Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 168: Mejiro Ranch in Winter

The time displayed on the phone screen is [06:24].

He just moved his body slightly, and the cold air of the winter morning penetrated through the gaps in the quilt, making Kitano shiver with cold.

It was still dark outside the window.

There is still some time before sunrise.

I really don’t want to get up when it’s still dark——

Although my mind was filled with such thoughts, my body still obediently broke free from the comfort of the warm quilt.

I could clearly feel a chill when I stepped on the floor.

He staggered into the bathroom and finished washing up almost trembling.

The advantage is that you will feel refreshed as soon as you wake up.

While changing clothes, I opened the window a little.

Outside the house, there is white stretching to the end of the horizon.

In the gloomy sky, snowflakes fell one after another.

It's the kind of peony snow that becomes sticky after melting.

The snow on the pasture fence was several centimeters thick.

The sky was covered with heavy snow clouds, and there was no sign of them stopping.

The chirping of birds and the movement of small animals along the frozen Wudang River were all swallowed up by the snow.

After shivering, Kitano quickly closed the window.

Soon, several faces, red from the cold winter, gathered in the ranch lounge.

"Good morning everyone!"

Rachel Ho's voice was as energetic as usual, but there was a noticeable chill in it.

Lavid's dark complexion seemed to have absorbed the winter chill, appearing even darker.

The few people who were not from the Taoist family discussed snow removal with concern, while Asayama and Kitano sipped their barley tea as if they were used to it.

There was still room for the roof, but the snow on the roads had indeed reached the point where it had to be cleared.

The warmth of the hot tea spread down my throat, and my body quickly became invigorated.

After mustering up a little motivation, the day's work began.

Outside, Lavid was spreading coarse salt on the road for snow removal.

Rachel Ho breathed out hot air and swept the snow off the fence bit by bit.

On the grazing ground, the white horse, almost blending into the snow, tilted its head and made faces as if no one was around.

Atalanta wiggled his tongue slowly, and from time to time he shrank his neck in fear of the snowflakes falling on his head.

Kitano arrived at the entrance of the ranch early in the morning with a dazzling move and waited.

The mountains in the distance were covered in white, and the dark hairs looked even more magnificent against the backdrop of snowflakes.

"It's so beautiful—"

As he said this, Kitano raised his cell phone.

After the "click" sound, the scene in front of me was indeed preserved.

but--

"Isn't that look too fierce?"

He pushed his lips, which were constantly reaching for the buttons of his horse's coat, and such a feeling came into his mind.

Even among horses with triple-white eyes, such an oppressive look is quite rare.

Even Mubai Baima, who always regarded himself as the leader of the horse herd, seemed to be afraid to provoke her.

It's impossible to imagine what kind of foal this guy will produce. Soon after, a horse-carrying wagon arrived from the direction of Mino and the bridge.

The sound of the snow tires rolling over the road gradually drowned out the sound of the wind, and the outlines gradually became clear on the white and brown horizon.

"Please."

Kitano said to the two people who got out of the car.

The two men wearing masks nodded silently and took the leash from him.

The black deer-haired horse was skillfully loaded onto the vehicle, and the tailgate quickly closed again.

As I fastened my seat belt and sat firmly in the passenger seat, the vehicle started slowly.

The target is the Hidaka Livestock Highness Medical Center six kilometers away.

A month ago, after repeated confirmation, the breeding team of Gumoya finally agreed to the application submitted by Kitano.

Until a few minutes before the electronic contract was signed, He Luoxuan, the ranch manager of Gumoya Ireland, was still recommending many "more reasonable" options for the North American station, including Justice.

Finally, with He Luoxuan's subtle and unconcealed tone, the two sides reached a complete breeding agreement including breeding and post-breeding foster care services.

The price is 35,000 euros, based on the breeding fee of 30,000 euros, plus an additional 5,000 euros.

Moreover, the round-trip transportation costs are not included.

Considering that there will most likely be two horses when returning, the transportation cost will increase a lot.

However, Kitano still chose to foster Dazzling in Gumoya until she gave birth.

Staff skilled in prenatal and postpartum care, a high-standard thoroughbred mare delivery room and foal intensive care unit, the world's top thoroughbred colostrum bank, and the Feshard Horse Hospital adjacent to the ranch -

These are top-level breeding conditions that Mejiro Ranch cannot provide.

For mares, giving birth is a life-or-death experience, and every year some mares lose their lives during childbirth.

In addition, for three- or four-year-old mares whose bodies are not fully developed, even successful breeding will place a huge burden on their bodies.

Only mature mares are bred, and after reaching a certain age, they are only mated once every other year.

This was another piece of advice given by David, a ranch employee, while I was studying at Claiborne.

Of course, Kitano, who is a veterinarian, also holds a very conservative view on this matter.

Moreover, in the long run, although this approach increases short-term costs, it also significantly reduces the risk rate of breeding.

Generally speaking, this is a topic that only horse owners and breeders consider.

Since it is impossible to improve the level of the foaling unit in a short period of time, temporarily borrowing the world-class foaling unit from Gu Moa is also a good choice.

Of course, this will inevitably cost a lot of extra money.

Moreover, there are still many preparations to be made before officially setting off.

In addition to the quarantine before departure that is even more stringent than that of overseas expeditions, Gumoya also requires that any mare entering the ranch breeding shed must receive influenza, tetanus and EHV 1-4 vaccinations.

In addition to the vaccination, today the dazzling action will also undergo a complete pre-pregnancy checkup at the Hidaka Livestock High-Tech Medical Center.

The genetic samples and dazzling performances of the prolific master provided by Gumoya were sent to the biomedical laboratory in Kentucky at the beginning of the month.

Although it has not yet achieved the "foreseeing the future" that the project sponsor Ma Hanya had envisioned, the laboratory has accumulated considerable experience in identifying and analyzing genetic diseases in thoroughbred horses.

"Is this still just 'rest season'?"

Kitano couldn't help shaking his head, which attracted the driver's attention.

"If you get carsick, you can open the windows."

The driver's lips trembled slightly through the mask.

"Thanks."

Kitano sighed once again, which might have been taken the wrong way.

(End of this chapter)