Healthy foaling is the first step toward the track
Apr 21, 2014 13:11:54 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Apr 21, 2014 13:11:54 GMT -5
Not much racing today. I thought this article was interesting - a read for a slow Monday!
The birth of a racehorse: healthy foaling is a thoroughbred’s first step toward the track
By David Johnson
The Saratogian
GREENWICH >> Race horses are bred with wires and winner’s circles in mind.
Before a thoroughbred steps into its first starting gate, however, there are countless obstacles that must be cleared on the path to the track. That process starts with a successful foaling.
Glenn DiSanto, a breeder, trainer and owner of Summit View Farm in Greenwich has more than 30 years of experience doing just that.
The veteran horseman has seen his farm foal two colts and a filly already this spring and expects five more by early summer. Two of the three babies came out without a problem. The third, a colt out of Longingfortheone (by Abaginone) by Disco Rico, turned out to be a challenge.
“It was tough,” DiSanto said of the birth. “(Longingfortheone) was struggling, then she cast against the wall, then we gave her oxygen. The other two just popped out.”
Unlike some animals — like cows or humans — a mare’s labor becomes dangerous for both mother and baby if it lasts longer than a half hour. Things like wide shoulders, a bad position or a caught leg can also complicate things. Luckily for the staff at Summit View, the large colt just needed a little help coming out. He was also able to keep the umbilical cord attached for about 15 minutes after the foaling.
“You want the cord to stay attached for as long as possible because they’re still getting a lot of blood and nutrients through that,” DiSanto said. “(The colt) was tired, (Longingfortheone) was tired so he just lied down there. We were petting her, and it stayed attached until he started jumping around about 15-16 minutes later. He’s great, healthy.”
DiSanto’s many years of experience have helped him prepare to deal with many potential issues. He also has things like, medicine, oxygen masks and IVs to use on mares or foals in case something does go wrong. Anything that can’t be fixed on site will likely involve a trip to the equine hospital.
“Sometimes they’re born crooked and they need surgery,” DiSanto said. “There’s simple surgeries where they put in screws or stimulate the bone on one side to make it grow. There’s a lot of things thank god.”
In the past, DiSanto’s mares have foaled as many as 30 babies born in one year. This year, he expects eight.
“The economy changes a lot,” he said of the difference. “People are still cautious with how they spend their money.”
Still, being a small-time operation compared to others in the racing business has its advantages. DiSanto said he only works with people he knows and has reliable employees like Jesse Vasquez, a manager at Summit View for 27 years and Trudy Miranda, who breaks most of his horses. Despite his modest stable, DiSanto-trained horses have combined to eclipse the $200,000 winnings mark the past three years. The trainer has averaged more than $202,000 total winnings per year the past eight years.
Part of the reason for DiSanto’s success is his careful selection of which horses to breed based on a mare-stallion compatibility database called TrueNicks. The company grades the potential of stallions from one male line with mares from other sire lines.
“We try to find the best stallion at the price we can afford that Nicks with the horse,” DiSanto said. “It’s a lot more research than I could do myself. It really helps.
“It’s not always the most expensive horse that is the best match for the mare. It’s just the combination.”
All three of Summit View’s foals come from A-plus-plus Nicks, including a filly by Catienus out of Ride With the Herd (by Candy Ride) and a colt by Here Comes Ben out of Found My Dream (by Lost Code). Found My Dream is unraced but has foaled several $100,000 earners such as Wishing on a Dream and Carry on the Dream.
Like everything else in racing, however, there are no guarantees. Multiple Grade 1 winner Game On Dude is an example of a horse who has been very successful despite a grade of D from TrueNicks.
As stressful as the foaling process can be on the horses and breeders, it is just the start of a long journey for horses bred for racing. DiSanto can begin to consider what type of racehorse they could be just by watching them grow up. While most are pointed to the track, some just don’t have the personality for it.
