Student Blog from Ava Banahan (Ireland) & Conor Wafer (Ireland)

Ava

Last week, we had the incredible opportunity to visit Ballydoyle and Coolmore Stud. Our journey began at Ballydoyle, where we were given a tour of the state-of-the-art facilities used to care for and train their horses. It was fascinating to see firsthand how they employ advanced techniques, such as a swimming pool and hyperbaric chamber, to optimise the horses’ performances.

Overall, the visit was an eye-opening experience that deepened my appreciation for the significant effort and innovation behind horse training and care.

Our next stop was Coolmore Stud, where we took a comprehensive tour of the farm and had the privilege of seeing some of the renowned stallions, including Wootton Bassett, Camelot, St. Mark’s Basilica, and the new stallion City of Troy, among many others. It was an incredible experience to observe these magnificent horses up close and learn what makes them the right fit for various types of mares.

The knowledge and passion of the staff at Coolmore Stud were truly inspiring, and it was a unique opportunity to see the dedication that goes into breeding champion thoroughbreds.

This week, I began my yard duties in the Sun Chariot Yard (the foaling unit) with Tina. Our daily tasks included meeting clients who were either dropping off or collecting their mares and new foals. We had the opportunity to work closely with the vet, observing foal examinations, blood sampling, preparing for foaling by removing stitches, and even witnessing an entropion correction procedure. Additionally, we assisted in administering plasma to a foal with low IGG levels.

A highlight of the week was the birth of Lucky Vega’s full brother on Monday night, which brought considerable excitement to the yard.

One of the mares, previously treated for placentitis, delivered a foal, and we collected the placenta due to its abnormal discoloration. It was fascinating to have a vet from UCD visit to conduct research on placentitis. Listening to them explain their research goals and methodologies was both informative and educational.

Next week, I am fortunate enough to be on foal watch, and I hope to observe and assist with some foaling.

Conor

This week was our first full week on the course, as a group. This week, I set out to work in Sun Chariot, the foaling unit on the farm. They are set to foal down about 270 mares this year in Sun Chariot, with about 20 mares in the unit this week.

A typical day in Sun Chariot would usually consist of checking all the mares and seeing whether they are showing any signs of foaling such as waxing or running milk, before we let all mares out to the assigned paddocks, which are colour coded. Usually the mares that are showing signs that they could foal will be placed in the wood chip paddocks, so that if they foal it won’t be in a wet field and they can be brought in quickly to the foaling unit. When the mares are out in the field, one student every day is assigned to stay out and check the mares every 15 minutes. After this, the vet comes out to check any mares that have foaled during the night. Mares are usually brought in at approximately half two to get their feed and any treatments they require.

This week, the first mares on the farm started to foal. There was 6 foals born this week and all during the night so, unfortunately, I have not been present to assist in a foaling yet ! The vet then checks foals and takes their bloods for their IgG. This week, one foal failed the IgG and we assisted the vet to give him plasma, the IgG test help us assess the transfer of immunity from the  mare to the foal. IgG is the main antibody found in blood to control infection in the body. This was my first time helping a vet to give plasma so it was a very insightful experience! This week, we also had a foal that was born ‘upright on his joints’. To correct this ailment the vet assessed the foal and bandaged the legs that needed additional support. This enables the foal’s joints to relax and come down to the correct position.

During the week, mares who were getting close to their due date or were starting to bag up arrived from off-farms and other clients. Once a mare foals, it stays in the foaling unit for 48 hours, getting temperature checked twice a day and making sure both the mare and the foal are passing droppings. Once a mare and foal leave the unit, their box is mucked out, power washed, disinfected, and bedded with fresh straw so that it is ready for the next mare to foal in it.

Also, this week we started our lectures! We had Dr Kevin Corley, Lauren Eisemann and Cathal Beale lecturing us in the evenings, from Monday to Friday. I found the lectures with Dr Kevin Corly about foaling and Foaling Dystocia particularly interesting in which he detailed the different complications that can arise during foaling and the way in which foals can present wrongly before foaling and corrective measures for these cases.

I really enjoyed my first week as a student with the Irish National Stud and I am looking forward to the weeks ahead and all that I am yet to learn!

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