I had a tour of the Irish National Stud and Gardens. I was very impressed with the Stallions and fouls and the Japanese Gardens. Horses have been bred and born on the 800-acre site since 1900. The site is called the Irish National Stud.
The best stallion stud fee was $450,000.00, and the lowest price was $5000.00. Their best stallion is insured for 80 million. The mares go back into heat 8 or 9 days after giving birth. The horse stalls are cleaned out thrice daily to ensure good health for the horses. They have bred up to 150 horses a day naturally. The mares have boots on their back feet so they won’t kick the stallion while breeding. They have a miniature stallion from Argentina that they put in with the full-size mares to ensure they are in season. If the mare is pregnant with twins, one egg is removed. Otherwise, the horse will be too miniature for racing. The stud fee must not be paid until the foul is one year old. Their oldest horse lived to be 40 years old. When a horse gets very old or is infertile, it will have them put to sleep.
Over 100 fouls are born at the stud every year, most between March and May. The fouls generally stand within an hour or two and nurse their mother. Most horses begin their racing career at the age of two.
Breeders worldwide send their mares to be mated with the stallions at the Irish National Stud. The price of the stud fee depends on that stallion’s popularity.
A famous racehorse can take in millions of dollars in its lifetime. Some famous horses at the Irish national stud are as follows: Moscow Flyer, Hardy Eustace, Kicking King, Beef or Salmon, and Rites of Passage. They have won essential races. The current stallion Big Bad Bob is making a big impression at the races and has bloodlines that span over 70 years.
The Japanese garden is gorgeous and in a tranquil setting.
One reply on “Irish National Stud and Gardens”
I always knew horse were expensive but wow – they have some high dollar stallions! Sounds like a neat place.