What should thoroughbred foals look like at the sales?

LESS is more when it comes to thoroughbred foals, with a more natural look preferred.

The week before the sale you can start trimming and putting the final touches to your foal. You do not have to go to the extremes of pulling the mane, just even it up by pulling stray hairs with your fingers. It should be lying over the correct side (off side) prior to pulling it. This can be achieved from wetting it over every evening. If this does not work, it needs to be plaited over. Foal manes do not need to be pulled too short because it can make them look like ponies. Cut a bridle path just the width of the headpiece of your bridle. Foals should be washed the day before they are due to travel and on the day have the hooves oiled and their coats show-sheened.

FOR sport horse foals, Ronan Rothwell of Boleybawn Horses would recommend leaving foals on their dams going to auction. “They will show themselves off better when they are let loose if they have the benefit of milk and hard feed for nutrition.”

Nutrition and health management plays an important role in Rothwell’s sales prep regime. “I now start the foal on creep feed with Connolly’s Red Mills foal pellets at one month of age. All my mares receive about 3kg of course ration daily at grass. This will encourage better milk yield and, in turn, benefit the foal.

In the lead up to the sales Rothwell recommends rugging foals one week prior to sale as it will prevent them getting too hairy and will get their coat to lie down better. However, he adds that: “It’s very important not to use a rug in transit or at the auction as if your foal sweats up it will not be possible to get its coat dry and shining within the day.”

Sport horse foals should be plaited unless they have a very weak neck or they are less than eight weeks old. It makes them look more quality and attractive to the buyer.

“Remember, if the foal goes to the auction on their dam, handlers must have the mares turned out equally well as it creates a better overall picture, which is very important and clients will be inspecting the mother just as much as her foal.

“I worm dose any foals that are going to auctions with Ivermectin four weeks before the auction,” he adds. “Then again two weeks prior. I believe this puts a much better sheen on their coats.”