by Cynthia McFarland
As breeding season approaches, stallion managers across the country pay close attention to the horses in their barns. A successful season depends on having fertile, healthy stallions, and good management has a strong impact on how stallions handle their job.
In a field long dominated by men, Sandy Hatfield, stallion manager at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky, has built a reputation as one of the best in the business. With that in mind, she was asked how she prepares stallions for the breeding season, as well as her strategies for keeping stallions happy and thriving.
Robert and Blythe Clay own and developed Three Chimneys, starting with 100 acres of undeveloped land in 1972. The farm's stallion division was launched in 1985, with Slew o' Gold the first to join the roster. Many outstanding stallions have since taken up residence at Three Chimneys, including sire of sires Seattle Slew, the sport's only undefeated Triple Crown winner; Kentucky Derby (G1) winners Silver Charm and Smarty Jones; and dual classic winner Point Given.
Three Chimneys will stand 11 stallions for the 2009 season, and that count includes dual classic winner Big Brown, who is scheduled to retire to the farm by December 1. The farm also is home to pensioned Wild Again, winner of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and a top sire.
Although her job title is stallion manager, Sandy Hatfield is grateful that her work encompasses far more than simply managing the Three Chimneys stallions. "Any management position in the Thoroughbred business is a 24/7, 365-days-a-year job," Hatfield said. "It's not just a job; it's a lifestyle, and you have to want to live that lifestyle."
For the thousands of horse lovers who visit the farm each year, Hatfield basically takes on the role of ambassador, not only introducing these people to the stallions at Three Chimneys, but also giving them a memorable peek at the whole industry. It is a task she relishes.
"I love what I do and the people I work for. The Clays are amazing people, and it's a great farm. I really like getting to know the stallions and learning their personalities, and I love the excitement of the breeding shed," she said. "I love meeting people and talking about the horses and the industry. Any place I go, people are asking about them. I'll be in Oklahoma visiting family, and people will ask about Smarty Jones."
Solid routine
Horses are creatures of habit, and Hatfield tries to keep their routines as regular as possible throughout the year, even during the busy breeding season.
Stallions typically spend the night outside in their paddocks and are brought in at 7 a.m., after which they are exercised and then fed. When breeding season begins, the only real difference is that the day begins at 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m.
In addition to allowing as much turnout time as possible, Hatfield believes the farm's exercise program is a huge benefit for keeping stallions happy and healthy.
"We ride the stallions we can, and the ones that can't be ridden, for whatever reason, go in the mechanical free walker," she said. "We have a little quarter-mile wood chip track that we ride on at a walk, jog, and canter. It's great for them, not only for their physical well-being, but also mentally. They really love to go out there."
Riding is also an excellent way to stay in sync with the horse's physical condition, Hatfield said. Champion Seattle Slew was routinely ridden until 2000, well into his 20s, and it was his exercise rider who first said the horse did not feel quite right, Hatfield said. This led to the discovery and subsequent diagnosis of Seattle Slew's spinal-cord compression, which was treated successfully with two surgeries. (Seattle Slew died on May 7, 2002, the 25th anniversary of his Derby victory, at age 28.)
After exercise—whether under saddle or in the free walker—stallions are fed. Hatfield feeds the stallions a sweet feed designed by McCauley Brothers (a local feed company) especially for Three Chimneys, taking into consideration their forage. A pelleted concentrate is added, and Hatfield cooks up flaxseed and adds this to the ration once a day.
"I think it really helps keep their system going, and a little extra bit of oil never hurts." Each stallion's ration is based on his individual needs; Hatfield may put one on Purina Mills Equine Senior or on Finisher, another McCauley Brothers feed, if that specific horse has trouble keeping weight on.
The stallions' vaccination schedule will vary slightly from broodmares and yearlings, but it is not dramatically different. As for hoof care, stallions are left barefoot if possible, but those individuals needing shoes will be shod accordingly. If a stallion has any hoof issues, the farm's resident veterinarian, James Morehead, D.V.M., is closely involved.
Stallions are thoroughly groomed each day and, depending on the weather, also will be bathed or vacuumed. "It's pretty labor-intensive," Hatfield said. "There's someone here looking at a stallion every day of the year other than Christmas. My horses have to be at their best 364 days a year. Christmas is the only day they might not get groomed. During breeding season, we have one groom for every two stallions."
Joining the roster
Any new stallions joining the roster are typically being retired from a racing career and must be acclimated to farm life before breeding season begins.
