Sparrow Castle wrote:BaroqueAgain1 wrote:Thanks for the photo. I thought her build was much leaner than Nelly's, but that shot shows powerful hindquarters...and that part looks a LOT like Mum.
I'm confused...why do Aussie horses turn on Aug. 1? With the Northern and Southern Hemispheres having opposite seasons in a year, there should be six months difference between NH and SH TBs. Jan. 1 through June 30 is the first half of the year; July 1 through Dec. 31 is the second half.
Shouldn't their 'birthday' be on July 1?
LOL, I could just say "since when do a lot of things about horse racing make sense," but I've wondered the same thing myself. I've been told various reasons from "it's based on the natural foaling seasons between the two hemispheres (and a lengthy lecture about earth's tilted axis...exposure to the sun)" to "breed registries made decrees independently of one another." Maybe others can pipe in on this.
Exceed and Excel has powerful hind quarters too, but I'm mostly referring to her general body style and head, especially those cute ears. But I've seen him in the flesh and haven't seen her.
I'm fairly certain it has to do with their breeding season which starts in September. I like their breeding/foaling rules better than the US. As long as your mare is covered during the defined "Covering Season", you aren't penalized if she foals early. However if you breed outside the official covering season, you are penalized.
Here are Australia's rules:
Covering Season – a nine-month period extending from 1 September
until 31 May next. It commences one month after the start of the
racing season and ends two months before the end of the racing
season. All coverings of a Thoroughbred mare by a stallion must be
restricted to the official covering season if the owner wants the foal to
be officially one year old on the 1 August that follows one month after
the end of the foaling season
Foaling Season – the twelve-month period extending from 1 July until
30 June next. It commences one month before the start of the racing
season and ends one month before the end of the racing season
A foal born to a mare whose first covering by a stallion is restricted to
the official covering season, will be officially aged one year old (a
yearling) on the 1 August which follows one month after the end of
the foaling season in which it was born (i.e. it will commence its
second official year of life on that day)
A foal born to a mare which was first covered by a stallion, at any
time outside the official covering season, will be officially aged one
year old on the day it was born and will become a two year old on
the 1 August which follows one month after the end of the foaling
season in which it was (i.e. it will commence its third official year
of life on that day)