Settling In

I've been at Taylor Made for a little over a week, and there is a daily routine that I'm beginning to settle into. Granted, things are rarely the same two days in a row, but there is a general plan of action that I can follow and adjust accordingly. As my manager, Bob, always says, the idea is to have a plan, but that plan will always change! So being flexible and attentive to the changes is key to working on a farm like this.

The day starts around 6:30 or 7:00am, depending on how much work there is to do that day. Water buckets are filled, grain is given, and the mares are brought in from a chilly night out in the pastures. Sometimes I feel sorry for the mares who live outside, but I guess their bodies are adapted to the cold weather and can keep them warm.

With all the mares in, some are doctored (foot problems are the popular ailment this winter), some may be shown to potential buyers, or the blacksmiths come to trim feet. I'll write more about the blacksmiths later... This is practically the only time we have to examine the mares, so it's crucial that we are observe any changes in the udders, any new battle scars from the pasture, or any signs of illness. Surprisingly, it doesn't take that long. Once you know the signs to look for, you can get through twenty three mares fairly quickly.

The mares are quickly kicked back out into their paddocks. The stalls are either picked through, or cleaned thoroughly, depending on the day. The barn is cleaned, swept, and cleared with a blower. After lunch, we head into the fields with the tractor to throw out a lunch of hay and grain. The mares all recognize the tractor and what it is bringing to them. Some afternoons they are so anxious for their grain they crowd the tractor and make it hard to maneuver! Other afternoons, they might be halfway across the 15+ acres and come galloping over the hills to us.

All in all, it doesn't sound like a terrible load of work, but when you realize that there are twenty five horses to care for in one barn and the work is split between two people, it can quickly add up to an eight hour day. Also keep in mind that nothing ever goes as planned. Machinery can break down, or horses can have different ideas for how the day is supposed to go.

Of course, this routine is set only until we get all the various foals born! Hopefully this week we will have more foals and I'll be able to put up lots of pictures!

Pictures!!

After some internet problems, I'm finally able to put up a couple pictures. The weather hasn't been the nicest lately... we had snow yesterday... conditions for taking pictures weren't very cooperative. But here are a couple from last week. The first is of Queen and her filly born on Jan 1st. Feisty little girl! The next shows barn B at Bona Terra, where I spend the majority of my time. Bona Terra is just one of the broodmare division within Taylor Made. It boasts three barns of twenty five mares each, all in foal. The farm is expansive; you never walk from one barn to the next. You take the tractors.

From January 11th

I watched he sky grow light from inside a moving horse trailer today. All I could see were tree limbs and the occasional power line and I sat low in the corner, a week foal in my arms. His dam, traveling loose in the small trailer stall, lowered her graceful head periodically to chek and make sure her baby was still with us. We were on our way to the clinic to save this little guy's life.

Less twelve hours prior, a mare named Caracara had her foal nearly two weeks early. The placenta was infected and had begun to separate early. I'ts hard to know how long the colt was without oxygen before he was pulled out in an emergency birth. Then he lost quite a bit of blood when the umbilical cord didn't break properly and had to be cut. Overall, the first few hours of his life were rough and he's what we refer to as a dummy foal. He doesn't have the strength or oxygen supply to hold his head up for long, much less stand to nurse. So as soon as I got to the barn, I was asked by a manager to ride in the trailer so the mare wouldn't accidentaly step on her foal. We got to the equine hospital of unusual size (read: EHOUS) about an hour later and the little foal was carried away by stretcher. The next few days will determine if he'll be alright. What a trip! But it wasn't done yet!

I rode with the farm's hauler, Barrett. He's a man who looks older than he is due to the cigarettes he smokes, and is full of southern drawl and charm. People laugh at me when I jokingly bring out the drawl and turn "If you want to," into a harsh "Y'oughnt to." I've got nothing compared to this man!

We stopped by Keeneland Race Course to drop off paper work for the yearling sale currently going on there. Taylor Made Sales Agency has about 200 young horses they are putting through the sale. I've never seen any event put on with such preparation, care, show, and professionalism. Horses are pets here. They are big business.

Adventures abound for me. There is never a day the same, expecially if you're willing to do a little extra work, spend a little extra time, and lend a hand. Everything is new and exciting in my position, as someone here to learn. It's fantastic now, and I hope I can keep up a portion of that excitement during my tenure here.

Blue Kentucky Morning

This morning, I walked out into one of the many pastures to call in half the mares for breakfast. From somewhere in the dark, my eyes were able to see the outline of these big mamas, bellies swaying and heads bobbing. One by one, the broodmares come in from the dark into stalls full of straw. As the sun begins to rise over the Kentucky countryside, a blue haze filters through the air. There's a sense of serenity with these mares. There's a peaceful quiet as each horse munches quietly on her morning ration of grain. But this stillness doesn't last. Soon, there are tractors driving all over the roads, a hundred stalls to be picked, and various health issues to be addressed. And above all, these mares need to eat. A lot.

Though I've only had two days of work at Taylor Made, specifically the Bona Terra division, I can see where the daily routine fits in. Yet there's enough variation in the day to keep it interesting. Before spring break, we should have 75 foals born, and close to 100 before the breeding season is done. Once the little ones arrive, the work in increase as will the excitement.

There are hundreds of stories to tell right now, and just not enough time to give them all justice! But I want to say one little blip about Oscar: This young man from Mexico has been living in the US for three years, and has been at Taylor Made for a year. His English is patchy, though I think he understands more than he lets on. Without one of the other interns to translate, we spend a lot of time repeating words and using hand gestures. But it's still fun. He laughs at me for not having the tractor driving skills he has. His character is great and very patient. He still can't understand why I don't speak Spanish, though. Thinks I grew up in France or something.

Our internet situation is a little messed up right now, so I'll have to hold off on pictures until everything is smoothed out. There will be so much to tell!

I'm ready to go.

All that's left to do now is pack my bags. I've secured a purchase for a laptop so I will be able to continue these updates. Everything is in order and well prepared. Now I just have to step onto that plane.

This is crazy. I can't believe I'm doing this. An internship like this is something I've been preparing for since August of 2006, so long ago that it hardly feels like it could be real. My posts have gotten a little dry lately purely because there's nothing different. Still waiting. Still preparing. Still counting down the days.

But in a week (possibly the time of my next post) I'll have plenty to write about. People, places, 'partments, pictures, etc. Next you hear from me, I'll be in Horse Country, USA!!