Merrick Stud

21/09/2024

Twin update:
All doing amazingly well and continue to defy the odds….Poppy is now considerably taller than first born Daisy, but she’s a completely different type altogether, long legged, fine and very elegant whereas Daisy is more compact.
Introduced slow feeders today in an attempt to slow Lowri down a little (🙈🤷🏻‍♀️😂) which will allow the babies more time to eat their share (she’s a typical CB part bred and lives for food!😂)
Once they’d decided the slow feeders didn’t mean a device designed to slow down the speed a monster from within would actually eat THEM, they tucked in as usual.
Making the most of the best couple of weeks weather we’ve had all Summer and leaving them out while we are full speed with the house.
Never time to get bored around here!
♥️💕🦄🦄🦄💕♥️

12/08/2024

The twins are starting to moult their baby coats and it looks like Daisy is going to be even darker bay than she is already, I think Poppy will stay a brighter bay like her mum Lowri.

28/07/2024

These 3 girls are providing plenty of distractions to passing motorists!
The twins continue to thrive, they are an absolute delight, and Lily is just awesome too!
Looking forward to the time they can go out together, at the moment the twins are still coming in at night, as Lowri needs the rest and as much food as she can possibly consume in any given period of time! (She does quite well in that aspect!)
Still pinching myself….

20/07/2024

Feed time is their favourite time of day!

09/07/2024

Really Minstrel?! And Magnum you’re not helping by taking a nap using your son’s bottom as a headrest while he has a drink!
Really need to work out a strategy for weaning!

08/07/2024

The twins are now 3 weeks and one day old….delighted with their progress, and Lily is looking awesome! I’m gutted to be working every weekend until the end of September, it would have been lovely to have taken them out to the odd pony party.

07/07/2024

02/07/2024

The twins are now 16 days old and going from strength to strength!

22/06/2024

What a week! This time last week we were gawping at Lily, delighted with how she was developing, then on Sunday our entire universe was turned upside down when the “is she isn’t she” question of whether Lowri had proved our theory that she was infertile incorrect, was answered when she produced not one, but two tiny but perfect filly foals, who are called Daisy and Poppy.
Poppy needed some help from us all and a tube feed of 400mls of colostrum given by our lovely vet that I managed to milk off a very tolerant and somewhat shell shocked Lowri, but once she’d had that she bounced back and they’ve gone from strength to strength.
The odds of getting a live birth from a twin pregnancy in horses is 1 in 10 000, the chances of both foals being born healthy and both surviving the first 48 hours and not having any issues is much smaller, so we haven’t had much sleep this week!
However the twins have amazed us all, they both had amazing IgG results (well done Lowri!)
They do zoomies around an increasingly bemused Lowri, and all being well tomorrow they will go out for a short period in the paddock next to Lily and Maisie (eventually they will go in together.)
They are getting quite a large fan club already!

07/06/2024

Happy 1st birthday to Minstrel (Merrick Zulu Warrior II)
Really pleased with how he’s matured and grown (and boy has he grown!)
We’ve accepted a deposit from a very special home who we hope will offer him the 1:1 attention he deserves, and looking forward to going to shows to watch him in action!
He will be staying here until Autumn when he will be castrated before leaving for his new home.
❤️💕❤️
You may need to click on the photo!

07/06/2024

Just 10 days ago we welcomed this little stunner to the fold.
Merrick Tiger Lily
3/8 registered Cleveland Bay filly, I’m still in shock that we’ve had 2 coloured foals in 2 years, after a run of (albeit stunning) bays (although you have to admit it’s hard to beat a nice rich bay ❤️)
A poignant arrival as she’s out of Maisie (Merrick Party Girl) who is out of our dear departed Wrancar Spice by the also deceased Craigiewood Tobermory, yesterday was Spice’s heavenly 25th birthday.
Lily is being retained, she is really rather special.
💕❤️💕

13/05/2024

Coloured horse and pony registration with CHAPS query:
Still having issues with Minstrel’s passport….
(Yes I know he’s a yearling already-it’s late for multiple reasons mainly being the vet having to cancel for poor weather etc when it was due….)
I registered my prefix with CHAPS as I’d really like him to hold our prefix as I think he’s going to be rather special and is going to a knowledgable showing home. They have responded saying to do that he needs to have recorded breeding on at least one side, or they want DNA from both parents to prove parentage (not an issue as we own Magnum and Hogan anyway but it’s extra expense not to mention upsetting them both by plucking them to get tail hairs with the root bulb attached! It will also delay things as Minstrels new owner is wanting to insure him and as yet we don’t have a UELN although he is microchipped.)
Magnum is by Omar (we know that for sure as Garry held her dam Fudge to be covered.)
Omar is now dead, but we are aware that he WAS licensed with CHAPS. This license was later withdrawn as his then owner failed to join the society.
As we also have Scarlet out of Magnum it would be good if she had the dam side verified for any future offspring.
Would CHAPS have a record of Omar’s DNA?
If so, could they verify that Magnum is indeed by him (the old owner and breeder never registered any stock-just stuck them all on an ID passport because it was easier and he just wanted a quick easy income from the foals he bred 🙄)
Or do we just omit the prefix and get his passport back quicker and accept I wasted my time and money registering our prefix with CHAPS.
I could call but last time I spoke to them they seemed rather rushed and unhelpful! I’m sure this wasn’t their intention….
Photo of the boy himself…..

19/04/2024

❤️❤️❤️ click on the post-fb playing silly buggers!

28/07/2023

Sometimes you just stand back and think “wow, did we actually breed these beautiful girls?”
Of course, it’s the mares and stallions that make these beautiful babies, but seeing them in our fields makes me so proud!
(They were watching my dad flying his drone here hence the fascination-all good de-sensitisation!)

03/07/2023

Special boy ♥️

09/06/2023

What can I say?! ♥️♥️♥️