Off to the Races - With Kim Gardner as featured on QHN
Jan 21, 2019
0
0
In the “real” world, winter is settling in and people are surviving until the sun comes again and spring is officially here. But, in the horse breeding world, January is a time of wonder. Some time after the first of January, we look forward to the fruits of our labor from the previous year as foals begin to be born. There is an air of expectation as we welcome the new babies into the world, especially if we are lucky enough to get a filly!
In addition to the excitement of the new foals, December and January are months for preparation. At the beginning of December, we put our mares under lights — the lights come on at 6 a.m. and off at 10 p.m. every day — to prepare them for the start of breeding season. Client mares start arriving in January, but they will continue to arrive throughout the season. We will also receive mares to foal out prior to breeding, and it is a joy to be able to communicate with the owners about the arrival of their foal.
January comes, and it is the stallions’ turn to get ready. Here at SDP Buffalo Ranch Stallion Station, we export frozen semen around the world, so January is a time to begin export testing. After export testing, it is time to collect the stallions to clean them out and get good, fresh semen available for the upcoming season.
Before we know it, February first is here, and we are off to the races. At least, that is what it feels like sometimes!