Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Ask The Experts

Ask The Experts #13

Zenyatta in her paddock. Photo by Alys Emson

Q:

When a racing thorougbred is retired from the track with the intention of being bred, do they generally settle down quickly from all the excitement of the track or does it take a while depending on the horse’s personality? Also, shortly after Silver Charm was retired to stand at stud, I watched a brief special on TV that said that he continued to be ridden and that he enjoyed being ridden. How common is it that thoroughbreds are still ridden after they are retired and are on a breeding farm? Just curious! Thanks for all you guys do!!

Megan Tallent

Indianapolis, IN

A:

Racehorses typically settle into retirement quite quickly. You have to remember we are actually putting them back in to a more natural environment to the one they have been living in at the track. However we don’t just bring them to the farm and put them out in the herd in a big field. The process is gradual and each horse dictates how long it takes depending on their behavior and also the time of year and weather conditions. We will turn them out in a small paddock daily and bring them in every evening. Typically with the fillies we then introduce them to a friend or two before they are eventually put in a larger field with a bigger group.

We do not ride any of our horses here at Lane’s End but it is not entirely uncommon to hear of Stallions being ridden after they are retired. At Three Chimneys Farm they do ride the stallions hence the piece on Silver Charm that you saw. We use a horse walker for the stallions that need additional exercise to help keep them trim.

Our Expert

Alys Emson

Client Management, Lane’s End

Alys has been at Lane’s End for fourteen years. She has worked in every division of the farm and is now in charge of client management, keeping owners up to speed about the lives of their horses.

Reader Interactions

898 Comments

    • / Reply

      Great information, Alys.

      Love the all the time and attention Charles and Lanes End gave Zenny when she
      was “let down”, and with it being winter, care had to be taken so she would
      adapt to the slippery weather. Of course the Queen in her usual style was a sure
      footed in the snow as on the track and adapted beautifully.

  2. / Reply

    Wish they’d answer WHY they’re not ridden. Risk of injury? I mean, I can understand a mare in foal not being ridden, but why not when she’s not in foal?

    • / Reply

      I don’t run a breeding farm, but to the best of my knowledge, you’d be hard-pressed to find a full-time broodmare of any breed who’s ridden. Equine gestation cycles being what they are, broodmares are generally in foal, have a foal at foot, or both. Mares can be ridden safely well into pregnancy (I’ve been told until their seventh month, but I’ve also heard of mares being worked and ridden later than that with no complications), but it has to be exercise they’re used to. With a full-time broodmare, you’d be in the constant process of her getting her fit again over a few months, then turning her out, then repeating the process, and there’s very limited time to teach them new undersaddle skills. Also, a place like Lane’s End has a _lot_ of mares, and the most training any of them is race training. Even dropping the mares who are unsound, completely untrained to saddle, or have temperament issues, you’re looking at a lot of mares that need to be ridden. That takes a lot of time, and it would take new employees, with the skills to ride ex-racehorses, and that’s a lot of money and trouble for few benefits, since broodmares can be kept perfectly happy and healthy with just turnout.

      In other parts of the horse world, some people do have dual-purpose mares, who they ride and who also produce foals and may be ridden while in foal or with a foal at foot, but in that case, the mares aren’t having foals every year, and if the mare is expected to do any serious showing, she’s not going to have many foals. It’s pretty common for European warmblood breeders to breed a young mare once or twice, and then put her in training. (The great show jumping mare Sapphire had a couple of foals before she started her career, for instance.) In racing, sometimes a young racemare will be bred, and then sent back to the track for a few months to run another race or two before being completely retired to brood, but that’s as dual-purpose as racemares get.

      This got long, but, basically, it’s really difficult to juggle having foals (and the time and attention that requires) and riding (with its training and fitness requirements) with a mare. For racing broodmares, there simply isn’t any reason to do the juggling act.

      • / Reply

        Thanks for the insight. However, I have to disagree one one thing…I think finding capable (trained with horses/racehorses) riders to volunteer would be pretty darn easy to find. Who could resist the opportunity to ride a champion? =)

        • ONE BIG THING YOU ARE FORGETTING SIDDALEE IS THAT THE MOSSES DON’T WANT HER RIDDEN, TOO MUCH LIABILITY FOR HER TO GET
          INJURED, LANES END DOES NOT RIDE THEIR BROOMARES AND SHE
          WOULD HAVE TO BE RETRAINED.

