Our foal - an update - 3

Our 'little' foal has certainly grown up, he's now 8.5 months old, and getting so big and strong it's amazing.

Gatto @ 8.5 months - 3rd June 2011

Gatto @ 8 days - 28 September 2010

We have bred him as part of our business, our horse trading, so in 2.5 weeks he will go to auction in Sydney.

It will be our second weanling to go to auction, and it's so hard, I planned the mating that produced him, I cared for his mum leading up to conception, I drove his mum to meet her 'date' (yes I feel a bit like a pimp!), I cared for his mum for the 11 months of her pregnancy, was there when he was born, helped him have his first drink, cleaned his mum up after he was born.

Almost every day since he was born I've seen him or had something to do with him, be it a pat as walking through the paddock to collect another horse, or when his mum had to come in for vetting.

I comforted him at weaning time when his mum was taken away, I got him through his first feel of a head collar, a  lead rope, a rug.  I taught him how to lead and trust humans.  And in the next 2 weeks I'll be teaching him how to show himself off to his best potential, in the hope he will find a good great home at the June sale.

Yes it's hard, very hard, but I have almost resigned myself to the fact that my 'job' with Gatto is to get him through his first 9 months, so he has the best chance he can have to become what his destiny is, a racehorse, hopefully of the highest order.

So for now I will relish my time with Gatto, and in 2.5 weeks time I will no doubt shed a tear as the auction hammer falls and he goes home with someone else.  I'm so not going to think of that part for now, makes me sad.

Till next time,