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

  1. / Reply

    Paynter Update Fri. Oct. 5 2012 4:00 PM Eastern Justin Zayat tweet
    Paynter update: Paynter has had a super day.
    Temp normal. Feet look good.

    Eating a lot. Went out to graze 4 TIMES and is full of energy!
    He is a happy horse!
    #powerupPaynter

  3. / Reply

    Dear Keta,

    Love the slide show of the ARC, beautiful.
    Can’t hardly wait to see the race.

    Love the Euro’s racing up and down the hills and dales and all of the turning.

  4. / Reply

    Dear Orfevre,

    When I saw today that you drew post l8 I was so upset, all I could think was OH No. Just so upset. Well as the day went on I feel a little better. I hada customer to tell me that follows horses, that he didn’t think that was so bad. He elavorated on it. I don’t know my dear boy. He did help my feeling somewhat.
    Listen if I could play trainer/owner you just got to get over as soon as you can, don’t go too fast to begin with, just keep pace (you know this is a long race)
    You’ve got a great jockey when it comes to the point he tells you to show em what you’ve got. You show everybody that great kick that you’ve got. I know you can do it. Show em you can be the Best Of The Best……Go Go Go Orfevre. Love Ya
    A safe race is prayed for you and all horses running.

    • / Reply

      Peggy N,
      The first part of the race is an uphill climb
      So he will need to use a lot and the the winding
      Hills and Dales and then a sprint home.

      Best of luck to all in the Arc!!!

    • / Reply

      Dear Peggy N,

      Racing Luck is the key to any race no matter what position.
      Just watched Julie Krone win on Unbriddled, Juvenile Fillies,
      she came from post 14, where no other horse had won from.

      IHA came from an outside post to win where no one else had
      come from.

      Racing Luck is the key !!!

  5. / Reply

    Orfevre,

    You didn’t draw Post 1. I’m glad of that……………………..The Outside, O. K. You can avoid the traffic hopefully. Listen, I’m trying to figure this out. LOL

    • / Reply

      Dear Peggy,
      The outside post in the Arc is not a good
      Post, sorry. Not like US races.

  7. / Reply

    LE, thanks for answering another great question. This latest picture of our Zenny is particularly beautiful. It shows a great horse enjoying her new life. It’s amazing how adaptable she has been at every stage of her life. We humans could learn a lot from her.

    • / Reply

      Judy,

      He’s gorgeous! Had to laugh at the part of he thinks he should always be peforming. Made me think of Z and her love of the camera. Thanks for sharing.

      • / Reply

        Dear Darlene:

        Horses are just so amazing. Creatures of habit; it took some time, but he figured out he didn’t have to dance every time people were around. Ha, ha. Hugs, JB

    • / Reply

      Thank you Judy.
      He is fantastic. I love these horses that ride in the streets. I keep up w/ a pack of them close by!!!! They love their jobs.

  9. / Reply

    Thank you for sharing your expertise on retiring racehorses, Alys! Love that photo of our Queen, Zenyatta, also. It appears that the people working with the horses just have to gauge how the horse is doing and follow his lead in the whole process. Not that it would matter, but it does seem to me that keeping on riding the horses would help in some degree to keep them fit and give them something else to keep their minds occupied. In some of the web-sites you see, some of the stallions look so fat they could use some other exercise – lol!

  10. / Reply

    Kathy R,

    Any “news” on that gorgeous So You Think and his new career?
    Soooo love that horse and his soooo sexy forelock, the mares
    may be attracted to something else, but that forelock is soooo
    sexy.

    • / Reply

      Sign: From what I last heard, he is getting through his book of mares very well – was described by the Coolmore folk as “a real professional”, and has all the mares he served in foal, so they are very, very happy with his fertility levels. He was a real star at the stallion parades, obviously happy to be back home. Agree, that forelock is just to die for!

      • / Reply

        Dear Kathy R,

        Thanks soo much for the up date on So You Think, I am sure he and all of his
        Aussie fans are glad to have him back home. So he does do a parade for
        “retirement”??? Wish Adian O Brian had listened to his famous and well
        known Aussie trainer and got him “right” before his last race. Loved watching him run in the ARC last year.

        Can’t wait to see his babies on the track; maybe he will come to breed in
        the US ??? Guess we should start lobbying !!!

        • Sign: Bart Cummings would agree totally with you on the training methods for So You Think! I also wondered if he was going to shuttle – or whether the studs like to let them settle for a while before they do so. Darley is going to shuttle Sepoy and Helmet (Sepoy to the English outfit, and Helmet will go to Ireland), so if you like I’ll put in a good word for the US with Coolmore (I can really see them listening to me!). But it was really amazing how many of the people who saw So You Think in the flesh just commented on how happy he looked to be back. Just shows how much we underestimate the importance of familiar surroundings to these horses – the same comment was made about Americain when he returned to France.

