Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Z's Diary

Diary Post #442

It's ME...thinking! Photo by Sarah Campion

Hello Everyone,

I can’t believe it is already the 22nd of February. The time is really going by so quickly. I am definitely getting to the final weeks of my pregnancy. I’ve gained just the right amount of weight and the ADORABLE BABY does move around a bit and even gives a little ‘kick’ now and then. This is all TOO CUTE!

Rachel from California asked “How I would let my pals here at the farm know when I am ready to foal?”

As I’ve mentioned in earlier Diary postings, I was put under ‘foal watch’ on February 1st. This is done so everyone at the farm is monitoring ME each day very closely to observe everything going on with my body.

From what I am being told (as I have not done this before), my body will start giving signs as the big day gets closer. It is a natural progression of things that will take place until the time I am ready to give birth. As MY JOHN was commenting to Dottie, this is the exact way you would want things to happen….a slow changing of the body to get ready for the big day. You do not want things to happen all of a sudden or too quickly. You want to observe and note the subtle changes.

One of the first things that begins to happen is the forming of a small ‘bag’….which gradually increases in size. This begins to develop so there will be enough milk to nurse the baby properly when he/she is born. This is very important!

I am happy to report that per my last evaluation….I am starting to do this. My ‘bag’ is about the size of a “small marshmallow”, per the farm.

I will keep you posted. I have time yet to go and my due date of the first part of March continues to be ‘on target’. It is all so exciting!

Thank you for sharing this journey with ME!

With Love,
Hugs to All~
Z

Reader Interactions

360 Comments

  1. / Reply

    @ Sharon Call–HAPPY,HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! Hope you have a truly wonderful day!!

    @ Trina N.–Another masterpiece!! You are a wonder!!!

    @ Elizabeth in NM–BEAUTIFUL poem you posted last week-(I told you I was behind)!And,thanks for your condolences regarding my dear friend who was lost in the terrible plane crash.

    @@ Lisa G.,Trina,Kimberly,Terry,Carol,Judy and Eveline, as well as anyone I may have missed,my thanks on your condolences also. It meant a lot to me to be able to share this with my friends here. We are all so very lucky to have each other—it surely was apparent this week just how lucky!!

    Zenny,what a sweet picture today! You are in the hearts of so many–I just know you can feel it,even though the cheers are now an echo on the wind. Please know how much we love you and are praying for an easy time ahead !! Love to you and to Tasty–Have a happy day!!!

  3. / Reply

    Oh Zenyatta, this is definitely an exciting journey that we all are taking with you. And you have been doing exceptionally well throughout, and all your people there at Lane’s End are doing a fantastic job in taking care of you and attending to all your needs. Really appreciated being kept up to date on all that is going on with you Zenyatta. Thank you so much to all of your family and connections and especially to Dottie who without her love and attention and hard work, we all wouldn’t have this wonderful daily diary to come to.
    Take care Zenyatta-I love you more than ever. Sending my Love & Blessings to you and your little baby that is a hiding inside.

  5. / Reply

    Z this is one place i can come and feel really close to you and read all the beautiful comments You and yours and Tasty and hers have a blesed day *muah*

  6. / Reply

    Oh so very sweet you are…………………..You look beautiful as always. Thanks for the updates…………….I can’t wait to open this up one morning and there the 2 of you will be! Hard to believe the time is almost here.

  7. / Reply

    My adorable Zenyatta, what a pleasure to know that your are happy and well, every night I pry for you, is so great to be part of your journey, I cannot wait for the big day, love you Ingrid.

  8. / Reply

    Hi Zenny, Dottie, Tasty, Baby Bumps & Zen-sters:

    You are your beautiful self, Zenny, standing there quietly contemplating the horizon. Like so many others, including YOUR JOHN, I’m happy to hear that you’re progressing towards the Big Day at a natural rhythm and that you’re beautiful body is wise in that sense.

