Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Ask The Experts

Ask The Experts #17

12Z turned out with fellow weanlings in October. Photo by Alys Emson/Lane’s End.

Q:

I was wondering how Lane’s End handles the care of weanlings and yearlings. I know a number of larger operations more or less turn the kids out and only bring them in when it’s time for veterinary care or hoof trimming, with the idea that they’re just letting the babies be babies until the time they need to be prepared for yearling sales or training. I was just wondering if Lane’s End does this or if you guys do give more personal care to the little guys even before they need sales prepping or training!

Kelli Clark

Toms River, NJ

A: At Lane’s End we try to find the right balance between letting horses be horses and that extra bit of professional and personal care.

Our weanlings make the transition from the broodmare side of the farm to the yearling division in the month of December. At this point, we will separate the colts and fillies so the boys have their fields and the girls have theirs. This is a stressful time for these young horses so we keep their routine as similar as possible to what it was like at the broodmare division. This will reduce any additional stress and make their transition that little bit easier.

This routine consists of the weanlings/yearlings coming in from the fields at 7am. We lead them into the barn and run our hands down each horse’s leg. We can then feel if any has a cut, bump, swelling or heat in their legs. This also desensitizes them, so they are easier to touch and handle. They then go into their stalls and eat their breakfast. Feeding them inside allows us to monitor how much each horse eats, and alter their feeds accordingly seen as every horse is different and therefore has different nutritional needs.

Once they are finished eating, we will check their temperatures, pick their feet and administer any medication that is needed. We check temperatures daily. Normally you can tell if a horse is sick simply by observing their demeanor or by the fact that they have not eaten up, but sometimes they will not show any of the obvious signs. This is when taking their temperatures is essential. While we are in their stall taking their temperatures we will also pick their feet. As well as being good hoof care and horsemanship it also makes life much easier when the farrier comes !

After these essential daily chores are completed we have time for the vet or farrier to come if needed. Otherwise we will start grooming the horses lightly so they become used to what is in store during sales prep. As we get closer to prep time, we will start to break the yearlings to plastic bits. We leave the bits in their mouths as we groom them. Using the plastic bits create an easy transition to the metal bits that we use later on during sales prep. We also start to introduce them to the hose so that they are used to getting baths when we start our prep.

These additional tasks take us up until lunch time. At 1pm we will feed them their lunch and turn them out at 2pm. This lengthy turn out time of seventeen hours from 2pm until 7am the following morning is more than adequate time to allow horses be horses. They have that time to run, play and frolic. The concussion on their bones that they create from running and playing mixed with the nutrients that they ingest from our limestone enriched soils helps them to produce strong, healthy bones.

Therefore, I believe that we have the right balance here at Lane’s End between letting horses be horses with their lengthy turn out time and their extra bit of personal care and handling.

Our Expert

Peter Sheehan

Assistant Yearling Manager, Lane’s End

Peter, originally from Co. Kildare, Ireland started his career in the thoroughbred industry at Derrinstown Stud while he completed his education at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. After graduating with a degree in geography and math he then completed a post graduate study in statistics. Peter arrived at Lane’s End in 2008 and is currently the Assistant Yearling Manager.

Reader Interactions

1,474 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Americain’s owners buy another Cup hope
    Posted by: AAP Filled in: Australian Horse Racing | 11/12/2012 at 6:30pm

    Americain’s owners will travel to the United States this week to see the horse they hope will be their next Melbourne Cup winner.
    As 2010 Cup winner Americain prepares for his first season at stud in Kentucky, Kindergarten Kid runs in Saturday’s Hollywood Turf Cup on Saturday.
    Kevin and Colleen Bamford, who raced Americain in partnership with Gerry and Val Ryan, will travel to California on Friday and meet with the trainer of their new acquisition.
    “We’re going over on Friday and we will sit down with the trainer (Peter Miller) on Friday night and then go to the races Saturday and see how he goes,” Colleen Bamford told racingvictoria.net.au.
    “He’ll probably go for a little spell after that. The weather should be nice in California, nicer than it is in England, so he’ll probably have a little spell there while we work out the plan.