          AND LASTLY THOROUGHBRED BROODMARES AT HIGH END KY BREEDING FARMS ARE NOT TRADITIONALLY RIDDEN DUE TO THEIR VALUE.

        • I did not forget anything, my dear signofthetimes; President of Texas ALLCAPS Chapter, I already mentioned injury as a reason. I get it. My statement was in a lighthearted jest, and not at all a serious statement. But thanks anyway!

        • Rainy has given a wonderful insight to the challenges of riding a ‘working’ broodmare but to maybe give a little further peek into things I offer this.

          A barn I rode at retired and rehabilitated a LOT of OTTB into pleasure horses but it was a long process.

          One point in particular was simply mounting.

          When these OTTB felt the saddle on their back and their bridle on it triggered one memory in their minds “I’m going to work out. I’m going to race!” Either way they switched it into high gear for ‘RUN’.

          Most of these horses knew the type of mounting that you see in the paddock area of a race, where the horse is in motion and the jockey is lightly bounced up into the saddle. Teaching them to stand still or even stand by a mounting block was often a HUGE hurdle and it could result in some stress while they had to relearn this simple task.

          Broodmares do NOT need any stress in their lives. Someone said, rightly, that Zenyatta’s JOB now is to be a mother. Trying to train her over to pleasure riding would interfere with that job so why do it?

          A broodmare’s retired life is not the same as a stallion. A broodmare has a field full of other mares to hang out in, eat grass and socialize. A breeding stallion’s routine is a little closer to what he had on the track in that he has no other horses to interact with so he can do with a little more human interaction/stimulation, thus … riding, if he’s amenable to it.

        • Zenyen,
          Retraining is a labor of LOVE,Zenyen. It is rewarding and nice to see them still carry that swagger,after a job well done.

          Now…who needs the gym for building upper body strength…work one of these!

        • Dear Ann,

          Retraining is definately a labor of love. Clinton Anderson is retraining an
          OTTB now on HRTV. It is soooo much work because as he said they are trained to be stiff and excited and to always run fast.

          He is retraining Tricky Warrior to be soft, supple, head down and relaxed and to think and not react and reward him for going slow. He is such a great trainer. Training horses takes soooo much time and patience, even for those who know what they are doing.

          I am sure with your two crowhoppers that you know much more than I.
          Training a horse is also very complicated expecially when you want to teach them to respect humans and stay in their own space.

          Sooo many subtlties. !!!!

        • Dear Sadlee,
          If you look at the diary entries around early 2011
          Dottie Sherrifs gives a great detailed explanation
          Of why broodmares are not ridden. Will try and
          Find it and post for you. DOTTIE IS THE EXPERT !!!!

    • / Reply

      Traditionally, breeding farms do not have staff to “ride” all of their horses (stallions and broodmares). Lanes End in Diary posts has mentioned that Broodmares get
      “voluntary” exercise, which means they expercise when they want to which is much more healthy for a pregnant horse or person.

      Broodmares are not traditionally ridden at ANY of the breeding farms, they ride
      the stallions to keep them in shape because “breeding” alone does not give
      them enough exercise.

      Three Chimneys has a stallion riding program, but some of the “guys” do not want to be ridden anymore and the “say so”.

  3. / Reply

    Thank you Alys. I have often wondered if any of the retirees are ridden and particularly if Zenyatta will ever be ridden again. Perhaps not.
    Nice photo, she does love to graze…beautiful girl!

    • / Reply

      See above.

      Mary P,

      Zenny will NEVER be ridden again, she would have to be retrained and that is not a
      goal of THE MOSSES.

      One does not just get on a racehorse and walk, trot and canter around the ring.

      • / Reply

        Can’t the Mosses just increase the insurance policy and ship Mike Smith in weekly to ride her. It’s sounds very economical…….

  5. / Reply

    Hi Zenny…..why not ride mares in foal …..I believe some in foal mares race …recently as last yr read about this

  6. / Reply

    Left some redneck jokes on the previous thread. Will resume horse jokes at a future date. That was for you, Max and Sandy.

    • / Reply

      Yea! Terry’s jokes are back (this has been a GOOD week). Thanks TC! Loved the movie names, and as Max said, we’ll even take recycled “talking horse” jokes. Heck, when I need a laugh, I tell myself the one about the horse who went to see the movie even though he hated the book! Works every time :-)

      On another note, I was just asking about LauraJ the other day, but I don’t think anyone answered, and I’m also sorry to miss Sierra’s stories. Maybe she’ll be back when the school year winds down.