    It’s so exciting & interesting to accompany you on your journey to B-Day.

    Love you, Big Girl!

    Great posts, as always. Congrats to MC and Happiest of Birthdays to you, Sharon!

    Love & hugs to all

  9. / Reply

    Also, just some more information for Rachel, Z’s little one has to have some antibody protection against infection, so Z was likely immunized in February sometime at about 10 or so months gestation so her colostrum can provide the necessary antibodies. This is very important!
    And as Z gets close to delivery, one can check the calcium level and pH in the mare’s milk. These rather predictably change right before foaling and one can usually bracket a foaling to within 24-48 hours. And this gives us more sleep than we would otherwise get!!! There are milk testing kits – one we use called Predict-A-Foal – which has not let us down yet.

  10. / Reply

    My gorgeous “thinking” Z; . Were you thinking what may be going on in those other barns off in the distance! It sure looks nice there for you out doors. I suppose Tasty was allowing you some one on one time to contemplate.
    Feeling your baby kicking is really an amazing experience; I remember mine. I felt my baby would be born with big feet the way it felt sometimes!! I am so glad to hear all is going just as God & nature has planned for you. Each morning and night, when I pick up my Plushie of you, I hug you and say a short prayer, and tell you everything will be alright!! Just a little bit closer to the day dear sweet Zenyatta!!!!
    love you forever, 2 kisses on your soft nose, one for baby z Auntie Sally

  12. / Reply

    Dearest Zenny, What great news, everything is on schedule and you are feeling good. I do hope that the baby isn’t rehearsing for the Derby in your tummy. If YOUR JOHN is happy with your progress that’s all I need to know. Last March the excitement was the competition for your # 19 bronze (lucky Dawn) and all that pales in comparison to the excitement of this year. No birth has ever been so eagerly anticipated, thank goodness you have such experienced helpers there at Lane’s End. I can’t help hoping that you and Tasty foal on the same date.
    Happy Birthday Sharon, hope you’re celebrating. I loved your poem from Trina.

  14. / Reply

    And yes, you can fetal sex an embryo at about 60 days gestation if the embryo is lying in a certain orientation relative to the ultrasound probe. There are positive and negative findings to look for and a certain combination of each will give a certain % chance of a filly or a colt. We were able to do an ultrasound analysis for fetal sexing on an embryo in 2008 which had a 90% chance of a filly and yes, we got a filly in 2009. Very cool technology!

  18. / Reply

    Ms Zenyatta, good night, my Beautiful Queen. You and the little, big one sleep cozy, warm and wonderful dreams throughout the night. I bet Aunt Kari might pay you a little visit in your dreams. I am really getting excited now, but I want to be patient and you beautiful baby come as you intend. I love you, I love your baby, Sweet, loving dreams of beautiful pastures to run thru, stopping to munch on a flower…Lisag

  19. / Reply

    Dear Z, TT, Dottie and Z Fans:

    Thank you Z and Dottie for giving us these updates on how you are progressing and explaining the subtle signs and changes that are happening. The adorable baby is kicking; TOO CUTE. Love you and love to all of you, Judy and Russ

  20. / Reply

    HI ZENYATTA…ALMOST TIME…GOD BE WITH YOU AND BRING THE BABY IN 100%
    I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IF ITS A HE OR SHE…I WONDER IF IT WILL BE TALL LIKE YOU…
    I WONDER IF HE/SHE WILL BE A RACE HORSE LIKE YOU AND BERNII???
    SOOOOOO EXCITING!!!

    WHATS A FOAL WATCH LIST??? I GOTTA KNOW!!!!

    ZENYATTA I LOVE YOU!!! OXOX

    • / Reply

      The Foal Watch List is those mares who are due around the same time are put on a list and followed by and checked by the foaling folks at LE. I imagine these checks are
      daily if not more.

    • / Reply

      Mary

      Foal watch is what LE is actually doing day to day. They note any changes be they physical or behavioral.