  12. / Reply

    Dear Vicki B,

    Must be Max is fox hunting on one of dynaformer’s “children”, being good on the turf makes them excellent fox hunters.

    HA HA HA HA !!!!!

    Hope you are back soon, Max !!!

  13. / Reply

    Dear Judy B,

    Reposting the link about the UK Circus horse, unable to open yours.
    Such a very very cute link. Police horses are “dead quiet”, but guess there is
    not rule they can’t perform. HA HA HA !!! This guy is gorgeous and it is sooo hard to retrain things.

    http://video.ca.msn.com/browse/viral/animals

  16. / Reply

    dear sign thanks for the video of mcCoy I will miss kauto very much when he retires he’s been with us for 8 seasons when you think how early the flat horses are retired we get to know the jumpers so well. his great friend and next door neighbour denman retired last december and is loving his retirement in the cotswolds if you go on http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/denman you’ll find his blog I read on BC’s twitter the other day that so you think had covered 7 mares and they’re all in foal !!!he must have covered more by now wonder who’llwin the big one tomorrow hugs sheenaX

    • / Reply

      Dear Sheena,

      Love the blog you posted. Charlotte is soooo lucky to be retaining Denman and as she says “their first jump is going to be really special and soooo very exciting”. Denman is truly THE TANK. Bet he misses Kauto. Most of the US champions are not retrained or ridden, which is sad. They would be sooo much fun to ride.

      Curious as to what a hunt/chaser is? Must be like our fox hunting. Foxhunting country in the US is Virginia a state with lush and green terrain. Some of my friends have purchased horses from this state as they are specially trained for the hunt.

      I sooo love that the horses in Europe are retrained and ridden into and older age. Our flat racers, especially on dirt, have a lot more injuries as the dirt is very hard and hard on bones, joints and muscles.

  17. / Reply

    dear judy that was a delightful video about the dancing horse i was watching films of kauto and denman”before they were famous” loved it also love the videos ofourZ dancing could watch them all daylong great news about paynter ! how is papa lots of love and peppermint kisses to him hugs sheena

    • / Reply

      Dear Sheena:

      What a beautiful horse. They are so amazing. Took him a while, but he finally figured out he didn’t have to dance every time he saw people. Too cute. I spent the day with my sister and some friends, so I didn’t visit Charlie today. I will be seeing him this week and will post an update. Thank you so much for asking.

      I watch the videos of Z dancing too. Have you seen this one by our beloved Kari B.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM1Q5rflpnA

      Guess the weather and soft turf will be a factor for a lot of the horses in the Arc. Wishing all of them safe and sound trips. Hugs, JB

  19. / Reply

    Three Chimineys Farm on Sat. Oct 6 races for Big Brown babies
    Could be a BIG day for BIG BROWN!
    BIG SAM – Career debut in Race 4 at Kee ($50K Msw)
    DARWIN – Career debut in Race 3 at Bel ($68K Msw)
    REACHING OUT – Career debut in Race 1 at Bel ($52K Msw)

    • / Reply

      WHOO HOOO

      Darwin went gate to wire with two challengers !!!!

      1.2 million dollar colt purchased at the 2 year-old sale.

  20. / Reply

    Graham Cunningham‏ tweet on weather for Arc
    Miserable weather at Longchamp.
    3 hours of steady rain now – just as I didn’t predict –
    and it has to be an Arc for mudlarks

    • / Reply

      Who is good in the mud???
      Boy is the weather going to have significant
      Impact.

      Not soft turf, mud turf.

      • / Reply

        Who is in the best shape, lifting those ballerina
        Legs in and out of the mud is going to be lots
        Of work!!!

        Good thing Shack is not running, I think he would
        STOP in deep turf !!

  21. / Reply

    Saw some great pictures on LE facebook page on their October tour.
    A.P. Indy has the ol man swayback and is a bit chunky, but he deserves his
    pensioned life.

    The Factor looking like he has adjusted well to his new surroundings.
    He has a gentle, beautiful face.

    IHA is doing well at Big Red Farm and looks like they have lined up 150 ladies for his first booking in 2013.

    So glad to hear Paynter is feeling good. Keep it up!

    • / Reply

      Love the photo and the story on Black Caviar, Kathy R.
      She would be racing with Pierro, Lohnro’s talented triple crown winning son.

      Hope she comes back even for one race for the fans of Austrailia.

  23. / Reply

    WHOOO HOOOO !!!!

    Shanghi Bobby win the Foxwood Champagne Stakes !!!!
    The bad boy !!!

