An interesting article on our sister site has me thinking about herd dynamics with my own horses. Mares' Social Bonds Might Enhance Reproductive Success on TheHorse.com summarizes a larger study that seems to indicate the social structure of herds helps to increase mares' ability to conceive, carry,...

Part of equine welfare is quality of life . News stories on the subject tend to focus on the welfare of racehorses at the track, and it's no surprise: these are the horses in the public eye. The welfare of Thoroughbreds in training is much more visible than it is for horses boarded at private farms,...

When possible, I plan for foals to be born in mid-March. It's still fairly early in the season so they'll be good-sized yearlings, but by the middle of March we're usually out of the worst that Winter throws our way here in central Kentucky. Until two years ago, I never gave too much thought to foaling...

Cold and wet weather combined with a rather hard-keeping breed of horses means that Thoroughbred caregivers must be especially conscientious about the health of their equine charges during the winter months. In other words, winter is a rough time of year to be a Thoroughbred owner. It becomes an even...

Much has been said about the prospects for 2007 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour , who will be sold at this year's Fasig-Tipton November sale. ( News story , Hammer Time blog post ) What I haven't heard too much about, though, is the mare's reproductive soundness. Hip #188 ( catalog...

There's no question that there are some unpleasant aspects of the Thoroughbred world. Breakdowns and drugs are getting headlines these days (and let's hope that the attention results in some positive changes). Stories about slaughter and abuse receive a lot of attention. Another sometimes-ugly part of...

It's mid-July. Your broodmares have been in foal for anywhere between one and five months. So... what are you feeding them? Talk to a dozen farm managers and you'll get a dozen different responses. Is it necessary to feed supplements? When should the mare start to gain real serious weight? If the in...