      Z is getting milk now. Which is super. Means that there’ll be milk for the little one.

      Us? We are on online foal watch! We come here, read and chat. And wait.

  22. / Reply

    You always were OUTSTANDING IN YOUR FIELD, Zenny! Ha,ha couldn’t resist that bit of corn. Wow, we are so lucky to have not only Dottie but all the experienced horse people on this website to give us this detailed information. What a joy it is to commune with such wonderful caring people who have one thing in common, love for you. The bells will be ringing on your special day and then there will be two of you to lavish love on…….whoopie!! It sure gives me something to look forward to in the next year………watching that baby grow up. You will be the best mom ever because of your gentle spirit and kindness even if the baby is a little brat like Rachael’s. We have grown so fond of Tasty too, so I hope we are kept abreast of her progress. Pray for you two every nite for safe deliveries and healthy babies.

    Love and kisses on your noses, Auntie Sue

  23. / Reply

    Hi Z…. You look so cute with the side bumps, I love it. Its getting closer and you will be very busy soon with your new foal. I love you. Elena

  24. / Reply

    hi i wonder if you will foal same day as my mare as she now 4 weeks over and seems to be about same sort of progress, i think you will foal on 17th march(st patricks day) love you hope you and baby both stay safe

  26. / Reply

    Dear Zenny,
    It is so comforting to hear that you are progressing as expected. I echo the thanks expressed by others to everyone who has provided such helpful information about the foaling process (and to Dottie, of course, for keeping us up to date on you). It’s good to know what to expect. Hope your friend, TT, is doing as well – we haven’t heard about her lately. Take care, dear Zenny.
    Love from your Ohio friend, Sandy

    @Sharon Call – Happy Birthday (there seem to be quite a few of us in the same age range :-)

    @Trina – another wonderful poem! You are definitely an incredible archivist of this site. It means so much to learn about so many wonderful people (especially for someone who had to “tune out” for a while and missed some of the stories first hand). Thank you for all you contribute to this great community

    @Abigail – it seemed too late to comment yesterday, but as always, I was awestruck by your beautiful post. I went kicking and screaming into the “digital age” of education and really hated trying to do online courses because I couldn’t connect with the students as well as when I could SEE them (and I still worry about the absence of non-verbal communication on a site like this). However, you’re right – somehow it “works” here.

    @Signofthetimes – from one of your posts yesterday, I have concluded that we not only attended the same University but probably also the same School and had the same “specialty” (does FPB ring a bell?)

    @Elizabeth (NM) – I also thought your poem last week was wonderful and urge you to post it again (it was late in “the East” when it went up, and I believe many people did not have the opportunity to see your beautiful words).

    @Sue Fredrick – Wisconsin – your first sentence is a real hoot (you could give Terry C a run for his money :-)

  27. / Reply

    Dear Zenny,
    So glad everything is progressing well and your marshmallow will soon be
    an lemon or lime. So glad the farm folks are keeping you on top of your
    relaxation time; don’t want you to get too worried or excited. Hope you have a
    great day today. Early March plus or minus 10-11 days for you maidens.
    Who know when it will be??? Whenever it is it will be so very exciting.
    Keep grazing, exercising and socializing; Are you still running with Tasty ????
    XXXXXOOOOO

  28. / Reply

    Dear Sandy from NE Ohio,
    Oh yes, FPB definately rings a bell. How very coincidental.
    Zenny brings all sorts of people together.
    Cleveland has changed so much and it is so very nice and cosmopolitan
    since I moved. Love all the shops downtown and the restaurants and
    bars with music on the River.

  29. / Reply

    Oh Zenyatta this is the most exciting news! I am so anxious for the day that beautiful lil colt or filly decides to join us! I am thinking about it everyday and the closer it get the more that is all I can think about. You just relax and let your people continue to take care of you that baby will be here before we know it. What a GRAND day it is going to be: )

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