And we're off!


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Life Is Better At The Races!

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On day 4 of our trip (May 17th)  in Cambridge, we visited National Stud and had a night at the race track to bet on the beautiful thoroughbreds in Newmarket. Our day started at the Warren Hill or the heath, this is where we got to see the grooms/exercise riders galloping their horses in front of the trainers. They do this at 6 am to get the exercising done early rather than later to stay out of the afternoon heat. All horses must be off the heath by 1 pm and then it is open to the public.  National stud was our next stop and we first visited the foaling unit. Here the "heavy", which means pregnant, mares are put in a paddock and checked as often as possible. Once the mare shows signs of foaling they are moved into their individual stables to wait for the arrival of their baby. Mare and foal are then moved to their designated paddocks where they are accompanied by several other mare and foal pairs until they are at an even number or u...
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This morning we explored Chapman Equestrian and their world of eventing. We toured the stables and watched a riding demonstration. The tour began in the tack room, where all the saddles hung neatly aligned on one wall with matching covers. The bridles were all cleaned and hanging on the opposite wall. The cleanliness of everything was the first indication that the farm was well managed and showed a professional environment. From the tack room we proceeded to the paddocks, where Jonathan explained that each horse is individually turned out. The 12-acre area was split into one half acre spaces for each horse. He also stated that he has eliminated the use of gates in the interest of safety so there was no longer a solid structure for the horses to injure themselves on. For most of the year, the horses are turned out as much as weather and scheduling allows. During the winter months, the horses are housed inside but let out for two hours each day for exercise. The stables ...
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