  7. / Reply

    Most likely the reason is this. Zenyatta has never been trained as a pleasure horse. She doesn’t know trot, or canter. She knows gallop.

    If you have ever seen kids run away with on an a brand new OTTB you’d understand that it takes A LONG time to retrain. When I was a kid trainers use at least a 6 months before taking an OTTB to a canter.

    Also many horses tend to favor one side or the other. Hence the offside (the less dominate one)is weaker.

    It takes an experienced rider to ride the stallions. Z is a mare. Her job now is to be a momma. Riding her for pleasure was never in the cards. It’s just a whole different part of the sport of the horse world.

    Hay she’s happy, well adjusted (LE’s did a terrific job with her), she has friends to hang with. A nice warm stall, fly masks to keep flies from bothering her. I should live so well.

    • / Reply

      Boodmares are not traditonally ridden in the HIGH END BREEDING FARMS, which is what Lanes End is.

  8. / Reply

    Dear TC and Keta,

    Couple of comments to both on your on Zenny’s statue blog page 13.

  9. / Reply

    The other day some of the dumplings were speculati ng on what has happened to some of our poster, like LauraJ. I would like to put in my two cents worth and ask what has happened to Sierra? We haven’t heard from this young woman in some time.

    • / Reply

      TC,

      Don’t think I have seen her since the diary, has she been on the Forum.
      It was a very sad day when Dottie decided to “give up” the diary, we were
      all so close and “together”. It is harder now. Agree with Laura J, would
      like to hear from those “posters from the past”.

      • / Reply

        I believe Sierra posted on forum side for a while after its creation..but nothing recent that I remember….I will check….think forum has a list of its posters

  10. / Reply

    Dear Alys and Lanes End,

    Love the photo of Zenny in her paddock so peaceful and loving her life as
    a horse and broodmare at lovely Lanes End.

    Thanks for all of the time you are taking to answer our question and keep us
    up to date with the things going on in Zenny, 12 Z, Team Z and The Mosses life.

    We are sooo very appreciative of this very very very special experience.

    • / Reply

      Sign: You said just what I was going to say! Second that thanks to all the folk at Lanes End, and of course to the Mosses for making all this happen. And of course to the gorgeous Zenyatta, because none of this would be going on without her magnificent personality.

    • / Reply

      Ah! This picture of The Queens shows a serene, well loved horse who enjoys her new life. We love every picture of her…this one seems particularly lovely. Thanks, LE, for answering these questions and keeping us updated on Zenny and 12Z.

  11. / Reply

    Thank you for the information. Keeping Zenyatta happy is the number one priority. How is she doing these days?

  12. / Reply

    Max

    Permalink | Reply

    October 4, 2012 at 9:17 am

    Sheena is referring to the jumping or steeplechase season. The Grand National is a jump race. Kauto Star is a jumper. Frankel is a flat racer. There are no fox hunts in the UK. They have been illegal in Scotland since 2002 and in England and Wales since 2005.

    • / Reply

      Sorry Max,

      They still do avidly fox hunt in the UK, I have quite a few US friends that go to the UK to fox hunt yearly.

      • / Reply

        Hunting foxes is still legal in Northern Ireland. Hunting foxes on horseback with dogs was made illegal in England and Wales as of 2005 pursuant to the Hunting Act of 2004. Scotland passed its own legislation to ban fox hunts in 2002.

        • I guess I’ll have to tell my friends they are not fox hunting
          When the go to the UK and fox hunt. They will be really
          Surprised when they are fox huntingand I tell them they
          Are not !!!!

          Dear Sheena,
          My friends sooooo love to come to the UK to fox hunt.
          It is soooo much fun chasing the prey with the
          hounds and getting in formal dress.

          Thanks so much for sharing these experiences.

        • Hunting foxes themselves may be illegal, but they also have drag hunts, where the dogs, are following a scent,that has been dragged through an area and not after a real fox.

  13. / Reply

    MAX

    October 3, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    Most of the flat champions are stallions. They retire to stud after their careers are over. Jump horses are mostly geldings and are easier to handle in parade conditions. Think of trying to parade Dynaformer. Not really a good idea.

