Thursday, December 24, 2015

Ex-racehorses do tinsel too !


So Christmas is upon us, and the ex-racers at the farm are not happy. For their humans it's a time of frantic activity, trying to make get all prepared for the festivities, as well as fitting in work and all the rest of their busy lives. It means that sometimes the horses are fed a little later than usual, or are brought in from the paddocks earlier (and since the grass is still growing in this unusually mild December, the horses want to stay out eating it!) And, sensitive souls that they are, the ex-racehorses quickly pick up on their stressed-out carers' irritability and tiredness, and respond by being as awkward as possible.

I always think that November and December are the hardest months for anyone involved in keeping livestock – in the UK, at least.. The weather may not be quite as severe as in January, but the ever-shortening days mean there is never enough daylight to do all that needs to be done. Add in days of persistent rain and occasional fog, and horses can end up spending too long standing in stables and not nearly enough doing exercise. So – especially if they are ex-racehorses used to regular hard work and discipline – they can easily end up bored, unfit – and naughty! Their 'Whoopee, playtime!' mindset quickly kicks in.

But – hey! - it's Christmas! It only lasts a few days, and soon enough the festive decorations will come down for another year and life will return to normal. If you are struggling to tend your ex-racehorse as devotedly as you would like, my advice is to cut yourself some slack, relax, stop struggling to be the perfect horse-keeper, and just enjoy the holiday. The horses, ex-racers or not, will come to no harm for having a bit of down-time themselves whilst humans over-indulge in food and drink for a few days. They will enjoy having longer turnout on Christmas Day – or even for the whole holiday. You will soon catch up with exercise, and discipline, afterwards. As long as the horses have good shelter, or rugs, to keep they warm and dry, and plenty of grass or hay to keep they occupied, they'll be happy as larry. Christmas carrots and polo mints optional, but always welcome.


Happy Christmas!