Our 2011 edition - foal

I just realised that during my slack hiatus aka all day "morning sickness" of 5 months I hadn't posted anything about our 2011 edition foal!

Well we were blessed on 18 September to have our mare deliver another magnificent colt.

Our lovely 2011 colt

Unfortunately the mare had a bit of a torrid time, she retained some of the placenta, and got an infection in her uterus, we ended up having to send her to the Vet Clinic, after a week of the vet treating her at the farm, she wasn't improving quickly enough.

It was touch and go for both mum & colt, with them both having very high temperatures and infections, but after another week of (expensive!) treatment, they were both fine.

Our 2011 colt at about 3 weeks old, with milk splatter on his face!

The colt also had a few issues with his legs, with Thoroughbreds, especially if you want to sell them as a weanling (9 months) or yearling (12-18 months), having straight legs is the goal.  Buyers are looking to buy a horse with as few conformation issues as possible, and having wonky legs will cut the price you achieve dramatically.

A friendly fella

Mum & Bub, healthy and happy to be home from the vets!

We had the farrier do some corrective work on his hooves, and we're continuously monitoring his progress, and thankfully with the colt now being 5 months old his legs are just about spot on!

We weaned him off his mum in early Feb, and he's currently enjoying life as a kid with a gang of 7 other weanlings, bucking their newly aquired brands off morning & night, tearing around the paddock, playing chasey and pretend fighting for dominance and just fun!

Not a great photo - from my phone - this is at about 4 months of age

At this stage we'll be selling this bloke at the June Weanling Sales in Sydney, where we sold his brother last year, and his sister the year before.

2010 edition

2009 edition

I'll hopefully get some good photos of him soon, before I go on maternity leave!


Till next time,

Friday On My Mind - 14 - our lovely lad

On my mind this Friday, is our lovely lovely lad, Gatto (nickname), the 2010 foal from our mare.

Gatto's mum, fat as a fool 8 months pregnant

I took Gatto's mum for her 'date' back on 8th October 2009, when she was covered by the stallion, I nervously waited 3 agonising days with fingers & toes crossed until the vet confirmed she had ovulated.  Then waited 11 months, until 20 September 2010, when she produced our magnificent Gatto. We were so happy to have a colt, as in the Thoroughbred world, unfortunately, colts are generally of much higher value than fillies.

Gatto at 4 hours

I kept Gatto company when he was weaned from his mum, and reassured him that he was ok on his own.  I taught him that a headcollar, and lead, and brushes weren't scary monsters to be fearful of. I taught him that walking with me, nice and calm, was a lovely place to be.

Gatto at 8 days

I visited him out with his mates and singled him out for a bit of extra TLC and scratches.

Gatto at 6 months

I picked the brand he would have (6 for good luck), and held him while he was branded and microchipped. Then taught him that a rug was his best friend to keep him warm and clean, not to devour him whole!

This week I spent from Sunday to Thursday midday with him at least 12 hours a day, showing him off to interested buyers, we were hoping for around 60 inspections, we ended up with 87!

Gatto at the sales complex

I asked industry experts to come and have a look at him and give me their opinions, they loved him, and he showed himself off like an old pro.

Gatto showing himself off a treat

We got him ready for his salesring appearance, I'm not sure if I will put the butterflies down to nerves, or sadness, as I knew it meant the end of our story together.  Gatto paraded beautifully in the sales ring, I video taped his sale, through tears of pride, joy and sadness.  Pride that we had helped produce and raise such a special colt, joy that he was showing himself off to his best ability, and sadness that I was losing him.

In the end, our trading business, is just that a business, but I'm a horse lover through and through, I know some in the industry can just treat their horses as an asset, but I can't, and I'm not ashamed to say so.

We got a terrific price for him, much more than we were hoping, and a hell of alot more than we were expecting, in the current depressed market.  But goes to show, the cream will always rise to the top!

Gatto you were a joy to know, own, and educate, we will follow your career with much interest.  Good luck big boy!

