  So we have moved him and his best mate into a smaller paddock, where they don't have access to as much lush grass, and where we can ration his feed a bit better.

When he was in the paddock with the other 6 weanlings you would often see him going from one feeder to the other, cleaning up leftovers, and at times bullying the smaller fillies off the feeders so he could keep eating (little piglet!).

He is like his dam and will always be a solid lad, but happy to say at this stage he is on track, and we're keeping the extra weight off him.

Our 2010 colt - Gatto

Curious boys - Gatto at right, his best mate Jesty is left

Hasn't he grown! The day he was born

While it will be very sad to see him go come 22-24 June, I'm happy that we have given him a great start to life, and he will hopefully go to good owners who look after him and give him every chance to fulfill his destiny on the racetrack!

Plus if we don't get some $ coming into our horse business again, our accountant may string me up!

Till next time,