You waited nearly a year for this, now what do you do?
This time of year we see a lot of neonatal foals come through the clinic in various states of disrepair. None of them look at the clock and check to see if it is still banker’s hours when they take a dive. About 3am is a popular time. Some just need a bit of a push to get going, while others become an assault on all that Mother Nature forgot to do to give that foal a decent shot at being a racehorse. We are faced with the question - is it worth it to spend money on this foal? Many things play in to that decision. For some people, it is emotional, there are no limits and how far you go is determined by how the foal progresses. For most, economics and a cool head must rule the day, the foal is part of a business, and everyone still needs to eat. You need an objective assessment on where you are starting from. Foals will surprise us in both directions: apparently minor issues at first look can hide serious problems that rapidly spira...