Wish I could pick one up as a Sporthorse sire!
Right? They all have very good reputations for sport.
I’m still not loving their business model, though.
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In a different time and place, I would have loved to have Big Blue Kitten for sport. What a nice looking horse.
Likewise I don’t understand their business model. I looked at a mare at Keeneland November this year, Ransom The Kitten. Calumet bought her as a broodmare prospect in 2013 for $110K. Bred her to Calumet stallions and she did not produce much. Sold for $4200 in November.
It’s a pattern that’s repeated often.
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His body looks nice, but with those feet I’m taking a hard pass. Yikes!
I’ve seen feet like that look a whole better with some appropriate work. To each their own!
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I would think that a well known stallion farm would have top notch farriery, but who knows.
I think that is defined differently in different breeds, sports, etc.
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what am I missing? I acknowledge that my vision isn’t great, but I see nothing glaringly wrong. Help me out?
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Looks like a clubby front, along with some sort of packing/epoxy on both fronts at the heel.
Most stallion barns want the studs barefoot if possible, this guy clearly needs fronts else they’d be pulled (and without packing type stuff!)
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Pulling his shoes, and trimming him properly would go along way. I’m not worried about his soundness- the horse was amazing on the track. The problem with pulling is shoes is that they do go through an ugly stage which you are working toward correction. An upright hoof capsule that isn’t extreme wouldn’t turn me off in and of itself.
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Again, I’m sure if it were possible, Calumet would have him barefoot. It’s much safer for the mares, and nearly all their other stallions are barefoot. It looks like only he and one other stallion still have their shoes on. Does not bode well.
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Again- I don’t agree. It’s a process to get the feet right barefoot. When you pull their shoes, you know that when they hit the nail line, they are going to be ouchy, etc. That isn’t a good look for a stallion that people are going to be seeing.
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You would think so. However, see pic of Justify that I took last June. Don’t think his feet look great.
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Yikes!!!
A lot of these stallions are still galloped daily for their mental and physical health. I’m sure shoes help for some. Not sure how recent the stud photos are, they look to be taken for ads and could be from any time.
I believe Justify (and possibly Pharoah) suffered a laminitic event related to shipping home from Australia last year. It wasn’t publicized, but I know someone who toured Ashford in May (looking to breed to one of them) and the stallion manager apologized about his feet and gave that explanation.
Most stallions are happily barefoot once they adjust from the track. The photo of Big Blue Kitten used in the BH article appears to be taken recently off the track; I would bet his feet look different now.
When I was in KY, my regular farrier also did the Lanes End stallions (and mares/yearlings at Darley). They get EXCELLENT hoof care, but some of them do suffer metabolic issues, age/soundness concerns, etc that require shoes or supportive measures. Therapeutic cases are regularly xrayed and shod accordingly.
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Interesting. Would explain a lot. Pharoah was also shod, and while his feet did not look quite like Justify’s, they also did not look good.
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I was going to say “dang those look like founder feet!” but was hoping it was just the angle. What a shame.
Would it be stress or diet change that would cause two BIG name stallions to have the same problem on a return to the USA? Maybe a combo of both.
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Bit late with this but what is it about their business model thats different from other large scale commercial breeding operations involving animals owned by syndicates, partnerships or other entities? Or even smaller breeding operations that are sole owners but cannot carry underperforming bloodstock?
Elite level underperformer may be a more modest breeders superstar in a less high powered environment and these auctions allow those breeders access to what are often pretty good horses at an affordable price.