Till we next meet, when I visit you in NZ in 2012, take care sweetpea.

Thanks to Rhonda from the Down To Earth blog for her 'Friday On My Mind' idea, it's a gem, I've clicked through comments on numerous blogs on Rhonda's list, and on my own, and found some great blogs which I'm now following, and looking forward to discovering many more!

Moroccan 1 night, Japanese the next!

This week I'm in Sydney for work, arrived on Sunday, and will be here until Thursday afternoon when our horse (a weanling) sells at the Inglis Weanling & Broodmare Sale at Randwick.

I had planned to get through alot of the fabric prep for my DIY Bunting for our wedding, bringing along a big box of fabric, scissors, cutter, etc.

Well so far, no luck!  Sunday night we were treated to dinner by the boss, at Moroccan Feast in Randwick, I had never tried Moroccan but knew I would probably love it, as I really like Turkish food.

Very happy to report that the meal was delicious, and the service was top notch.

We started with a combo of 4 salads :

- Homemade Moroccan Pickle mix
- Tangier Beetroot, seasoned with Chef's spice mix, served cold
- Chickpea salad, with special spice mix
- Eggplant dip, seasoned with garlic, lemon and salt

served with moreish pita bread

I followed with a very yummy Chicken Kourdass (seasoned chicken breast, stuffed with mince, cooked in homemade preserved lemon & lime leaves, with fresh mushrooms & a touch of saffron).

Luckily we walked to the restaurant and back to our hotel, otherwise I think I would have spent the night walking round the room, as I was sooooooooooo full!

Last night we were invited by another sales crew for Japanese, at Monkey Magic, Surry Hills.

We started with a bowl of Miso soup, feels so healthy & clean. Then rice paper rolls with chicken, caramelised onions, julienne vegetables, sesame-miso sauce, so scrumptious!

Main was Slow-Cooked Pork Belly, apple-lime puree, spicy kimchi, salad of pickled vegetables.

A great dinner with good company, a treat on a week that will be very busy.

The miso soup turned out to be VERY cleansing, both myself and workmate spent a bit of time in the bathroom overnight!

Hopefully I'll be posting about a good sale result come Thursday, wish us luck!

Our colt at 4 hours old, he's now 9 months and sells on Thursday!

Till next time,

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,

It's a hard life

Just a quick post, going about my day when had a feeling I was being watched, our foal, who has assumed the role of Mr Laid Back King Of The Farm, was supervising my duties from afar, I couldn't resist a pic.

Till next time,

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,

A Flukey Foal Foto

Happened to fluke quite a cool photo of one of the foals on the farm, he'd been trying for about 15 seconds to reach the itch and gave it a good going over once he worked out how to get to it! Usually I'd try to take photos of the horses away from non natural backgrounds, but I think the colour of the shelter in the background works quite well in this shot.

Till next time,

Friday On My Mind - 2

It's Friday again, which means the lovely Rhonda from the Down To Earth blog is having her Friday Photo Feature - 'On My Mind....'  I enjoyed tripping round blogs listed in the comments on Rhonda's blog, and have bookmarked quite a few to revisit.

So what's on  my mind this lovely Friday?

My dad trained racehorses when I was a kid, and I don't remember a time when I didn't have horses in my life, so it's no surprise really, that one of my favourite photos is of me, probably at 2 or 3 sitting on one of dads racehorses, apparently I would get very cranky if anyone tried to put a hand on me to make sure I was safe up high on their backs.

The horse I'm on was a 2yo filly, she held a track record at the Gold Coast at one stage, very fast filly, she was my favourite.

I promise next Friday's photo won't be horse related!!

Till next time,

Friday On My Mind

The lovely Rhonda, from the well worth a visit blog Down to Earth has a Friday Photo Feature called 'On My Mind...'  after reading through the comments, where visitors leave links to their blogs of what's on their mind, I thought I'd join in.

So what's on my mind, this lovely, if not stinking hot, Friday!

