I'm experiencing foal fever today. To you non-horsey people out there, this is a need for a four legged, fuzzy, sweet baby horse to snuggle with.
I've realized that I don't have cravings for another human child. I don't ever have a desire to hold another baby, or to be pregnant with my own. I'm just super happy with the human child I have, and don't want to have to split my time between two. Selfish? Maybe, not the topic for the day.
Most breeders (like I had the opportunity to call myself with Irish Draughts) view it as a necessity for each year. MY last foal was in 2007, but I did have the opportunity in 2009 to deliver and raise a foal from one of my broodmares, Rose, who I sold in 2006. Rose was the first ID I purchased as a foal, raised through her first event as a 5 year old, as well as being dam of the first foal of my breeding program, Premier de Kegan (photo above), so she has a very special place in my heart. It has been a great experience raising her new foal, Chance, and I'm really grateful to her family for sharing it with me.
I feel like I've missed out on the best part of being a breeder...keeping one for yourself. I've sold all that I've bred, and my breeding stock too, all to keep the business in the black (the very reason I got out of it in the end). I want to breed one last foal, a keeper for life.
I want to make the decision regarding the best stallion for the mare for what I want to produce. I want to be there for the delivery of the foal, to enjoy the miracle that is birth after a long, 11 month wait. I want to teach it everything it can, to help guide it to be the best it can be. I want to raise another best friend.
To me, it starts with an interesting game of research. I like to play with pedigrees, phenotypes, and inheritable traits. At any time, I'll have a handful of potential stallions for any mare I know...all catalogued in my mind.
So, foal fever in full force today, I've wasted hours researching stallions. I have a short list of possible canidates for the mare I have in mind. I have another short list of things to research on the mare, and another list for what vet bills would come from getting her pregnant.
And then seeing those costs in black and white stops me short. "I'd never be able to justify it to Kevin." is my first thought...and then I remember that even if the odds are a million to one, theres still a chance of it happening.
Foal fever is a dangerous addiction that I'm reveling in right now. :)
