"Most would envisage stud work lying dormant throughout the Winter months with a frenzy of activity during the summer. Truth is, it all depends on the services and facilities each particular stud encompasses.
At Holden Fold we have a busy calendar with work carefully spread throughout the year. Stud work is not just about keeping stallions and/or mares with a flurry of little ones come spring.
As a DEFRA approved international semen collection centre, we have to fit in the clients who require semen freezing for international use as well as the many less time consuming UK only freezing clients. These stallions require stables, time and cycling mares so we try to make provisions for these customers in advance of the breeding season. We give priority to these stallions over foaling mares and stud mares, as it is easy for us to ship semen to where the mare is - be it at stud or at home - or even inseminate her, let her go home and return the next day for the ovulation confirmation. If this is okay, she can stay home until the 14 day scan, but the international semen freezing stallions must be on site and really it works better for the UK only stallions for semen freezing to have a resident place too.
This year is no different than any other year. We have seven mares on site to foal and we're watching cameras from 320 days. The first foal is due March 6, so in February the monitors went on throughout the house and during the night. We dusted down the foaling alarms too. Alifra hfd was the first to have the alarm for 2011, so although still in the deep midwinter, we are working round the clock already. With the first stallions due to arrive at the end of March, we have had to turn away several mares for foaling.
Hfd also breaks, trains and competes the horses we have bred so in the training yard are this years three-year-olds on their young horse programmes. If we sell all the foals, which is often the case, we will carefully select youngstock from fellow breeders so we always have a few horses to develop during this time. In February we started to work with four-year-old KWPN Coolman hfd (Mooiman hfd x Wellington) to prepare him for some young horse classes. We also started three-year-old Oldenburger San Tropez hfd (Santana hfd x Rough Lad T/B) who is just backed this week, along with three-year-old KWPN Rolex hfd (Royal Dance x Samber) and of course three-year-old Westaphalian Spyder GB hfd the studs new AES approved stallion. All three are now doing trot work on the lunge with the riders on top so a smooth journey for these young men.
Although the weather can be against you, it is better for the horses to start early and have all year to develop the young horse skills as three-year-olds should and for us it is better that we spend time with them now before we start daily collections, scanning, inseminations, walk in collections, semen freezing and all the other work that has to dispersed throughout the year.
In February's blog you will remember we announced we would be presenting Spyder GB hfd, Oliver hfd and Mooiman hfd at the stallion parade at Myerscough International Arena. Watch the video below to see how the boys did us proud.
Mooiman
Mooiman progeny at BD seminar
All studs like to hear how their offspring are progressing as it helps inform your knowledge of what your horses can produce.
A delight for us was to see was Titanisch by Mooiman hfd ridden by Matt Frost featured in the January Dressage Magazine performing at the British Dressage National Seminar. On the other hand great disappointment when the five-year-old Barinka hfd ridden by 16-year-old hfd apprentice Scott Wellsby went to the BD regionals at Myerscough,scoring 63% from one judge and just short of 71% from another - almost an 8% difference of opinion - so we add to the conundrum of obstacles the horses we breed face that much luck is involved when building a competition CV. The judges can vary their opinions on what a performance is worth greatly in the UK, even at this level where only walk, trot and canter is required. I understand how an opinion can differ depending at what place you're positioned in the arena at my level of Grand Prix. You have many complicated movements to judge, but I really struggle with such a difference at this early stage . Perhaps I should present myself for judge training then I can experience their job understand more and why it is always easy to critique from the side lines. Anyway, watch the video below and you can judge the test yourselves.
A very real lesson was learned in 2010 from what many now refer to as "The Big Debate". I am all for healthy vibrant debate issues being addressed and relevant points made, but abuse and rudeness from one who refuses to stand up and be counted and instead hides behind forum names brings concern to me. I am sure others who find themselves victim to a faceless attack upon themselves/their horses or their business and indeed livelihood would feel the same.
A point worth mentioning here: The big debate ended in 2010 and that is where it stays. Julia Hodkin of Future Sport Horses and Brian Crane of Holden Fold Stud Ltd were both victims of anonymous forum abuse and have joined together to support British breeding, British breeders and a brighter future where we all can live and work within the industry of our beloved horses.
I would like congratulate Julia Hodgin, breeder and owner of Future Illusion and Future Sporthorses, who following a mistake interpreting the results of her stallion after attending a Zfdp grading, can now celebrate him being successfully inspected by the AES studbook. Future Illusion will be presented for the 2011 season as graded as licensed.
The breeding season is round the corner and Hfd wish all of you successful breeding, healthy foals and good business. Next month, hopefully Alifra hfd will have some news! Congratulations to Darren and Kara on the first foal for 2011 by Oliver hfd. Hopefully I'll have cutie pics of him for you in my next blog."
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