Happy Birthday to You

 

Yes the time has come - today is the birthday of all of our horses - each getting a year older today (no matter when they were born)!

It won't be a day of rest and relaxation however - with a large team heading to the Te Teko trials today, the carrots and treats will have to wait until they are tucked up for the night!

So as our weanlings become yearlings, our yearlings are two year olds and our juveniles become three year olds and so on - spare a thought for these wonderful, loyal and majestic animals who have looked after, served and delighted the human race for centuries - from warfare to fanfare, race day to recreation! 

Here's to our horses - happy birthday!

Some background ...

Carrot cakes are being shared among the equine industry today, as every horse in the southern hemisphere celebrates its birthday.  August 1 marks the standardised birthday for every horse, with northern hemisphere equines celebrating their special day on January 1.

The date, based on the equine breeding season, is used to standardise the industry, particularly horse racing, which uses the date to put horses in their age grades for races.

Standardising the age of horses was essential for the racing industry.  As one commentator noted: "It is a little bit like kids in school. You have to have a single date you can use to make it more uniform. Say a horse is born today — the first of August — he or she will race with horses from now until the end of November, December. That puts them all in the same age group.  It is very important to have restrictive races. You can't just have it willy-nilly."

Today is also an important day for the whole industry, falling just before Spring as it kicks off the new breeding year. The foaling season has started now, and the serving of mares can begin on the first of September.

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