Good Morning,
YES…I am very excited to have my CA visitors stop by and see me this weekend. Thank you for mentioning this in your responses. I am sure that JOHN will take many photos. I know he’ll be delighted to share them with you! As you may know, he loves photography!
Yesterday, when we talked about the REINS…(and yes…all of those terms you noted do fit Mike Smith’s basic concept)…John mentioned the REINS ARE THE PRIMARY WAY A RIDER COMMUNICATES WITH THE HORSE.
In conjunction with this, John wanted me to add that “HORSES HAVE A WAY TO COMMUNICATE BACK TO THE RIDER…AND THAT IS THROUGH THE BIT! It is ALL ABOUT A HORSE HAVING A HAPPY RESPONSIVE MOUTH.” In RACING, almost ALL of the communication by the rider is through the reins and the bit. The rider’s legs are not as important in giving the horse clues as it is when dealing with riding other breeds of horses. This is because the jockey spends so much time in a crouching position. The hands and touch on the reins holds great significance.
Thus, it is a very interesting dynamic…RIDERS/REINS and HORSES/BITS. The way a horse communicates back to rider through the BIT is how he/she holds the bit in the mouth: tightly, loosely, or on one side or the other. The rider must pay close attention to ‘how the horse is playing with the bit and responds to it”. This is very important.
There are many different types of bits. To name just a few, there are ring bits, snaffle (D-Bits) and leather prong bits. Perhaps if you have time, go to a tack shop one day and just look at the variety available. How a different BIT is selected for the horse depends on the horse, the horse’s response to the bit, and the type of message that needs to be developed through this communication. The trainer makes this decision while working with the horse.
Per John, the trick is for a trainer to find the bit that is most comfortable for the horse. It must be one the horse likes and responds to well when training and racing. The bottom-line is that the horse learns his/her lessons and responds to the equipment when asked by the rider…relax, change gears or pick-up speed.
A horse’s mouth is very sensitive and plays an important part in the ROLE of the BIT. Horses have dentists who check their teeth often…for general health reasons and also to be sure this equipment fits comfortably in their mouths. My dentist, Sonny Wilson, would check my teeth quite a bit. Horses’ teeth can develop sharp edges due to the fact that when they eat, they grind their teeth back and forth. Sonny would FLOAT (file) my teeth when needed. This was approximately every 3 months. He’d do this to be sure the sharp edges were taken care of properly and to be sure my mouth was comfortable.
As illustrated in the photo, I wore a K-K Snaffle Bit with a Roller. You can see the roller in the middle. It has 2 joints in it which added to my comfort. The K-K part simply notes that a special company made this bit and a metal alloy was used in the product that was really nice in my mouth.
It was also very important for ME to keep my tongue under the bit while racing for breathing purposes. (This is true for all horses.) Thus, per John, the roller in the middle of it also acted like a bit of a ‘pacifier’ for me. I would PLAY WITH IT while it was in my mouth and it would also kind of amuse me to do this. BUT, AT ALL TIMES, I also knew to respect the BIT and BE RESPONSIVE to it. I clearly understood all of the different messages Mike and Steve were giving me and what they were asking me to do…and I responded to them. They, in turn, did the same for me! We had GREAT COMMUNICATION!
Communication, as you know, is so important…on so many levels!
Off to play!
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~
Z
Roxanne Cook
So what’s next? Saddles? What was the photo on the left side of the saddle that you wore on Fan Appreciation Day at Hollywood Park? Also, after a race, I noticed that part of your girth was removed before you went into the winner’s circle. Is that a weight belt? And I read somewhere that you had to have a custom saddle made because of your size. I can understand that with a western saddle, but racing/English saddles are foreign to me. I wonder what size cinch you wear. One of my horses is a 14.3HH cutter and her cinch is 28 inches – I’ll bet yours is more than twice that length!! Ah, Zenyatta, too bad you will never wear a saddle again.
Cathleen
Zenyatta, what a most interesting diary post! I’m really enjoying learning all these different things about horseracing.
