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The most watched equine event is coming up this weekend, The Kentucky Derby.  Horse racing runs in my blood, literally.  Now retired, my Uncle Christopher Paasch was a trainer on the west coast.  Thought he’s not your typical household name if you like to watch the races I’m sure you have seen him before or at least some of his horses.

So where might you have heard of him? Show of hands who has seen the movie Dreamer!  I’m not sure how my Uncle managed it but he was the horse trainer consultant for the movie.  A portion of the film was actually shot at his ranch, Victory Haven Training Center in KY.   It wasn’t long after that film that he sold the facility and moved back to California

The second place you may of herd of him or even seen him is on the TV series Animal Planet’s Jockeys.  The first season ends with a horse named Stardom Bound, partially owned and trained by my Uncle of Course and ridden by Mike Smith.  Here is a clip.  This is a really fun series and it is still up on Animal Planet’s website to watch in full if you haven’t seen it before. It gives you a look into behind the track scenes of racing.

Watching that race was bitter sweet.  First off because I don’t get to see my Uncle much and I got a glimpse of him on TV and secondly because I knew that win meant he would be retiring. 

Well I hope you don’t think that the racing blood in me has any mojo for knowing who the winner of the Kentucky Derby will be.  But, I will share with you my pick, Dialed In.  Why? Because I’m a geek and I remember when the phrase “Dialed In” was cool and I like a stalker and closer.  This horse likes to hang at the back of the pack, out of traffic and then close in the last ¼ mile.  Lastly, it’s not a Baffert horse. I have a personal vendetta with Baffert that stems from an encounter back in 2001 so each year I will his horses to lose the derby.  So far it’s been working 🙂  Yes, I am that lame and my hubby mocks me every time I start booing and hissing at the TV when they show Baffert. 

It’s more in jest though, having an “enemy” makes the race more interesting when you have a rival horse to root against. 

Ok, there you have it.  Stay away from Baffert horses and pick one with a fun name.  Just remember to have a good time, enjoy a Mint Julep, and wear a crazy hat.

Kentucky Derby
5pm – 7pm
on NBC

PS This is my 1 and only winner’s circle photo.  If you every get the chance to be in one don’t pass it up!  And yeah, that’s Laffit Pincay Jr aboard, the greatest jockey in history.  I even got to shake his hand, it was awesome!

Ellie turned 3 weeks old today and along with it came Scours.  If you have ever had a foal before you’ll know what I’m referring to.  I could smell the start of them coming on for 3 days, YUCK.  I hate this part of foaling but it is perfectly normal.

What are Scours:
Foal scours is often referred to as foal heat diarrhea as it typically sets in right around the time the mare goes back into heat.  It is quite stinky, messy and but normally it passes without any problem.

Causes:
To be perfectly honest I don’t think even all the vets today can pinpoint exactly what causes scours in foals but there are a few common theories

            Foal Heat: Hormonal changes in the dam’s milk when she goes into her first heat cycle causes digestion issues with the foal.  The hole in this theory, orphaned foals fed milk supplement still get scours.

            Forage: From day 1 the foal will attempt to eat pretty much anything that it can get its fuzzy little lips on.  By week 2-3 the foal is now eating grass right alongside mom and is starting to eat grain. This change in diet from mostly liquid to solids messes with the dynamics of the digestive system.  Foals do not yet have the helpful bacteria and enzymes needed to properly digest solid foods.  This is gross but you will probably find the foal eating the mare’s poop during scours as they attempt to introduce the needed digestive helpers into their system.

Treatment:
First off don’t worry.  All foals go through this phase in life.  Most of the time it is just a really gross, smelly, and messy process for us and it will pass in 4-7 days.

            Internal: I like to give my horse yogurt rich with probiotics to help introduce the good gut bacteria.  I find the babies like the vanilla flavored kind.  I use a 30 or 60cc syringe, suck up the yogurt and squirt it in their mouths.  They usually fight until they realize that it is pretty tasty.

            External: Wash, wash, wash.  This diarrhea is smelly, greasy, and very acidic and it will eat the hair off your foal’s rump.  To help prevent this wash the babies bottom 2x a day with warm water and disposable towels.  (I say disposable because no matter how much Clorox and soap you use on a towel the smell will still be there).  Dry their bum and use mineral oil or Vaseline around their bottom and down their legs.  This will be a protective barrier for the next round of diarrhea.   WARNING: Do not turn baby out if there’s bright sunshine and you just oiled them up. They could get a sun burn.

When to Call a Vet:

Normal body temp is 99-102°F.  During scours your foal’s temperature should remain normal.  Should they run a temperature or the diarrhea last longer than 7 days call your vet.

Living on a farm and breeding animals is great right up until you have to name them!  What name are you going to give your new furry friend for the rest of its life?  

Pay-it-back Names: Most registered names end up with what I like to call paying it back.  Usually there’s some tie in the name to the stud, dam, or breeding farm.  When picking a name for registration this is usually what I do.  Heck, it’s like free marketing every time your horse is entered in a show!  

Themes Names: Race horses are often named alphabetically.  This year all colts will start with the letter “D.”  Or I have a friend who names all her animals after deserts.  Heck, I even name all cats after food items, Barley, Bacon, Chowder, Cheet-O, Frito, and Peaches.  Theme names seem to make naming an animal pretty easy.  At least it gives you a base to start on. 

Call Names: If you’ve spent any time around a barn or race track you’ll know that a fancy 25 character registered name is NOT what you end up calling your horse. Sometimes the barn call name is a portion of the registered name and sometimes it’s something entirely different.  For example; my mare came with the registered name of Aurora LaBella Luna but around the barn she’s known as Cotton. Don’t ask, I haven’t figured it out myself. 

Names with a Story: Last fall I was surprised by an alpaca birth.  The dam was 2 weeks early and I had only come home to pick up a UPS package and was there just by chance for the birth of a little fawn girl.  I found the event so entertaining that I decided to name her Parcella D’oro which means Parcel of Gold.  

Naming for me all boils down to the horse itself.  I’m not the type of person to have a booklet of names I like all ready to go and then stamp the animal with one when it squirts out.  Instead the newborn often will go several days without a name at all as I watch it and think about its future.  What do I see it becoming what name best fits its personality or goes with a story that fits it. 

Last year’s filly naming came to me quickly.  Izzy (Reg Name: Is A Bella) would zoom around the pasture at mock 10.  For the entire time she was with me not once did I see that filly trot, she either was standing still or at full speed. She sure was a Busy Izzy and the name fit her perfectly. 

This year’s filly was a little more difficult to name.  The registered name came easily though. She is now DHA Reno’s Southern Belle but nothing in that name seems worthy of a barn name.  My latest test for a call name is Ellie which I kind of got from Belle.  Researching the name, Ellie is short for Eleanor which means “The Other.”  I think Ellie will stick, she is after all “the other” full blood sister to Izzy.

How do you pick out your names? Or What is the worst registered name you’ve seen?

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