Good Morning, Everyone!
The BIG DAY has arrived!
Yesterday, I had my ‘mane pulled’ (groomed and thinned out) and hooves polished so I would look perfect for this ‘moment’! I rather suspected that it was getting close due to all of the attention I was getting. The vets were here during the morning checking me…to be sure my system was ready. Charles, Mike and Matt were at the barn helping me to learn some proper MAIDEN MARE Etiquette…so I would be totally prepared for this experience. MAIDEN MARE is the term used for a MARE who has never been bred before. That’s ME! All day…I had so much ATTENTION!
Then this morning at about 7:30, MY LIMO ARRIVED. A lovely SALLEE VAN was waiting outside the barn ready to take me to Darley. It is approximately a 10 minute ride to that farm from Lane’s End. Matt went with me on the van…and Charles and Michael Cline also went along. I guess it was decided that Bernie and I would be the last couple in the Darley breeding shed for this morning’s session.
Well, WE GOT RAVE REVIEWS! It all went very well. In horse terms, it was ‘one jump…and a very good cover’…meaning that everything went perfectly in our first meeting. Per the guys from my crew…”it was TEXTBOOK. ZENYATTA was unbelievably professional…especially for a maiden mare. It was all nice and easy and went PERFECTLY.” Oh, my guys…Mike, Charles, and Matt are TOO CUTE! They really love me! Blush-Blush!
I must say…Bernie was also extremely professional and very focused on his job! WE MAKE A GREAT COUPLE!
By 8:30…I was back in my LIMO with Matt going home to LANE’S END!
What a morning! Life has so many different kinds of experiences for one to explore and appreciate when the time is right for them to happen! Hooves crossed…..that this day, February 23rd, becomes VERY SPECIAL for me and my new role as a MOM!
I’ll keep you posted as we go along! I am so excited!
With Love,
Hugs to ALL~(including Bernie!)
Z
wwstp
That Bernie had better have been professional and a gentleman. After all, he’s with The Queen. Hope it takes big Zen. You are ALWAYS a pro!!
mitchellherzog@me.com
Queen Z, If you have a little girl how about naming her Roxanne. ( The Police)
take care you look great as usual
Mitchell
MaTH716
@Kim
No horses don’t stay together for life. He eventually would get tired of her crap and bolt.
Are the majority of people here racing fans or just Zenyatta fans? Do you still watch racing now that she is retired?
Honestly it’s nice to have good sentimate about the event and then there is going overboard. The fact that people are mentioning about having tears and being nervous about the mating just makes my head spin.
It will be exciting in a couple of years if the horse ever makes it to the track, but until then some people have to get off the pins and needles and get a grip.
Annette
What a great life Zenyatta has!
I am so misty now…I Love this horse so much!
She will be a great mommy!
So glad she can be natural great mare, and lady she is.
Love,
Annette
Shari Voltz
Dear Zenyatta,Enjoy your baby and Birthday soon!
love brooke and corey
Rose
Dottie, can you share something about the stride of horses. Secretariat was measured at 25′ by Mrs. Penny T.. I was told by a horse person that stride was not a “topic of interest” in horseracing.
I did not mean to coast away from the Queen. I guess you know we love her…
Beneva McFarland
OMGosh! This is Fabulous news! Way to go Zen! I am glad Berni was a gentleman to you and all went well! I know you are going to have beautiful babies together!
Especially Horses
I am truly enjoying all (well most) of the posts. It is so heartwarming to see how Team Zenyatta has continued to embrace the public and is so willing to share the Zenyatta experience vicariously. On top of that, people who would normally experience the Thoroughbred Racing Industry at what I call the “10,000 Foot Level”, are actually receiving firsthand knowledge (though virtually) of farm life and almost on a daily basis. And yes some of that knowledge is being supplemented by the comments and insights of others posting, but why not? All of this is only “goodness” for an Industry that every year publishes articles on how to get the public interested in Horse Racing. Can you imagine the crowd that might gather at the track when a Zenyatta baby makes its racing debut? I hope that happens at Santa Anita or Del Mar. So I eagerly await the next step in this journey, waiting to hear Z’s in foal. I have my fingers and toes crossed. Can’t help but think about Genuine Risk. Speaking of Genuine Risk, does anyone remember that beautiful BloodHorse Cover of Genuine Risk and her first foal Genuine Award? Genuine Risk is slightly ahead of Genuine Award as they trot across the field, and her head is turned back looking at him, with what can only be described as “a look of love”. I hope next year to see a similar BloodHorse Cover of Mama Z with a precious foal.
