Student Blog from Martin Bozo (France) and Katie Willis (Northern Ireland).

Katie Willis

This week I spent my first week in Maddenstown. In Maddenstown there is currently seven yearlings in prep for the February sales In Goffs. Throughout the season Maddenstown is where the barren mares are kept. This yard’s focus is to get the barren mares in foal as they either did not go in foal last year or they are maidens which means it is they have never bred or had a foal before.

A typical day for me here is tease all the mares with the teaser stallion Zac. We do this to identify when they are in heat as they tend to subtly show signs of heat on their own. Having a teaser stallion present the mares show clearer responses which helps ensure that the mare is in the correct stage of her cycle for breeding. We had a mare who was teasing slightly to the stallion, this meant that the vet came out to check her follicles and to determine where she was in her cycle. When they are close to ovulating, the vets check them daily to check their patterns and to ensure they are sent to the stallion for cover at the right time. Covering has not started yet but it was good to see where the mare was in her cycle, and she should be easily followed. The mares then go to the field for the day.

The yearlings get hand walked everyone morning to ensure they are fit for the sales; they then go out to the field for the day.

Martin Bozo

I arrived at the Irish National Stud on the 13st of January. This week I am in Sun Chariot working in the foaling unit, we have had five foals born at the Irish National Stud this year so far.

This week we had a lecture every evening with lots of knowledgeable people were we both learnt loads. We started off the week with Dr Kevin Corley teaching us about foaling mares, we had Joey Cullan from Goffs in the middle of the week we learnt all about considerations when selling a horse and target audiences. Then Kevin Blake towards the end of the week, it was brilliant to hear everyone’s individual views on stallions, their own breeding methods and also how they have developed their careers in the industry.

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