    • / Reply

      EQUESTRIAN RIDERS ALWAYS RIDE STALLIONS AND DO LEAD THEM IN PARADES
      AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS.

      STALLIONS ARE A STALLION THEY CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT WITH AN EXPERIENCED RIDER AND HANDELER AS THEY DO IN ALL EQUESTRIAN SPORT.

    • / Reply

      DYNAFORMER DID NOT EVER LIKE TO BE RIDDEN, THAT IS WHY HIS RACING RECORD
      IS NOT STELLAR, AS HIS TRAINER STATED.

  14. / Reply

    TC GP…..found posts on forum by Sierra from March …..not sure but think she said she needed to concentrate on her studies…she was writing stories on forum side

    • / Reply

      Thanks, carol. I was very impressed with the posts by this young lady. Sorry she has been missing from the blog.

    • / Reply

      Thanks to TC and Ann for “finding” Sierra, she sure is a sweetheart.
      Hope she does return soon.

  15. / Reply

    TC, Judy and Ann,

    Rented the movie Let it Ride, what a great one.

    Only $2 to bet, huh, TC.

  16. / Reply

    Thank you again for the explaination on the issues of racehorses and after the race career. Though I believe Zen would probably be able to dance her way around a dressage ring given the opprtunity. I could see the stallions needing more excersise though. Sometimes you see a stud photo and they look downright fat. The updates are wonderful and the experts chat is very informative. Something the industry has needed for a long time.

  17. / Reply

    Max

    October 3, 2012 at 5:26 pm
    Sign. I have two sacrosanct rules: no acceptance of negative comments about Zenyatta and 12Z, and nothing which is negative about Big D and his babies. Z and Big D are my 17 hand heroes. Americain: run like the wind.

  18. / Reply

    Thanks for the info! I know the horses at the Kentucky Horse Park – Hall of Champions – cannot be ridden due to liability. But, I sometimes feel Cigar is bored and would like to be ridden :-)

    Queen Zenny – you look MARVELOUS!!

    L♥VE you always and forever!
    Auntie JAG

    • / Reply

      JAG,

      Would it not be wonderful to ride the great Cigar, remember at his retirement
      ceremony Bill Cosby wanted to ride him into Madison Sq Gardens, the owners
      would only let Jerry Baily ride him.

      Cigar would definately have to be retrained, WHOOOOSH and you would be off and running !!!!

      Love the idea that Kent Desormox went to Old Friend and rode on of his champions
      at Old Friend bareback and with a halter; Only a jockey would do that. Fearless.

  20. / Reply

    Sooo excited about AP’s children racing.
    Dreaming of Julia in the Frizette should be
    A wonderful race.

    Good luck to all equines racing this weekend !!!

  21. / Reply

    Juat a thought – but I would imagine a lot of what happens with horses of Zenyatta’s caliber and worth is dictated by the company that holds an insurance policy on her. The policy may state what will be covered and under what conditions. If I had a horse worth what Zenyatta or Silver Charm are worth I can assure everyone the last thing I would want to do is take the risk of injury by putting her under saddle – it is an unnecessary risk!! I know there is a huge love of horses involved at Lane’s End, but there I would imagine there is also a financial consideration!.

    • / Reply

      Not sure insurance has anything to to with Zenny’s activity, more like Lanes End
      standard policies and care along with The Mosses.

      REMEMBER THE MOSSES HAD THAT PADDOCK ZENNY WAS FIRST IN BEFORE SHE BECAME PREGNANT BUILT TO THEIR SPECIFICATING, WHICH INCLUDED ROUND
      CORNERS SO IF SHE SLIPPED OR RAN INTO THE FENCE SHE WOULD NOT BE
      INJURED ON THE POINT OF THE FENCE.

      IN ADDITION, WHEN ZENNY WAS AT THE TRACK 15 PEOPLE HANDLED HER DAILY, THE MOSSES HAD A 24 HOUR WEB CAM ON HER STALL AND SHE HAD AN ALL NIGHT GUARD. THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH DICTATING HOW SHE IS TREATED AND PAY FOR THE EXTRA AMENITIES.

      INSURANCE COMES INTO PLAY WHEN A HORSE IS INJURED OR PASSES.

  22. / Reply

    KETA….
    Thanks for the news of the Maryland Million,a race created by the late and great, Jim McKay.
    Wish I could go!

    • / Reply

      Dear Ann and Keta,

      Sooo love the Maryland Million and Jim McKay,
      Can’t wait for it.