“There are a couple horses you can tell are not going to be racehorses,” DiSanto said. “But they’re nice horses and we’ll find them another career.”
The birth of a racehorse: healthy foaling is a thoroughbred’s first step toward the track
By David Johnson
The Saratogian
GREENWICH >> Race horses are bred with wires and winner’s circles in mind.
Before a thoroughbred steps into its first starting gate, however, there are countless obstacles that must be cleared on the path to the track. That process starts with a successful foaling.
Glenn DiSanto, a breeder, trainer and owner of Summit View Farm in Greenwich has more than 30 years of experience doing just that.
The veteran horseman has seen his farm foal two colts and a filly already this spring and expects five more by early summer. Two of the three babies came out without a problem. The third, a colt out of Longingfortheone (by Abaginone) by Disco Rico, turned out to be a challenge.
“It was tough,” DiSanto said of the birth. “(Longingfortheone) was struggling, then she cast against the wall, then we gave her oxygen. The other two just popped out.”
Unlike some animals — like cows or humans — a mare’s labor becomes dangerous for both mother and baby if it lasts longer than a half hour. Things like wide shoulders, a bad position or a caught leg can also complicate things. Luckily for the staff at Summit View, the large colt just needed a little help coming out. He was also able to keep the umbilical cord attached for about 15 minutes after the foaling.
“You want the cord to stay attached for as long as possible because they’re still getting a lot of blood and nutrients through that,” DiSanto said. “(The colt) was tired, (Longingfortheone) was tired so he just lied down there. We were petting her, and it stayed attached until he started jumping around about 15-16 minutes later. He’s great, healthy.”
DiSanto’s many years of experience have helped him prepare to deal with many potential issues. He also has things like, medicine, oxygen masks and IVs to use on mares or foals in case something does go wrong. Anything that can’t be fixed on site will likely involve a trip to the equine hospital.
“Sometimes they’re born crooked and they need surgery,” DiSanto said. “There’s simple surgeries where they put in screws or stimulate the bone on one side to make it grow. There’s a lot of things thank god.”
In the past, DiSanto’s mares have foaled as many as 30 babies born in one year. This year, he expects eight.
“The economy changes a lot,” he said of the difference. “People are still cautious with how they spend their money.”
Still, being a small-time operation compared to others in the racing business has its advantages. DiSanto said he only works with people he knows and has reliable employees like Jesse Vasquez, a manager at Summit View for 27 years and Trudy Miranda, who breaks most of his horses. Despite his modest stable, DiSanto-trained horses have combined to eclipse the $200,000 winnings mark the past three years. The trainer has averaged more than $202,000 total winnings per year the past eight years.
Part of the reason for DiSanto’s success is his careful selection of which horses to breed based on a mare-stallion compatibility database called TrueNicks. The company grades the potential of stallions from one male line with mares from other sire lines.
“We try to find the best stallion at the price we can afford that Nicks with the horse,” DiSanto said. “It’s a lot more research than I could do myself. It really helps.
“It’s not always the most expensive horse that is the best match for the mare. It’s just the combination.”
All three of Summit View’s foals come from A-plus-plus Nicks, including a filly by Catienus out of Ride With the Herd (by Candy Ride) and a colt by Here Comes Ben out of Found My Dream (by Lost Code). Found My Dream is unraced but has foaled several $100,000 earners such as Wishing on a Dream and Carry on the Dream.
Like everything else in racing, however, there are no guarantees. Multiple Grade 1 winner Game On Dude is an example of a horse who has been very successful despite a grade of D from TrueNicks.
As stressful as the foaling process can be on the horses and breeders, it is just the start of a long journey for horses bred for racing. DiSanto can begin to consider what type of racehorse they could be just by watching them grow up. While most are pointed to the track, some just don’t have the personality for it.
“There are a couple horses you can tell are not going to be racehorses,” DiSanto said. “But they’re nice horses and we’ll find them another career.”