“Apologies for the late blog - our KWPN approved breeding stallion Mooiman Hfd had an international Grand Prix to compete in at the beginning of the month, which delayed my administration duties! Feel free to experience snippets of our outing – there’s a video at the bottom of my blog for you to watch. After qualifying for the Kur, we were lucky enough to pip into the prize giving ceremony too. When I watch the video back, I think the piaffe and transition from piaffe to passage could be much more fluent, but sexual tension are one of the complications we stallion riders have to take in our stride.
I have sad news about Amazing Grace. Despite surviving enteritis at just 12-hours-old, shortly after her return home she suffered a kick from the dam which resulted in an inpatient admission to have a huge haematoma drained on her neck. It was during this period of treatment that she suffered a serious bout of colic and perforated her bowel, losing her fight for life to a force greater than us. I will never forget this little angel - she has left a hoofprint in my memory forever.
The month of June closed with a flurry of brood mare requests from frantic breeders who had been unsuccessful at getting their current mares in foal, but had set their minds on having a foal to look forward to in 2012. Brian will make a selection from our breeders that fit the buyer’s criteria and take the hopeful customers to various studs and yards where they might find a mare in foal that they are looking for.
For us, we would never breed from a mare who has only been given stud book status. I am now referring to the terminology and grading of KWPN mares as this is our forte. The majority of our mares are KWPN. Dutch sport horse breeders have been united for more than 100 years. King William 11 recognised the first Dutch Stud Book organisation in 1887 and so laid the basis for regulated warmblood horse breeding in the Netherlands, the resulting horses are a sport horse which HFD appreciates and believes in.
When a KWPN foal is born they are registered into the Veulen Book - VB on the passport. The animal then is taken to the gradings. If there are any basic conformational or gait problems, then they stay VB. If the gaits and conformation are correct with normal development, then they are accepted into the stud book and their passports will be stamped with STB. This is the most basic inspection but a respectable one; mares not presented as foals are eligible for inspection at any age. It is unusual for foals in the Netherlands not to be presented for stud book grading as it is considered part of the normal breeding process.
Any animals presenting with genetic abnormalities, such as parrot mouth, sickle hocks and so on, would not achieve stud book status, no matter how much sporting promise the animal showed in the gait assessment. I could elaborate more on the complexities of the KWPN stud book grading system if enough of you request it - I do not want drone on with a very intense subject such as this if there is no interest!
From here on in, you in set your own standards. The KWPN stud book records the competition results of all approved stallion offspring and they form a breeding index on the result of these records. At HFD we always put the broodmares under saddle to ensure the mare has a good work ethic, we would not use a mare which presented an unacceptable level of willingness.
In the same vein, once a mare entered a breeding programme should she present with above average complications resulting in the loss of her foals, we would remove her from breeding status. I note with interest the sad loss of the foal born to the National Trust MyFarm project and see that for them her success rate of a normal healthy foal is enough to continue to breed from her. For us, she would be too high a risk and we would remove her from the programme.
That aside, after a birth resulting in the death of a foal we would not cover on the foaling heat if the birth was complicated. She would be given time for any sore areas and inflammation to stabilise for fear of abortion, reabsorption or infection further hindering future breeding projects, but I am not abreast of all the facts and do not know if the birth was complicated or not. I’m sure they’re doing what they think is right and no doubt took veterinary advice which is perhaps the most important thing to consider.
June saw a changeover of staff with apprenticeships coming to an end and new employees to induct. It’s always time consuming and tiring - the staff have to work really hard to meet the standards set by a DEFRA Approved international breeding station and an international Grand Prix rider, but so far all seems to running smoothly
Although June horse sales were slow, Rolex Hfd was sold, as was Nico and Channel No5. I am currently in discussions with a very well informed pony international rider’s mother about my lovely Coolman Hfd. I think he has international potential. Although Mooiman Hfd is on the Dutch KWPN stallion rankings as one of the top 10 dressage sires in the Netherlands, I am keen to develop his breeding CV in Ireland and the UK further. I would like another Mooiman Hfd offspring to join Titanisch on the international path way in the UK, so his CV versus me, me, me is my current quandary. Decisions, decisions.
This time of year much of the foaling is done and dusted and the covering season complete with the majority of brood mares in foal and just a few stallions now to get through semen freezing. Our thoughts turn to the county shows, foal shows, mare gradings, summer regionals and National Championships. We are delighted to congratulate Faye Hesketh and Mooiman Hfd son Amoo on qualifying for the Horse of the Year Show. Susan Haliday, elite sports pony breeder, has won just about everything including the sport horse class at the Great Eccleston Show, then going on to take the championship with her two-year-old Mooiman Hfd colt Esprit Mooiman. Laura Morely, a first time breeder, gained a high first premium at Writtle with her Oliver Hfd foal.
We have always enjoyed impressive results in the dressage arena and Mooiman son Tarzan comes to mind when he won the BD Eastern Open Elementary Regional Championships so these results in the show ring are a bonus for us, proving the stallion Mooiman Hfd is also meeting the standards of the very important British show producers, who themselves can boast worldwide recognition and respect. These are just a few results we have enjoyed through our breeders so a good year to date. Congratulations to you all and thank you.
Thank you for once again sharing our small corner of the universe - speak to you all in August.”
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