Student Blog from Eric Resendiz (USA) and Claire Hillebrand (USA)

Eric

This week marked our seventh on the Irish National Stud course, and like every week before, it brought a variety of valuable learning experiences. One of the highlights was spending four nights alongside my fellow classmate, Moa Sundstrom, where we were responsible for assisting with foalings.

The foaling experience has been one of my favorite rotations. Being able to witness the foal’s first steps and handle them for the first time is such a rewarding experience. Over four nights, we assisted with two foalings—a beautiful Maxios colt and a stunning Lope de Vega colt. Although it was a relatively calm four nights with only two foals, the week remained engaging, with a series of very interesting lectures covering an array of topics. Dr. O’Donnell provided an in-depth discussion on fertility in mares, while Lauren Eisemann delivered an excellent lecture on colostrum protocols. Helen Boyce presented an informative session on teasing, and master farrier Martin Leahy gave us a great overview of the equine foot and joints. Additionally, we were privileged to hear from two phenomenal guest lecturers: Alan Creighton from the Irish Equine Centre, who emphasized the importance of biosecurity, and Dr. Holtby, who offered a deep dive into equine genetics. The guest lectures were very insightful, making it challenging to decide on a favorite of the week. Nonetheless, we are fortunate to have such fascinating guest speakers, and I am very grateful to them for taking the time to share their expertise.

Along with that, we had the pleasure of visiting one of Ireland’s leading breeding operations, Kildangan Stud. During our visit, we had the opportunity to observe a couple of their stallions cover mares, giving us insight into their covering shed protocols. Along with that, we were introduced to stallions Blue Point, Ghaiyyath, and Space Blues, admiring their physical presence. The tour continued with a visit to one of their foaling units and yearling barns, where we learned about their process for evaluating young stock, which I found very interesting given their exceptional success on the track. The tour was capped by seeing their composting process, which was second to none. Their attention to detail in equine and land management was truly remarkable to observe and provided an overall wonderful perspective on the intricacies of stud management.

Overall, it was another great week at the Irish National Stud! We saw plenty of action during our night rotation, as well as a busy but enjoyable week of lectures, topped by a lovely tour of Kildangan Stud. An unparalleled experience that seems to be flying by, I am excited to continue learning—practically and academically—alongside some great friends!

Claire

This week I was working in Kildare yard, where we keep mares and foals. With 18 foals, we were kept pretty busy! This was my second week at this rotation and seeing the changes over two weeks in these young foals was very rewarding. They grow so quickly at this age and are starting to learn things like how to lead with light pressure on the head collar, receive medications, and interact as part of a herd. Watching the foals interact with each other for the first time is something I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of!

On Tuesday this week, we were fortunate enough to take a tour of Kildangan Stud. It was so fun to be able to see some of their stallions in person and even watch a few covers. We then went to see the foaling unit, which was incredible! This yard featured a circular room surrounded by boxes with glass doors facing the room. The type of glass used allowed for the foaling attendants to see into the boxes, but the mares can’t see out. This is to ensure stress-free nights where the mares don’t feel like they are being watched. We were presented with some of their newest foals and discussed what the first few days looked like for these newborns at Kildangan. From there, we saw some of their yearlings and discussed some identifying traits in the pedigrees. We also took a walk around the composting site and learned what a difference this level of field management has made for stud.

For our lectures this week, we started with Lauren Eisemann continuing her lecture on foaling. Lauren’s lectures are so helpful as she goes into great detail and utilizes pictures and videos to clarify or better explain common things she is talking about. On Wednesday, we had a guest lecture from Dr. Amy Holtby on equine genetics. This lecture was particularly interesting as it was so different from other topics we’d discussed. She went into depth about the differences in CC, CT, and TT horses, and what it means for the future of racing and breeding. On Thursday, Alan Creighton with the Irish Equine Centre spoke with us about the importance of biosecurity. He shared multiple examples of how he helped farms solve problems using basic concepts, like the layout of the yard. The practical, relatable examples really helped to paint a picture in your head of how important things like ventilation or straw storage can be. Our lectures were wrapped up for the week on Friday with Martin Leahy, one of the farriers at INS. His lectures allow us to really see what he is talking about, as most of the time he brings models to display the ailments he’s discussing. This week we were able to see the inside of a bone where we could see growth plates that hadn’t yet finished closing. So far, my time at the Irish National Stud has been exceptional and I can’t wait to see what else is in store!

Claire H & Foal

Eric and Sea Mona

With Lecturer Amy Holtby