For me, the Christmas holidays are not just about celebrating with my family down south. It's my last time to rest before foaling season. For us, that begins in January. I live in Canada, and we can get some pretty unforgiving winter weather. A lot of breeders around me, and people in general, ask "Why don't you just foal in the spring?".
The easy answer to that is that we breed thoroughbreds. January 1st is the universal birthday of all thoroughbreds in the northern hemisphere (August 1st in the southern hemisphere). If a foal is born in say... June, they automatically have a massive disadvantage if they are destined for the racetrack. Their birthday will always be seen as January 1st so even a really 4 month old foal could be considered a yearling if they are late enough. They for sure will miss their 2 year old season and therefore, not have the education or fitness for their three year old season. Basically, their late birthday will put them off an entire year (or even longer in some cases).
We don't breed for the racetrack, but we do for the sales ring... and those buyers probably want to race our foals. The earlier the foal (so long as its after Jan 1st), the better and the better chance they have to get nice and big before the sale (and have a few extra months with mom).
This year we will be having 4 foals, our mares this year aren't exactly Zenyatta's but they
have enough pedigree to say "You know, our children will probably have a bright future if you put them in the right race." Even if you breed the best horses in the world together (Zenyatta is still a good example), you will not be guaranteed success. You statistically have about a 5% chance of making a racehorse. By that I mean a horse who makes profit (covers all of their costs and makes money).
Up here in Ontario it costs an average of $100 a day to keep a racehorse in training... multiply that by an 8 month season and toss in some inevitable vet expenses and... you get the point. A horse who isn't talented/ isn't motivated/ isn't sound is a death sentence for an owner. Forget about the Kentucky Derby. Forget about the Dubai World Cup. You have less than a 1% shot at getting a California Chrome or an Arrogate. That is why those horses are so spectacular to watch.
We have seen a glimmer of the 5% but so far the horse's we have raced have been pretty average. Instead we turned to breeding and only race maybe 1-2 horses a year for kicks.
Racing is fun but it's also stressful. You get a huge rush when your horse wins a race, but let me let you in on a little secret.
You get just as much of a rush when you sell in the sales ring. When you see potential in a horse that you raised, and then get that horse sells for more than you predicted, that horse's potential has been validated by a very knowledgeable group of people. I'll have to go into detail about the sales in another post but trust me, it's an electric environment.
For a racehorse, an early birthday makes all the difference. It's tough on us since it gets to a chilly -30 degrees celcius and the snow gravitates toward's our farm, but it is so worth it when your foal grows into a big, strong yearling that look's just as capable as a foal born in Kentucky. When their potential is validated in the sales ring, you'll be brimming with pride. It's a really labour of love... the sleepless nights, the freezing cold, the chance of complications... but that is animal husbandry for you.
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