MM
@MaTH716
I so completely agree with you. I check this site every day because I’m interested in Z, but some of these comments are ridiculous. Amen!
Maria
Oh my goodness! that is so wonderful news. It finally happend. I glad everything went well. I have my fingers crossed. I know you be a great mom! I love you Queen Z.
L
@Especially Horses,
Genuine Risk’s first live foal was Genuine Reward who was by Rahy. Her second and last was Count Our Blessings by Chief Honcho.
I loved Genuine Risk, wish she had been more successful in the breeding shed. Her trials to mommyhood were heartbreaking.
Ed
Good to hear that your life at Lanes End is going so well. You will make a great Mom.
Kate
Zenyatta you are Girl Power to the Nth. Can’t wait to see your foal.
signofthetimes
WOW over 400 entries; must be a record;
@Jenna
“Textbook” means by the book which is good;no variatons just straight forward and sucessful; You are such a sweet
poster on this site.
lizzy
@Abigail from Montreal
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I LOVE your site! It is so well written and extremely informative. I’ve learned SO much. I hope you don’t mind me attaching link here again. It’s a site worth clicking on. :)
http://racingvault.blogspot.com/
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Thank you.
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I hope our beautiful Z is having a wonderful day with her girls.
Someone posed a great question on here that would be great to know-when will Z’s girlfriends go to breeding shed?
Sarah T
Congratulations Zenyatta and Bernardini! Thinking happy, healthy foal thoughts. I know you’ll be a great mom with your sweet nature.
carolyn
Whats the purpose of having her mane pulled and thinned out before being bred? Like I said before, I know nothing about breeding horses. Someone explain to me about ‘twitching’, ‘jumped’, and having the mane pulled. I love that others and Dottie can answer all these questions for someone like me who knows absolutely nothing but wants to learn this stuff.
Especially Horses
L: You are absolutely right. I knew that; don’t know why I ended up writing Award.
MaTH716: Relax and just enjoy the fact that so many people are interested in Z. I will admit that you did make me laugh. But come on, you have to know that the posts are from people with very little (almost zero) knowledge about horses (let alone Horse Racing) to folks who have been owners and maybe raced their own horses. That’s what is so unique about this Zenyatta journey. I have to assume that Kim is in the category of just learning. And I am not so sure if she was commenting on a dam and her offspring staying together for life or if she was referring to Z and Bernie being mated for life. But whatever, she was asking a question and deserved a “kind” answer. Regarding your question “are the majority of people here racing fans or just Zenyatta fans? Do you still watch racing now that she is retired?” That is an excellent question. One I’d like to know too. I hope the folks that got their first taste of racing via Zenyatta will make an effort to actually go to a track and support the Industry.
I Love Barbaro
i’ve been very depressed for the last 3 days. i know in my heart of hearts that BARBARO should have been Zenyatta’s first suitor. if the mob hadn’t done BARBARO in, he would have won the triple crown both in 2006 and 2007 along with the BREEDER’S CUP. BARBARO would have been a perfect fit for Zenyatta and i’m so depressed. i wish there was something that i could to bring back BARBARO. i just hope i get to feed him mints an carrots in hevven.
Zenyatta would have rather had BARBARO be her first love than bernardini. it’s just not fair.
L
@Carolyn,
The mane pulling was probably cosmetic, as was the polishing of her hooves. Twitching is when the horse’s upper lip is caught in a loop of rope and the rope is twisted until there is steady, constant pressure applied. It’s a way to redirect their focus and calm them if they’re overly worried about a situation such as the farrier, having their mane pulled, being bred.
‘Jumped’ refers to the action of the stallion to breed the mare. He literally has to jump up across her back to be able to ‘mount’ and service her. For a maiden mare this can be a hell of a surprise, having 1200lbs of eager suitor suddenly across her back so professional breeding sheds will try to minimize the stress as much as possible by ‘schooling’ her with a dry run and twitching her to redirect her focus from the stallion behind her.