  24. / Reply

    dear sign wont be good for camelot tomorrow if it’s heavy ground and the french courses always seem to have softish ground anyway cirrus des angles won there today he faces frankel in the champion stakes on oct 20th gllad you found the denman blog he really was a massive horse my cousin was in cheltenham in2008 when he won the gold cup he was off for about a year with heart problems but came back to win a2nd hennesey gold cup he raced against kauto a lot but whenever kauto went off on his own denman would whinny until he came home!!it must be hard on the horses in the US to run on the dirt and when it rains it turns sloppy dont know how they manage really hugs sheenaX

    • / Reply

      So Sheena,
      Who do you think are the possibles in the Arc,
      With the mud???
      How dies the course run???
      Maybe the out side post?
      Do you think they will run in the mud???

      Soo special Denman whinny’s for his friend Kauto.

    • / Reply

      Yes, I think it is hard for the dirt horses to run
      In the “slop”. HA HA, some don’t like to get their
      Feet dirty !!!!

      Soft turf must also be very challenging, too. Mud not
      Sure about ???

  25. / Reply

    dear kathy thanks for your piece about BC I really hope she can come back next year for her farewell tour I also read that peter moody is thinking of retirement he’s tired of the early mornings dont know if jt’s true you must be looking forward to the melbourne cup I found the living legends website I did’nt know the great hong kong sprinter silent witness was living there in splendid retirement such a beautiful home for the horses(would’nt mind moving in there myself}hugs sheena

    • / Reply

      Oh no, Sheena and Kathy R.
      Peter Moody may retire !!!!
      Thanks to both of you for info on So You Think!!!

    • / Reply

      Sheena: I’m in two minds about a return to racing by Nelly – can’t see that she has anything more to prove, and the racing world does move very quickly, especially at this time of the year. I think the connections should have let her retire after Ascot, but they seem to be milking the situation at the moment (and I apologise if that sounds harsh, but it’s the way it seems to some of us over here). As regards Peter’s retirement, I’ve heard him make those sorts of comments before – he has a huge stable now, so I can understand that he would like to slow down a bit – he does have some very competent people in his outfit. The Living Legends site is just wonderful – the industry over here has been very slow to look after retired champions – tending to hope the connections have property where they can live out their lives. I’m intending to go and visit at some stage to check out one of my all time favourites, Apache Cat who was such a wonderful character when racing. Return hugs!

      • / Reply

        Dear Kathy R and Sheena,

        The milking happens over here, too and it is sad. Will have to check out the
        Living legends site.

  26. / Reply

    Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all the Canadians. I brought Vic and her Mom home for the weekend after watching Vic ride the new love of her life, Solomon, yesterday. He’s a handsome 18 year old, retired jumper, half TB, half Friesian, Vic is loving her days at college, horses from morning to night, including morning and evening barn chores as well as a “bedtime walk through”
    Didn’t cheer loud enough for Are You Kidding Me in the Dixiana or for Mr. Commons but at least he placed.

    • / Reply

      Dear Brenda,
      Sooo glad Vic is enjoying college, the 18 year old veteran
      Jumpers are the best. Are You Kidding me 5th, hope he gets
      Supplemented to BC. Happy Tanksgiving!!!

    • / Reply

      Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all our friends north of the border! Best wishes to Vic, her mom, and you, Brenda, as you gather on this special weekend. It’s so good to hear how well Vic is doing and enjoying her first year at college. See you soon, Brenda, at the BC!
      Love in Dumplinghood,
      Trina

      • / Reply

        Dear Trina,

        Thanks sooo much for all you and Diana are doing for those of us
        coming to the BC. You are both outdoing yourselves, if that is possible !!!
        And of course sheltering TC.

    • / Reply

      Dear Brenda:

      So glad Vic is enjoying college. Solomon sounds lovely. What a beautiful combination, TB and Friesian.

      I Exacta Boxed Are You Kidding Me and Pataky Kid. I have yet to hit the board.

      Hugs, JB

    • / Reply

      Happy Thanksgiving from me too. We are thankful to have such wonderful neighbors!! Very dreary here today – hope it’s brighter on the other side of the lake! Best wishes also to Abigail and Max (I think). Hope I haven’t left anyone out.

  28. / Reply

    Amazombie up next in the Santa Anita sprint stakes!!
    Will the fully Reneesgotzip give him a run for it ??

    • / Reply

      Sign: Thanks so much for that one (and well done Abigail!). I must admit that I was in tears when he left Australia, because the whole deal was handled very poorly, and caused much distaste to the racing community – not just because it was a low blow to Bart, but also because he was really, really loved by the racing community – I think even more so than Nelly, because he has a presence that is the nearest I’ve seen to Zenyatta. But when the news came that he was coming home, I cried again, and was just over the moon when the news of his safe arrival came through. He’s just magnificent! So thanks again!

      • / Reply

        Dear Kathy R,

        So glad you enjoyed the article. When we heard of and about So You Think we were given the impression that he was truely an Austrailian treasure. Sooo very glad that he is home safe, sound and making wonderful babies. Hope we have some US mares come to visit him !!!

        Thanks to our Abigail for writing such a wonderful article about one of hers and our favorites from abroad !!!

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