Monday 15 June 2020

It seems really strange not worrying foaling, although now we have got to make sure all the little 'uns are OK. Neil was scouring a bit yesterday and seems to be responding to treatment as he is much better this evening. Dream and Tik keep chasing each other around the field when they are together with the poor exhausted foals in tow and then when we split them up they run round looking for each other and whinnying. We just turned them out in the little field so we could keep an eye on them and then there was an absolute downpour, so we had to fetch them in looking like drowned rats.  Both Bertha and Tik were very upright in their pasterns so they both needed an injection to help relax the tendons. It could be the stallion as they are both by Telescope. It would be so useful if there was more transparency with thoroughbred breeding. Coming from a cattle breeding background it really surprises me that there isn't more information about conformation, foal size at birth, breathing problems, temperament etc. I'm not sure how we can improve a breed when there are absolutely no statistics apart from whether they win a race or not, and that doesn't tell the whole story.
Having said that both the Telescope foals have lovely temperaments and move really well so they should 'fit the bill'.
The Elusive Pimpernels are the other way, a bit over at the knee and very chunky and really cheeky as well as being very active and also moving really well. If you know what to expect then you can pick the mares accordingly but stallion owners are very reluctant to go down that road of more transparency, for some reason...

Anyway, lovely to have the rain. Hopefully we will get some grass growing now. We are hoping to open up the shepherd huts as soon as it is allowed with the virus - In between time we have offered them to NHS frontline workers to get a much deserved break. We got a booking from two physiotherapists for February 2021 for a month in the cottage. Hoping to get a free very long holiday...Taking the mickey I think!