b4breeding

Peak hour traffic with a twist:

Horsepower in Sevilla

We are back from a three week holiday in Spain, a treat we’ve been planning for a few years, hence not putting our mares in foal in the 2012 season and therefore not having any yearlings around us now.  So apologies for the lack of blogs lately apart from a few generic ones I scheduled before leaving.

There is almost no trotting in Spain at all apart from hobby type local races on the island of Mallorca (Majorca) off the coast of Spain, which is a beautiful and popular tourist destination but not where we wanted to go.

However horses did become a part of our trip, inevitably, as horses are so much part of the history and lives of human beings all over the world.

As the photo above shows, in downtown Sevilla, Spain, the old fashioned method of “horsepower” is a tourist option, but integrates easily into the relaxed and winding pattern of the busy Sevilla streets. The horse-drawn carriages mix with motorbikes, cycles, cars and buses, with everyone showing respect and no horns hooting or road rage. Also, the horses appeared very well cared for, although the wear and tear of the hard streets must take its toll.

We also had the good fortune to see the famous Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art’s show of “dancing stallions” in Jerez, close to Sevilla in the south of Spain. No photos were allowed, but take my word for it, the strength and control of the horses and the communication between human and horse is fantastic. Check out this short video clip on YouTube. The photo below is of a large painting on the wall of the arena.

Airs above the ground

On the home front, the first of this season’s foals was born while we were away – a lovely filly from Kym’s 3-win trotting mare Toggle. Toggle is a half-sister to Sun Isa and at 9 years old this is her first foal, by Majestic Son.