On Tuesday evening I decided that I would visit Bliss and Misty at Chantilly in France. I left at 9.am on Wednesday morning with a bag of their favorite herbal treats. My expected time of arrival in Chantilly was just before 5.pm (4.pm UK time) but with the French Railways. intermittent strikes, I was unsure of what time that I would arrive. Fortunately the strike did not affect my outward journey, and I was met on time at Chantilly Station by Bliss and Misty’s French Trainer. Even in Strike mode the French Railways are never late.
The Trainer took me directly to his Stables to see Bliss and Misty. As I was told by the Horse Transport Driver, who had drove them to France, the Fillies had arrived safe and well. Misty was a little tense on arriving, I was told by the Trainer, but she was a lot better by the following day. I was talking to the Trainer as we were walking to where Bliss and Misty were stabled. I hope that it was on hearing my voice that caused one of the Fillies to call out, but it was probably a coincidence, but it was no coincidence that when I went into both of their stables, that their noses went straight to my pocket, that I would have normally back home have had their herbal treats in.
I found Bliss and Misty stabled just off of the main stable yard. They had been put there as their two stables were partitioned halfway up by a see through netting, and they were able to be close to each other. Being stabled like this will get them use to being more apart, so that they can eventually be stabled in the main stable yard area. One of the Head Lads was in the stable with Misty, giving her a manicure, pulling her mane, trimming her tail and generally tidying her up. Bliss was to be next. Both during the day had been clipped out. This a procedure where Horses coats are shaved in places where they sweat whilst in training and working. If they are not clipped out, in the Winter their coats take a long while to dry after sweating. When not working the Horses have thick rugs to keep them warm. Most Horses don’t like the sound of electric shavers and are lightly sedated to stop them from chucking a wobbly and hurting themselves or the Stable Lads. Both Bliss and Misty were sedated. It showed me that I had choose the right place for Bliss and Misty. The time that I spent at the Trainers Yard I saw that all of the Horses were being treated with kindness.
In the evening the Trainer invited me to a wine tasting and buying charity dinner, in aid of homeless and orphaned Peruvian Children, it was organised by by the Wife of a French based English Horses Trainer. Chantilly has a large English community, who are involved in Horse Racing, a high percentage of those attending the charity dinner were English, just as well as my French is as good as useless, although the English when talking to other English people spoke French. I had better start learning the language a bit quick. The champagne, wine and dinner made it a memorable night, ever better as on one side sat a lady who is one of France’s largest Race Horse Breeders, on the other, the English Wife of one of the only two French Horse Racing Trainers, who trains the Horses of the Aga Khan. I got back to my Hotel after midnight, a little worse for the champagne and wine I had drunk. On Thursday I spent most of my day at the Racing Stables watching the first work that Bliss and Misty were doing. I will tell you all about it in tomorrows Diary.
Hopefully you will be able to see few photographs that I took in Chantilly. You can access them from the home page, next to the Forum and Diary links.
The first is a photograph of part of an extremely large forest that has training facilities for Race Horses . The Second is one of the training gallops that are as long as the eye can see, with some of the Trainers older Horses training. The last is a photograph of the stable yard that is now Bliss and Misty’s new home. These are only a taster to wet your appetite. There are some of Bliss and Misty that are really good. I will change the photographs on Monday and again later in the week. I am keeping the best till last.