I have a question, in racing I’ve often heard the commentators and/or jockeys say a horse off the bit/off the bridle or on the bit/on the bridle — what exactly does that mean? And how can you tell if a horse is on or off the bridle? Thanks Z! Enjoy your visit with your California family this weekend!
Linda (Canada)
This is a great service Dotie/Z that you are providing for newbiew to horse-racing(a great many I am SURE are because of YOU)
Thanks for taking the time to write them D & Z :)
I am praying so hard for you on Monday for the HOTY!
We love you Zennie. x0x0x0
Linda (Canada)
Dottie…sorry My keyboard is old and the repeat function is not so good :)
Kelly
The “white strip” is a shadow roll, and works for the purpose it is named, to keep the shadows and other reflections off the track from distracting the horses.
Ann Maree
Hey, Z! Enjoy so much your “lessons” about horsemanship, equipment. Thanks so much to Dottie for being patient with us and explaining these details. I really do appreciate all of this….but, I really miss the videos on a regular basis…pictures are nice, but the videos just convey so much more information. I know you are happy, and am glad you continue to enjoy your new freedom and your new girlfriends. But, I do miss you, seeing you “do your thing”….hope that John will shoot some videos as well as pictures for us. Tell them I will come and work for free if they need some help! Hugs, Zennie. Your friend, Ann Maree
Nancy
Some one mentioned not being able to watch the Eclipse Awards because they had no satelite TV. Please let your fans know if it will be live on computer. I can get it on TV but worry about your fans who cannot. Thanks.
Sheri
Thanks Zenyatta! I love learning things in your diary! I would just like to say one thing for anyone who reads this and isnt as familiar with riding. In events such as Western Pleasure and Horsemanship, you want to have as little movement with the reins as possible. Mostly in western events, you want to rely on leg and spur pressure. But Western Pleasure and Racing are two COMPLETE opposites! haha! Is it snowing there in Kentucky Z? Its been snowing here in Indianapolis for 2 days straight! I don’t think it has stopped since yesterday morning! Wow! Love you Zenyatta and I can’t wait for your next post!!! :D
Mary Stanford
Thanks for a great learning post today Z. I learned some of this when I took horseback riding lessons but this was more in-depth. Yes…I agree …you, Mike, and Steve had great communication…look what you three accomplished …three great minds together who also have great hearts. Enjoy your outside time…it makes my heart feel good to see you having fun and being so happy!!!! Hugs to you Z…
Linda B
Thanks Robbie,
I am so so with being mobile but will check around to see if there are horses near us in the Spring. Right now it is very cold. I play Zen’s videos over and over. She is a gift and I love her.
nancy
The white strip is a tounge tie, it helps keep the horses tounge from rolling back in there mouth while racing, hence why Z oftten stick her tounge out. Z you are always full of some much info we just love it. My horse and pony wore two diffrent type of bits, well Penny did not where a bit I have to say, she used a Hackamore, because her mouth was very soft, and Trinket my pony wore a a soild s bar snafle bit for those of you that would like to know Trinkets was a western bit, not at all like what race horses use.
And Dotti when are we going to know about Z’s date? I’m hoping we will know after the awards :)
And Z can you plase let Lanes End know I’m so sorry to here about War Pass, he was such a young stallion to have passed away at age 5, very sad indeed.
We love ya Z
mars
beautiful video saw on facebook for those who haven’t seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckLpoAstNZ0&feature=player_embedded
Karen
Now if only I could get my boss to wear one of these….. :-)
Suzanne G
Hi Mars,
Thanks for posting youtube link!
Melinda
Zenyatta..as usual your posts are insightful and full of good information! Can you talk about the use of the whip? I have new followers because of you but most of them don’t understand the use of the whip and think it is inhumane. Did it hurt? Does it scare you? I know Mike did not need to use it often but other horses that do require an extra urge to surge seem to respond well. Your expertise is requested!
L
@ Roxanne Cook.
What you saw was a surcingle or ‘overgirth’. It’s a piece of additional safety equipment used on racing saddles.