A racehorse working on the beach at sunrise - Warrnambool Vic

When I was a kid, I used to help my dad work and swim our racehorses on the beach at Warrnambool, I have dreams of one day getting back to living by the beach, and high on the list will be riding our horses at sunrise in the water.

Sure it was dangerous, we often saw sharks, but it was just bliss, you and the horse, bareback through the waves, we'd ride them on the sand, then swim them in the ocean behind a rowboat, I'd ride them out till they started to swim, then hold on around their neck floating behind them while they swam.

Nothing like it, and I'll do it again, one day!

Till next time,

Our foal - an update

Back on 20 September our lovely mare foaled a big strong colt - http://canwedoityepwecan.blogspot.com/2010/09/our-new-arrival.html

Well he is now 11 weeks old and continues to impress us.  He is a big strong and correct colt, and lucky for all of us who have to work with him, he has a gorgeous temperament.  We have a few foals on the farm who are shall we say less than cooperative, but our boy is just a gem (so far!!).

This is a pic of him at about 4 hours old

This is a photo of him from today, at about 11 weeks old

As you can see he is growing into a lovely lad, not that I'm biased much!!  :)

Till next time,

Our New Arrival

No not the 2 legged, crying type (yet!), a 4 legged, gorgeous colt, which our mare foaled this morning at 2.30am.

Weirdly last year she foaled a filly at 2.30am also, but 3 days earlier.

The filly weighed 55kgs, this colt is a big boy weighing in at around 75kgs!

All is well with mum & bub, will take some better photos soon, this one is from Mr Mel's phone, we're both extremely happy, and as you can see mum is very proud :)

Till next time,

A Pampered Weekend, With A Difference

I know most people, fellow women mainly, will think a weekend of pampering would include massages, champagne, chocolates, spa treatments, shopping, etc.

Well I do agree, however this weekend just past was a tad different.

On Saturday we headed to Coolmore Australia at Jerry's Plains & Darley Australia at Aberdeen for the industry stallion parades. On Sunday we went to Widden Stud in the Widden Valley for their parade.

The farms put on a terrific day, at Coolmore we had morning tea in a marquee (the most delish chicken & pistachio sandwiches), followed by a parade of their stallions, along with a colourful commentary from one of the Coolmore boys.

At Darley the parade is first, very slick & professional, commentated by leading racecaller David Raphael, following the parade is a glamorous lunch, they set up several marquees with different themes, and cuisines, along with a bar, waiters etc.

At Widden it's more of a family affair, the farm has been in the Thompson family for over 140 years, and it shows, there were no professional wait staff, the Widden farm staff provided excellent and personal service.  Before a lovely lunch on the lawn at the homestead there was a parade of the Widden stallions and the foals of their new lads, a good touch the other farms don't do.

I decided to not take my camera this year, as I found in previous years I was more worried about getting good shots than enjoying the day and socialising with friends, clients & associates. Mr Mel & I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

So yes my weekend included all the usual pamper weekend items:

Champagne - I somehow got suckered into being designated driver, but I still had a glass of bubbles both days
Chocolates - dessert on Sunday was a delish bitter chocolate tart with berries, and there was chocolate nibblies on Saturday
Massages - not entirely included, but definitely requested after a day in heeled boots walking across paddocks!
Shopping - indeed, inspecting the stallions is akin to shopping, sure the prices ranging from $8,000 to $165,000 are a tad steeper than usual!
Spa treatments - I had a lovely face full of foal hair after a particularly friendly foal decided I needed to rub noses with him, perhaps a new fad for spas?  yeah probably not!

Some photos from previous parades.

 

Till next time,

Foals of 2010 - 1

We had the first foal of the season arrive last week, the mare who was having her first foal was very considerate and had her foal at midday, the usually wait until nightfall, but it made things alot easier when we didn't have to have a torch shining on proceedings.

All went well, a healthy filly and mare, after a quick delivery.

We're foaling 17 mares this year, another 16 to go!

