Page 63 - New Mexico Horse Breeder, Fall

The Double L is succeeding; it’s been called one of the top breeding farms in New Mexico. What makes it stand out?
An overwhelming desire to, “make the customer happy,” W.L. said.
“We want the mares to look good as they did when they arrived, or better, when they leave here pregnant. We may even overdo it, but it sure makes for a happy customer”.
Customers also like the Double L’s quality and quantity of horseflesh. Eight stallions stand at the farm, several of whom are stakes winners. Bold Ego and Johnny Night are two of the most famous studs and favorites of the nearly 250 mares currently lodged there.
Frank Corral, stud manager and ten year veteran, has the job of “mothering” the studs. Frank sees to their total care, making sure they’re brushed, cleaned, clipped and shod, exercised, fed their individualized mixtures of specially-made Double L feed formula, and, of course, making sure their stalls are kept clean and cushy with a deep layer of sawdust.
Frank is around the stallions so much that he claims each one has its own distinct personality. Four-year-old Adamas loves
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and hopscotch over it again and again until we turn the music back on.”
Dr. Craig King is the on-grounds veterinarian who doctors the “guests” at the 50-acre farm. Dr. King plays the primary role in reproductive management and is great at fooling Mother Nature. Live coverage, rather than artificial insemination, is used in breeding Thoroughbreds, he said, and technology has made it a science.
“We can bring a mare into heat— indefinitely—which allows more control,” Dr. King said. “And, ultrasound testing lets us see quickly if a mare is pregnant or whether she needs surgery or medication. We don’t have full control, of course—we still miss—but what we do have helps and makes the process easier.”
What the Double L Farm has going for it does more than help and make things easier. Its caring and its technology are what keep quality mares from all over the country coming back year after year.
“It’s a tough way to make everybody happy and all we can do is try,” W.L. explained. “But without all the good help and all the good people—customers—who had faith and confidence in me and my operation, we’d be nobody. We’re blessed with what we’ve had so far.”
FALL 2018 61
Darryl Klassen (bull rider from Calgary, Canada and Double L hand) leads a willing Shady Lady and foal (owner Jeanne Jolly of Los Chavez) to greener pastures for a little R & R.
The Double L’s walker is one of the largest in the state.
“Good business sense,” claims W.L. “You just can’t combine this with something else like training. Ours is a 24-hour-a-day operation. We don’t have time to do much else.”