"Thursday brought good news for Elton hfd the (Oliver x Drossan) yearling - he will be going to live in south Devon. Very few people have the knowledge to asses youngsters at this stage and we are fortunate to come across one who can. We have a good feeling about Elton's new family - he is obviously going to a caring knowledgeable home.

Friday started with four teeth rasps, an export vetting and a castration after lunch. The frosty weather provided an ideal climate for castrations; the warmer weather brings with it flies and a high chance of infection. As yearlings develop, play often simulates adult entire behaviour and mounting others in the field can put the youngsters at risk from serious injury. If this behaviour is noticed, castration may not be an option as many vets will not perform the procedure if there is a high risk of post operative infection - plus a summer operation means the colt being stabled and hand walked during valuable seasonal grazing time.

After lunch Brian set off to Holland via the Hull/Rotterdam ferry with a horse heading for a competition season in Europe. Export vetting are procedures required by the animal health ministry individual to the country of intended destination. Some countries require basic health papers for entry while some require more thorough veterinary examination. In this case Holland was the destination, so a full examination was required.

Sunday saw two arrivals and one departure - a stallion for EU export semen freezing, a stallion for breaking and DNA testing arrived and a three year old mare by Special D who was recently sold left for her new home. The day ended with a veterinary health check - one of the many procedural requirements for stallions having semen frozen for export.

Monday saw rubber matt repairs. Although a little dirty for the horse, the use of matting not only saves on labour and bedding, but more importantly gives a healthier footing for balance and joint stability than conventional deep beds. We use waterproof lightweight turnouts over the stable rugs at night as they are easy to machine wash to reduce the odour on the rugs with good effect.

Tomorrow we will get ready for the Myerscough stallion show - the first outing of the year gets everyone excited. It is important the horses are able to present themselves well as it is one of the few opportunities for breeders to see them perform live, and it is also a chance for people to meet us and ask questions. We have a promotional stand there too, so if any of you are going to Myerscough on Wednesday night at 5pm, Mooiman hfd is first on. Come over and have a chat - I would love to hear your thoughts on the blogs..........hope to see you there!"