Kathryn Cogswell
‘FlightAware’ permitted our tracing ‘Z`s’ arc to her new life. There was a weather delay, but on board Tex Sutton`s ‘Air Horse One’ she was welcome, safe and loved. Whatever still draws her court, someone`s grandchild may visit her here. There are dozens of places to share other sorts of news, but nowhere similar for children. ‘Into the Woods’ [And Out of the Woods, And Home Before Dark]’ is the wish of all good tales: here, among the best, ‘Children Will Listen,’ by Stephen Sondheim, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX2JBu-EjcA&NR=1 ~ from his Broadway hit “Into The Woods.” [And, among many other fine versions, this is Petula`s].
Sharon Call
@I Love Barbaro. Please educate me. I thought Barbaro broke his off-side back leg in the Preakness in ’06. How was this mob related?
Maureen Feely
WOW – way to go you two!!
Heather Myers
Congratulations to Zenyatta, Bernardini and Team Z! Only good will come of this breeding. It is too bad that some people can’t focus on the joy of bringing life into the world and cut the crap and nit picking.
ENSIGN
@ Sharon Call,
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I luv Barbaro has been spewing this same nonsense (word for word) all over the web. It’s utter nonsense and nothing more.
You might also note a horse cannot win the Triple Crown twice, it’s only open to 3yr olds ; )
lizzy
@L:
Thank your post to Carolyn.
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@Especially Horses
Nice post. And I’m happy to hear that others on here have same philosophy, that this is what is beautiful about this sight, how Z has drawn so many different people with varying degrees of knowledge. I’ve said it before, that is her gift.
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To answer your question: I use to go to the tracks many years ago with my Aunt. Quit going after her passing, but would always watch races on Tv. If I had to take a guess why horseracing does not attract more folks OR why Z has attracted the non-horse/non-racetrack types is because the Mosses have made her accessible to the masses. They’ve ‘opened the door’ to the ‘backside’ of racing. By showing us neophytes they (this owner) regards the horse as much as the race and the prize it demonstrates the ‘human’ side to racing, which often times we don’t see. This owner has shown they are interested in the care and well-being of their horses while bringing out their potential on the track. Now, maybe there are many owners like the Mosses, but we often only see and hear about the ‘darkside’ of racing. This sight has shown that there are many GOOD PEOPLE in the horse business. After what can only be called the Z-Factor (the huge interest in everything Z) hopefully owners will begin opening their ‘doors’ as well.
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I’ve learned SO much on here. The breeding process, grooming, diet, lip chains, etc. It’s put many things in perspective for me. The amount of knowledge and love that goes into caring for these beautiful TB’s. Of course it also reaffirms the responsibilty we have to these beautiful creatures that work so hard for us. They deserve to be honored differently after retirement. Hopefully, in time owners will see that too is needed to draw people back to the sport as well.
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Has it sparked my interest? The answer is yes. All the years we’ve through Lexington we’ve never stopped to tour a stable, but this year we will. It’s a small step for me, but a step I would have never taken if it were not for Z AND this site. Baby steps….there are many NASCAR fans who’ve never been to a race but watch on TV. ;)
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BTW, I learned of Z last year through a Ca. friend.
I Love Barbaro
@Sharon Call
what do you know about it. i suppose you think ALLEDAR kicked the stall and broke his leg, too. you probably beleive that PHARLAPP ate mouldy feed. there are some savory people in racing and its all about the ALLMIGHTY DOLLAR. look at BIG BROWN, he was unbeaten until the belmont. if you think the mob didn’t injure BARBARO, your blind. im sure that after he broke through the gate, in the confusion he was whacked in the leg. nobody would have notice. it was a vast conspiracy.
carolyn
I hate to think these mares have to have their lips pinched so hard or twisted so hard that it makes them see stars just to calm them down. It seems like to me this would cause them to be more stressed.
lizzy
@carolyn
I’m no expert, but have tried to educate myself. I’ve viewed several videos with the lip chain being used, and it appears that the horses are not bothered by it. Now, that’s not to say that it doesn’t or it could if being used incorrectly, but the videos I’ve seen where it’s been used while breeding, the horse does not look in distress-no panic eye bulging look, kicking etc.
L
@Carolyn,
They don’t ‘see stars’.
People have different opinions on twitching so all I will refer to is my own experience with it. I have used a lip twitch on my own horse when I had to pull his mane and also the farrier.
Both activities made him tense and upset. After his lip was twitched, his body relaxed, he got sleepy in his eyes and stood quietly.