Student Blog from Zania Slabber (New Zealand)

This week I spent my time at the Murphy’s yard, where we currently have around 20 pregnant mares in their final month before moving into the foaling unit. Day-to-day duties included feeding, mucking out, and bringing the mares to and from the barn. Several mares were scanned during the week to ensure their pregnancies were progressing well, and it was fascinating to see a late-pregnancy ultrasound scan and observe the foal in utero. One of the highlights of the week was assisting with a foaling that took place in the early hours of the evening, always a magical experience bringing these little lives into the world.

We were also fortunate to have two guest lecturers this week. Ross O’Mahony from the Tattersalls Bloodstock team spoke about his journey from the Irish National Stud to becoming a bloodstock agent, offering valuable insight into career pathways within the industry and the steps he took for those interested in pursuing a similar direction.

Dr Barbara Murphy from Equilume then introduced us to the benefits of the Equilume masks, explaining how they work, their effects on pregnant mares, and the biological advantages of their use. This was an extremely interesting and informative talk, which made me think about ways the industry can continue to improve and evolve.

On Friday, we attended the ITBA quiz night, which is always a great opportunity to learn, socialise with others, and have a good “craic” as the Irish would say.

Over the weekend, I was at the Blanford yard with a small group of mares and foals, including some I foaled earlier this month. It was incredibly rewarding to see how much they have grown in such a short space of time, and I look forward to following their progress as they continue through their lives.

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