When required lead weights are placed in specialized saddle pads.
Cheryl
Thanks for all the great information on these posts. I have a ?, do you have to breed to one of the stallions at Lane’s End or can the Moss’s bring in someone else? Just curious!
Kathy Kimber
This was a very interesting post thank you Lady Z and thank you Dottie. Now if you could explain the tongue thing it always used to worry me but i’m sure there is a logical explanation for it. I’m so happy you will see your California family this weekend. Tell John to take lots of pictures. Hooves, horseshoes and fingers are all crossed. Love you Z
Gwen Romine
Thank you Miss Z for passing on all the info about your bridle and reins. You are educating others who may not know. I apologize again for the Kentucky weather, it is not normally this cold and all this snow but I am sure you are warm and cozy in your barn and it’s fun to go out and play with your friends.
Gloria Jeanne
http://www.drf.com/news/zenyatta-vs-blame-steve-andersens-vote-horse-year
Finally – Someone says something promising for Zen as HOY!!!
Roxanne Cook
@ L: thank you for the info on the overgirth. Zenyatta carried 129 pounds at the race I attended in June. I’ll bet Blame never carried that much weight.
Elaine Valenzuela
All this information is very interesting! It so reminds me of when I was training my American Eskimo dog, when he was a puppy, to learn the leash. Thru that leash helped us both learn from each other. Even though he’s 12 years old now, he still walks right by side with that leash! Good job, Z. Love you!
Stephanie J Lambert
Well sweet pea, you wont need it anymore :), your babies will though :) x0x0x00x0x
Robyn Mullhausen
What a great post today as always. Since we can’t see much of you lately at least it keeps you close to us. It doesn’t surprise me that John would take special care with your bit, if it wasn’t already made, he probably would have had one customized for you. Your soft mouth is a good example of perfect communication between you, your Trainer, your Jockey and other riders so getting rough with you wasn’t necessary and would have been counter-productive. I want to thank @Robbie for his message to @Linda B. I am in a similar situation and I wanted to touch you, Zenyatta with all my heart, but it hasn’t been possible as yet. Maybe now that you are staying closer to Maryland…someday. I dream. Meanwhile, my craving for a “horse fix” is getting stronger all the time. ;) While my riding days are over, I would be content to find a horse or two that I could relate to and enjoy on a different level. I know not all horses are like mine, or you Z, so I must select carefully. Maybe the horse will find me. I read all your posts, but a special thanks for this one. Love……Robyn
sherry drish
thanks to you Dottie and Z for the updates. We all enjoy them. I can hardly for the awards show, many great horses and people there, YOU ARE THE BEST ZENYATTA. LOVE SHERRY…
L
@Roxanne Cook.
Weights and handicapping is a very complicated art in horse racing and rarely as straight forward as it look. Take the Thoroughbred World Rankings. Blame ranks above Zenyatta because he is calculated at a weight of 129 to Zenyatta’s 125 due to her receiving a sex allowance.
Unfortunately it’s not a cut and dry system. She might have physically carried more weight then Blame but that would have been calculated to bring her back to her competition which would not have been equal to the individuals Blame faced in the gate.
I know people are passionate about Zenyatta and the horse of the year race but it’s wrong to belittle Blame and his accomplishments.
Helena
Is it a Sprenger bit? My horses love that!
Mary Jane
A really good bit of information! So sweet Zenny that you and your connections continue to inform and educate. I wonder if the other horses up for HOTY and their people do anything that even resembles what Team Z contributes to the sport? Doubt it. You and your people are Z-BEST!!!!
Roberta
My horse wears a snaffle with a roller too! His is made of aurigan and he loves it. Of course, he’s a training level dressage horse, not a racehorse.
jo
I love these lessons. KK bit company is really happy, the tack store is probably running out of these bits right now. Such is the racehorse industry. Its very stylish to have a Irish consultant or farm manager right now in Kentucky. Have a safe trip to Kentucky team Z. Love you Bye Dress warm