"Most of our horses are in good condition, but some have a hard time coming off the racetrack," Hatfield said. "It's a very different life. Some horses get depressed, and some go off their feed. I've had horses lose almost all their hair. It's just a different environment. It's like taking your dog to someone else's house; sometimes they don't eat. You just have to be patient, monitor them, and find something they like to eat. That's why we do blood work when horses first get here to make sure everything is okay before we get started with them."
Upon arrival, a new stallion will have blood drawn and a complete blood count done, along with a fecal test to check for parasites and an equine viral arteritis (EVA) test. His vaccination schedule will be reviewed, and he will be updated on any necessary inoculations.
A stallion that is accustomed to being in a stall at a racetrack will need some time to settle into the quieter life of the breeding farm. Hatfield likes to put a new stallion in the round pen at first before turning him loose in a larger area. A tranquilizer the first day or two will take the edge off if the horse needs a little help settling down.
"From there, we increase their time outside. Depending on the time of year and how good the grass is, we'll start with an hour or two, and just ease them into paddock life," Hatfield said. "It depends on the individual horse. When Point Given came he had a bowed tendon, so that was months of hand-walking before we could turn him out." One might think that any healthy intact male horse would take to breeding immediately, but that is not always the case.
"Generally, the older a horse is when you get him, the harder it is to get him to relax in the breeding shed simply because they've been asked not to do something [act studdish], but this doesn't always happen," Hatfield said. "I have had horses come in at age four or five, and they have it figured out in ten minutes. With others, it takes three or four days to get them organized. Most horses are good and figure it out right away; with others, it takes a while."
If a stallion comes to the farm by fall, he usually will get his first introduction to mares in late November or early December. If he arrives much later, his first sessions with a mare will not occur until early February. This is because the farm must vaccinate all stallions for EVA in January, and they have to be quarantined from other horses for a month.
The first mares a stallion meets will be the farm's test mares, whose ovaries have been removed so they cannot get pregnant. Being quiet and patient is important during these first sessions, Hatfield said. She will let the stallion sniff and investigate the mare and even try to mount her without an erection the first time.
"We might let him get away with this in the beginning when we wouldn't later," she said. "You don't want to discourage him. You have to learn what the stallion needs and likes, but there are certain things he is never allowed to do: charging or attacking the mare, and pawing, either at the mare or the handler."
Starting the season
Before the season begins, semen from each stallion is collected and analyzed. "We do this in late November or early December just to make sure everyone's in good shape," Hatfield said. "There are some stallions that accumulate and don't pass their dead sperm, so you have to use test mares to blow them out before the season starts. We made it a habit of collecting all stallions before the season."
Once breeding season is under way, Three Chimneys schedules breedings at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. Hatfield finds this schedule gives heavily booked stallions enough recovery time between sessions. Even the most in-demand stallions are limited to 110 to 115 mares, she said.
If a stallion tends to grab the mare's mane or neck, a breeding cape will be used on the mare to protect her, or the stallion may be bred wearing a muzzle. Five employees, including Hatfield, are in the shed for every breeding. In addition, two grooms who lead stallions back and forth from their stalls to the breeding shed also are present.
When it comes to those who work in the breeding shed, Hatfield likes to rotate tasks every two weeks so that employees gain experience and familiarity handling all aspects of breeding. This is a big help if an employee is out sick for a day or two.
"Every two weeks everyone switches what they do," Hatfield said. "You're shooting yourself in the foot if you only have one or two people who handle the stallions or hold the mares."
Every stallion manager wants the horses in the stud barn to be fertile, efficient breeders, but not all stallions are eager breeders. "When I was at North Ridge [Farm], Seattle Song had a very poor libido," Hatfield said. "It was a long, drawn-out process finding out exactly what he liked before we got him to breed a mare. Getting mad won't make them breed that mare any faster. With some stallions, their libidos aren't like the others, and you have to figure out what they like and be patient."
Hatfield has found that putting a stallion in a stall near the receiving barn where he can see mares coming and going will inspire a slow breeder or one without a strong drive. She used one stallion to tease mares and found that helped him. Turning a stallion out in a paddock next to mares can also increase a stallion's interest, but Hatfield has not had to resort to that. She has discovered that many times a stallion with a low libido will be more aroused by a gray mare.
As to who gets to take care of Big Brown once he arrives, there is no question about that. Hatfield said her assistant, Shane Glass, will get that responsibility. Asked about her favorite in the stallion barn, Hatfield did not hesitate. "Wild Again has always been my favorite," she said, an obvious fondness in her voice as she refers to the 28-year-old horse. "He loves people, likes the attention, and has a great personality."
Cynthia McFarland is a freelance writer based in Fairfield, Florida