Welcome to the world little Missy

Till next time,

Brrrr Hello Winter, We Meet Again

Day 1 of running the farm for 2 weeks with the boss away, and by crikeys it's cold!

Left home at 6am for the 20 min drive to the farm, our iron front fence was covered in ice, and the front lawn was white & crunchy. Mr Mel put some water on the front windscreen while I ran around inside looking for gloves, by the time I got to the car the new water was frozen too!

Driving to the farm the paddocks looked like the were covered in snow.

Got to the farm at 6.30am after stopping at Woolworths to buy some el cheapo gloves & a beanie (yes a good look I know). The weather station said -2 deg, excellent!

I was adorned with 2 singlets, a long sleeve top, a zip up jacket, scarf, beanie, and gloves, and still the icy wind went through me. After 2 mins on the quad I couldn't feel my fingers, always a good sign.

Luckily all the horses were in good order, so I didn't have to fumble with frozen fingers and undone rug straps, and even luckier all of the horses must have decided it was too cold to have their usual play with the trough floats, so I didn't have to go shoulder deep to fix the float, yay!

At 7.30 when I'd finished it was 0 deg, it's now 10am and it's 7 deg, and the paddocks have lost their cover of frost, hopefully the sun will have a bit more warmth to it before the afternoon feedup!

And I must say, thank whatever god there is for coffee!!! :-)

Till next time,

Our Filly Sold

Sad and happy news.

We started our Thoroughbred horse business in July last year when we purchased our first broodmare (in-foal), she had a lovely filly in September. The plan is we want to buy, sell and breed horses, and hopefully turn a profit doing so.

Our filly, who is now 9 months old, sold yesterday, we set a perhaps conservative reserve, and happy to say she sold for 1.6 times the reserve.

The reason for the conservative reserve is that we need to get some cash back into the business, and if we were to keep her to sell as a yearling we would have been looking at another $5-7,000 in expenses, and maybe get another $2-3,000 profit for it. But while you hold horses there are always risks, especially with young horses, and because their aim is to be a racehorse, if anything goes wrong, either with their legs or respiratory system, you can end up spending alot of money on a horse worth nothing.

So while we're trying to establish our business our motto is sell sell sell, once we've made millions we can keep all the babies and enjoy them, but that's a way off the track.

The good news is I didn't cry as she went through the salesring (yes I was close to tears I'll admit), and she has gone to a good home, I spoke to the buyers afterwards, they are keen to get her to the track as a 2yo, so that will be in our favour if she can run early, it will help our subsequent foals sell.

The farm she's going to is only an hour and a half up the road, and I've got an open invite to go see her, so that's good news also.

The bad news is I feel like I've sold a child, yes stupid I know, but I was there when she was born, have dealt/played with her almost every day since then, I helped her take her first suckle of milk, and to get to her feet, I weaned her from her mum, and taught her how to be a horse, not a foal.

I guess it just proves I'm not as hardened as I should be after 15 years in the thoroughbred game, and to be honest, I don't think that's a bad thing, there are alot of people out there who treat there horses as just assets, with little to no emotional attachment. While I want our business to succeed, I never want to lose my love of horses, and only see them as $ signs!

Good luck little filly, I'll be following your every step :)

Till next post, 

Oh for a camera

Don't you hate those times when you wish you had a camera?
I had one just now, out checking on the foals, and hear alot of flapping and hoofsteps, look over to where our filly is, and there is a family of ducks, 5-6 in total, bolting thru the paddock, madly flapping their wings, in hot pursuit was our filly, with her head down snorting, chasing after them.  The ducks made it thru the fence before she got there, and they took off to the dam. Our filly stood at the fence stamping her foot and shaking her head. Could just see her saying "And stay out!!"
Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to be doing the job I love in a beautiful country spot, I sooo don't miss living in Melbourne, except for the coffee maybe :-)
Below is a pic of our filly before she got old enough to realise the ducks in her paddock were stealing her dinner, not saying hello!

Ciao for now