What does a typical day involve for a stallion during the breeding season at Kildangan?
There are six people looking after the 10 stallions here at Kildangan. A typical day in the breeding season starts early in the morning. We check all the stallions, make sure they are okay.
Most of us have two stallions to look after, I have one at the moment, Blue Point, but I also take care of Doyen, who is retired from covering.
The first thing we do is tie the stallions up and check their temperatures. That will tell us straight away if something is wrong. Then we give them a quick groom, bridle on and, if they have a mare to cover, bring them in for the morning session, which is at 7am.
After we finish the covering session, every stallion goes out to their own field. Being out makes a huge difference to their behaviour, they drop their head, pick some grass, they are in their natural world.
Then they come back in at around 11.30am, absolutely relaxed and ready for showing or the next session of covering.
And, they know the routine so well; when we come to their box with the blue Darley helmets on and bridle in hand, they get excited, they know what is coming next, they are so clever!
At some times of the season, some of the horses can get very busy. We have superstars all around the yard, so they are in demand and they can cover three mares a day during those times. You know, everyone is going to try get their mares in foal to them.
The afternoon covering time is 2pm and the evening is 8.30pm. We space out the times to give them a chance to fully recover.
What changes during the ‘off’
season?
When the breeding season finishes, and if they are not going to the southern hemisphere, they spend a lot more time out. Some of them might stay out 24/7 and come in during the morning for an hour or two.
We go by each horse, some of them love being out all the time, they are all different personalities, so we allow them to do what they tell us they want to.
There is a camera in every paddock, so we know when the horse is keen to come back in. We try to let them be what they are as much as possible and you get great results when you do that.
What nutritional requirements does a stallion have?
As regards nutrition, we monitor and vary it throughout the year, and they all get different levels. Some would need up to 6kg of feed a day, others only need one or two.
In spring and summer when the grass has more quality, we give them less hard feed. But, at this time of year, when the grass is not as good, for obvious reasons, we increase their feed.
Once a week, we weigh every horse so that tells us what our next step needs to be regarding their feeding regime.
"When you have hundreds of people coming in, you want to give them a very good experience."
What exercise requirements does
a stallion have?
Stallions need to have a certain level of fitness going into the covering season but, once again, every horse is treated differently. We have young horses and old horses that all get some exercise; the younger ones go on the walker or are lunged, some of the older ones might just get hand-walked, some a combination of all three. That usually starts in December/January for the start of covering on February 9th.
Have you ever travelled with
stallions to Australia?
Yes, I went to Australia with Shamardal and Teofilo in the past. Travelling stallions that distance might seem like a big deal, but there is loads of room on the big cargo plane. They have a stable up in the air; honestly, they travel better than ourselves. They have hay and water the whole way down. From my own experiences, they just drop their heads and travel very well. We do two weeks quarantine when we get there and they stretch their legs and relax when they get to the Australian studs, which are fantastic too. They adapt very quickly, the grass there is different, Ireland probably has the best grass in the world, but they get used to the new environment quite quickly.
What is involved in preparing for the ITM Irish Stallion Trail?
We have a few shows during the year, including the Stallion Trail and, of course, we have to bring them in and get them ready for that.
The Stallion Trail is something we look forward to. It puts us under a bit of pressure but, I think, pressure is good because we are all trying to do a little bit better all the time. When you have hundreds of people coming in, you want to give them a very good experience.
What we love to see is the faces on people when they look at the horses. It is amazing to see the reaction when they see the stallions, which they might have seen as racehorses, but they are up close to them now in a different environment.
For a couple of weeks before the Trail, we try to make sure we go through everything so everyone can have a great experience.
Actually, I am only in charge this last year-and-a-half because Owen Smyth, who usually runs the yard, is on sick leave. He is still part of our team and we are all thinking of him and wishing him a quick recovery. He is a special guy. His son Jamie is here looking after Teofilo and Ghaiyyath for the Trail, and is doing a great job.
Do you get attached to the stallions after a while?
Yes, of course. These stallions become almost like pets, really. They are all so laid-back, you can do anything with them, they are like family to us.
Teofilo, in particular, is a very, very special horse to me. He has just turned 22 now. I am here 19 years so I remember the day he retired, he has been with us since.
Between working here with him and travelling to Australia, we have done a lot together; he is a legend and we all love him here.