  23. / Reply

    Thanks again, Alys.
    Again,great info and a beautiful photo. Z, you are gorgeous.
    Max,our CMG could not possible bomb this photo!!

    • / Reply

      Ann. You’re right. No CMG. Zenyatta looks good in all her photos, but she looks particularly regal in black and white shots. This one is very nice.

    • / Reply

      She is stabled at Hollywood Park under John’s care and has had several timed workouts. Looks l,ike she might get to the races during the fall meet at Hollywood Park, which would save a young horse a trip.

  25. / Reply

    Hi my fellow Zen-sters!

    Been down with a yucchhy virus since last Friday — right in the middle of the nightmare of down-sizing in my crowded apartment — but am trying not to panic as Canadian Thanksgiving weekend approaches.

    At this time of year, I always take time to reflect about the people and animals that I have been thank-full for over the years. No question that my Zenyatta family takes pride of place! I am just so delighted that each & every one of you came into my life on the (dappled) back of a big, bold beautiful mare.

    Zenny — you’re looking just gorgeous! Glad to see YOU and not your — albeit magnificent — statue. This shot in black & white is just so beautiful. I’m a sucker for B&W photos, I must say. But just look at that gleaming coat and that smoldering, intelligent eye. You are a beauty, Big Girl!

    MAX: This one’s for you. Americain & his trainer, albeit 7 months ago!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw2M3UhR110

    Spent several hours yesterday re-living every single one of Frankel’s races. I’ve downloaded them and will burn the whole lot onto a DVD once he’s run for the last time on October 20. I’m really going to miss this lad! Somewhere along the locating & downloading I came across an article that said if Santa Anita had kept the polytrack, his connections were seriously considering bringing him to the BC 2012. Can you imagine? That would have been SO EXCITING! (Sense of that being that polytrack is closer to turf/grass than real dirt.)

    Anyway, I’m off to take a “health nap” (still coughing & congested) but wanted to touch base first with my special friends here @ Zenny’s Place.
    Love & hugs to all and kisses to you, Big Girl and to Z-12!!!!

    • / Reply

      Abigail–Please accept our heartfelt hopes that you feel better soon. BC approacheth.

      Concerning the OTTBs– somewhere (don’t remember if I read it or heard it) I remember learning one reason the fences are dark on the farms is that the racetrack fences were/are white. I know for a fact personally that an OTTB that I know thought for sure he was at the track when he moved to the farm because of the white fences.

      • / Reply

        Barbara

        At our barn we have white fences and OTTB, depends on what color the owner of the barn/shelter etc… wants to make them.

        Ours are electric, too !!! The TB love that !!!!

    • / Reply

      Dear Abigail,

      Hope you start to feel better, I know the weather is getting chilly.
      Really really really loved your piece on Frankel, it was one of your
      best, and they all are great.

      Thanks so much for keeping us up to date with all things going on in the TB world.

      Still have not gotten an e-mail back from Freddy Head about Goldikova and her pregnancy, I won’t hold my breath tooo long for that communication.

  26. / Reply

    REPOST; ARC COVERAGE BY TVG; 6TH RACE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2012 AT 10:35 AM ET

    According to a banner on their home page, TVG will have live coverage of the 2012 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe beginning at 8:30am Eastern / 5:30am Pacific. An 8:30am start time would suggest that the network will also broadcast three of the stakes races leading up to the Arc, including the G1-Prix de l’Opera for fillies and mares.

    Typically, US TV coverage leverages off of UK coverage, although there have been instances where the feed was simply the raw pictures from Longchamp (along with the French commentary). Since I don’t speak French (at least, not well), we’ll hope for an English feed.

    The 2012 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is the sixth race on Sunday’s Longchamp card and is scheduled to go to post at 10:25am Eastern time.

    Let’s hope there aren’t any stewards inquiries on Sunday as we might not find out the winner until sometime next week. (That’s a joke for all of those that remember the Dylan Thomas year of endless tape review.)

