The Breeder
This is the first link in the horse racing chain. At his stud farm, he or she determines the best crossing possible for his brood mares by selecting stallions on the basis of established criteria. He monitors the gestation period (11 months), helps the mothers during foaling and then prepares the new arrivals (classed as foals until the age of 1) to become future champions by overseeing their development right from their birth. The foals leave the stud at the age of 1, with a great number going to “yearling sales”. At around 18 months, they will be broken in (1st contact with saddle and rider) and then trained.
The profession of breeder involves extensive knowledge of the pedigrees (genealogical trees) and models (small, large, heavyset, bony, etc.) of horses, as well as meticulous professionalism. The attention lavished on the foal (food, outings to the paddock, veterinary monitoring, etc.) directly affects future performances of the racehorse. The deficiencies of a badly nourished foal (colt or filly aged less than a year) will have repercussions on the physique once it is old enough to be subjected to the demanding pace of competition. Each animal is therefore shaped right from its birth, which is why a breeder needs to set up his stud farm on “good land” that is rich in mineral salts and hilly but not overly so, in order to prevent any unnecessary strain being placed on the young horses’ joints. Breeding is a profession that demands a vast amount of patience. Between the moment when a breeder chooses a stallion for his brood mare and when his colt or filly first emerges onto the racecourse, a minimum of three years elapses, as thoroughbreds are only authorised to run from the age of 2.