Nicole Schnell

Few New Pics

Hey guys!  I've uploaded a few new pictures for you to see, it's finally green here and the farm looks so pretty!  Things are staying busy, we haven't had another explosion of foalings and the nights have been pretty quiet, but it's still yet to come.  We had a 24 year old mare foal out Saturday night, and unfortunately we lost her the next morning.  The foaling had gone well, but being as old as she was it seemed her body just couldn?t handle the stress and we suspect she might have hemorrhaged.  It all happened pretty suddenly, so thankfully she wasn?t in a lot of pain.  She seemed fine that morning, then right before lunch our manager checked in on her and she didn?t seem to be doing well, she died just shortly after that so there was no time to have anyone come out to check her.  The foal is doing really well though.  He?s a little guy, and he has a new adopted nurse mare mommy he seems to have become quite attached to.  He?s a very cute baby, and he?s pretty sweet, at least for now!

So we?ve had some pretty strange weather the past week.  It?s been back in the 20?s over night and in the mornings and on Friday it actually snowed here!!!  Yes, snowed, and it stuck to the ground!  I thought the saying was ?April showers? not ?April SNOW showers!?  But thankfully it?s supposed to warm back up for us the rest of the week which should be nice.  Our group of older foals and mares are getting ready to be left out over night soon if it will get warm and stay warm for them.  I can?t believe how fast they are growing.  The newborns look so tiny now, and the older ones are as tall as me if they stand with their ears pricked up!  Time really is flying! 

Last night we got to volunteer at the charity team penning event out at the horse park.  One of my managers road in the event, so it was fun to get to watch her and cheer her on.  Each team of two was given a jockey to pen with, so it was pretty funny watching these guys trying to herd cattle when you?re used to seeing them race lightening fast horses.  I also got to meet Robbie Albarado the jockey!  He?s riding Curlin this weekend in the Arkansas Derby, one of the Kentucky Derby prep races.  Another big race, the Blue Grass Stakes is this weekend up at Keeneland, so hopefully I?ll be able to get up there and see that.  Tonight is the Thoroughbred Farm Manager?s meeting, Todd Pletcher, the trainer who has several horses vying for the Derby is going to be speaking tonight, so that should be pretty cool.  I feel like I keep meeting all these local celebrities, it?s so cool!  And I?m learning a lot more about racing which has been fun.  I?ll post again soon!  Enjoy the new pics!