    SHARE ON FACEBOOK

    SHARE ON TWITTER

    + COMMENTS

    IN THIS STORYSTREAM
    Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2012: Contenders, News & Odds
    OCT 3
    2012 Prix de l’Arc de Trimphe: Dettori To Ride Camelot
    OCT 2
    2012 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe: TVG To Provide U.S. Coverage
    OCT 2
    2012 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe: Nathaniel Out Of Arc
    OCT 1
    Danedream Likely Out Of Arc
    OCT 1 – 2
    Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2012: Tentative Schedule & Post Times
    FULL STREAM

  27. / Reply

    Having been a part of a California program it might be interesting to note that daily riding is time consuming. A larger facility might house 200 or more mares. The sheer volume of horses makes it prohibitive. Not to mention risky for both rider and mare. Stallions may be ridden here in California, some to keep fit, and others for the additional benefit of helping them stay up on proper etiquette. There are farm managers who are very concerned that the breeding dance only be done in the breeding shed. Zen would be a lovely ride once she came off the bit. She is very intelligent and once she understood what was asked of her she would be agreeable. Equine insurance is costly and to have a mare hurt risks a lot more than a vet bill. Common sense dictates that brood mares be kept in low risk environments. I have owned five ex-race horses and all came off the bit with little trouble and easily adapted to daily life. They all want to please and with patience and consistency they become great family horses. Three even went so far as to be able to work cattle. Once they figured out that the objective was to move that cow they adapted with ease. Each horse and owner are indiviual and so is each story.

    • / Reply

      Dear Loretta,

      Love your comment about stallions “stay on proper etiquette”. Parading a breeding stallion around a breeding farm is definatley a very big challenge.
      And you are right each horse is an individual. Soo awsome that you got
      your TB to work cattle.

      Jethro was absolutely frightened of cows and would stand and stare at them
      and if I pushed the issue would have been a swift spook and a gallop off and he
      was 23 when he did that. We never could get the “spook” out of him.
      So we called him the SPOOKMASTER. And he never lost is “boyishness”.
      He was an eternal boy at 23 years old.

      Not sure their would be any worth to riding Zenny, other than for Mike Smith
      to hop on bareback with a halter and take a spin around the paddock.
      That would be a great video, don’t think that the Mosses would really like that though.
      Peace quiet and relaxation after all of those years of “dancing and prancing” is sooo
      very much what the Queen deserves and she has that.

  28. / Reply

    Zenyatta’s little sister, Eblouissante (sp?), is in training, worked 6 furlongs this week. Had a set back a while ago due to injury or illness, but looks exquisite these days. She has her own Facebook page.

  29. / Reply

    dear sign and max there is still some form of fox hunting in the uk the foxes are shot instead of the dogs killing them so you are both right if that makes sense!! I meant the steeplechasing season would be starting soon nathanial’s sister great heavens is running in the arc now that it has rained in paris she’s a pretty good horse too it was good to see a lovely pic of our Z and so wonderful to hear how much the mosses love and care for her and LE too of course I feel it’s a pity they (the broodmares} cant be ridden again love to you both sheenaX

    • / Reply

      Sheena. I heard today that Great Heavens will race. She is a nice, good looking filly and did very well in the Irish Oaks. I also heard that there is a chance that Camelot might withdraw tomorrow if the Arc course is too heavy because of the rain?

      Any word yet on Kauto Star?

    • / Reply

      Dear Sheena,

      The hounds in Texas actually chase and get after coyotes. Some of the coyotes are shot here also. I think foxes are an endangered species in the US so unable to chase/hunt them. It it galloping across the country side and chasing the hounds and the coyotes that is such fun and a great rush.

      If you take the Fox Hunt term literally, there are “no true
      fox hunts”.

      However, I am not a literal, black and white person, everything in my world is grey and abstract. So in the US it is all about the chase, the camaraderie that is built with the hunt group. Dressing up in formal garb and just having a great time with people
      who love horses and “the hunt”. Not the fact there is not a fox.

      Actually in Texas, Amy Adam’s daughter of Bud Adams, who owned the Houston Oilers football team and owns the Tennessee football team is the person I fox hunted with. We hunt on her father’s huge ranch, she has sooo many hounds and sooo many horses. It is such fun and a really really really great equine riding activity.

      • / Reply

        Coyotes are a sensible alternative to a fox. However, being Texans, I am sure you are chasing a big coyote.

    • / Reply

      Dear Sheena,

      Just heard from Millie Ball, HRTV Commentator about Great Heavans, in the ARC,
      maybe there will be another filly/mare winner. Wouldn’t that be fun !!!

  30. / Reply

    Thanks Alys, as always, appreciate the informative info. Zenny looks healthy & happy, not to mention Gorgeous.

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