5 things to know BEFORE you breed a Varekai foal
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BREED A VAREKAI FOAL 🐴
My clients and I have been asked some questions about what it's like having a Varekai foal, so I thought it only fair to write this public service announcement and let you know about the potential hazards and pitfalls of owning a Varekai foal.📣
Here are FIVE things you may have to get used to if you breed a Varekai foal:
1. You will have to get used to answering tonnes of friendly questions of ‘is he an Andalusian?’ or ‘What % Friesian/Percheron is s/he?’ or at best ‘What breed is s/he?’ - every single time you take your horse out of the paddock.
This will be a guaranteed conversation starter and people will want to know what your horse is and where you got it. Also be prepared for a good % of these people to become lifelong friends. If this is a deal breaker for you, you can always palm them off to me, I’m used to it by now.
2. It is quite likely your foal will be black and have a double or triple mane. Are you sure you will be happy with a glossy black horse with lots and lots of mane, some feather and the associated upkeep? You may want to buy shares in No Knotts now come to think of it...💈
3. Be prepared for self-confessed experts on all things Waler to tell you that ‘that’s not what a Waler looks like’ – usually these people work in the industry, hence their expertise on all things Waler. You’ll just have to take their word for it!
4. If you thought that taking a decent photo of your horse was hard, then you are really going to hate having a Varekai foal. Prepare yourself for a photo album almost entirely consisting of nostril shots. It will be almost impossible to take a photo of the whole horse in one shot, unless you first place said nostril in a feed bucket. 📷
5. It doesn’t matter if you have empty pockets or even if your Varekai foal has never been introduced to the concept of treats, you will not EVER be able to complete any tasks in the paddock in a timely manner, without removing said horse from the paddock first. Otherwise they will want to know what every tool is used for, and if they too can have a job please. Don’t be surprised when they insist on helping you find the things that you need in the tool bucket, trying to help you with the pooper scooper and even navigating the wheel barrow around the paddock. Needless to say you will never lack company during farm chores ever again!
So if you think you can handle all that - then you probably qualify as a good sort, and you might just survive this experience with your sense intact! 😉
Happy riding,
Stef and Varekai!