    Read more: http://www.justhorseracing.com.au/news/australian-racing/americains-owners-buy-another-cup-hope/178799 #ixzz2EjLKkCzL

    • / Reply

      Dear Keta: Thanks for this piece of information. Still nothing down here regarding where Americain will stand. Bit surprised that it’s taking so long. TVN Thoroughbreds programme is showing revisits to various studs – the week coming will feature So You Think (drool). Last night they featured More Than Ready and Pluck. Lovely to see them all again. Cheers.

  3. / Reply

    Dear Zenny Fans, Dumplings in this holiday season,

    Our Father, our god, in our own consciousness
    Let me find happiness in thy love,

    For the love we bear toward our family, human/animal friends.
    Let our lives, our words, our deeds bring the joy
    And happiness to all we meet,
    Day by day.
    Amen

    Wishing everyone a Blessed day

  8. / Reply

    DEAR ZENNY FANS AND DUMPLINGS.

    PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS NEWS #17 FOR “DAILY PRAYER FOR TODAY”.

    ENJOY YOUR DAY ALL !!!

  15. / Reply

    Racing Post‏ tweet Fri. Dec. 21 2012
    Arc and King George heroine DANEDREAM retired to stud,
    she will be covered by Frankel

    Arc heroine Danedream retired to stud
    By David Conolly-Smith 10:05AM 21 DEC 2012
    STAR German filly Danedream, winner of the 2011 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and this year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, has been retired.
    Trainer Peter Schiergen, currently on holiday in Florida with his family, confirmed her retirement in an interview published Friday on the website Galopp-Online.

    It had been hoped Danedream could make up for missing this year’s Arc, due to swamp fever in her Cologne training base, by running in the Dubai Sheema Classic this coming March, but owner Teruya Yoshida has now decided against this.
    http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/p-schiergen-dubai-festival-arc-and-king-george-heroine-danedream-retired/1173582/top/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews

  16. / Reply

    GULFSTREAM PARK: MMM on the Track for “Millions Classic”, January 19, 2012

    GO GO GO GO MMM !!!!

    Mucho Macho Man on Track for ‘Millions’
    12/21/2012

    Mucho Macho Man, who captured the $500,000 Florida Sunshine Millions Classic last season, will launch his 2013 season with a title defense in showcase of the six-race $1.3 million event for Florida-bred horses at Gulfstream on Jan. 19.

    “We thought it was the ideal place to start,” said trainer Kathy Ritvo, who worked with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s stable manager, Finn Green, on the decision to target the 1 1/8-race Classic.

    The soon-to-be 5-year-old launched a highly successful 2012 campaign with a 1 ½-length triumph over Ron the Greek in 1 1/8-mile Classic. The son of Macho Uno went on to win the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) and Suburban Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park, before finishing a troubled second in the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga. He completed his season with a close second-place finish in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), in which he engaged Fort Larned during a thrilling stretch-long duel, only to fall a half-length short of victory.

    “On Saturday morning, he’ll go three-eighths of a mile in preparation for the Sunshine Millions here on the 19th of January,” Green said. “It’s a great race to go back into after the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a fantastic race for him to get back.”

    Mucho Macho Man, who picked up $900,000 for his stirring runner-up finish at Santa Anita on Nov. 3, has earned $2.3 million in purses while compiling an impressive resume that includes a third-place finish in the 2011 Kentucky Derby. He’s come painfully close, but he has yet to win a Grade 1 stakes. His connections had the option to bypass the Florida Sunshine Millions Classic in favor of the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 9.

    “He’ll catch plenty of Grade 1s this year, but this is best race to go into after that race,” Green said.

    The Florida Sunshine Millions will be conducted as a prelude to the 44th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony, which will be held for the first time at a racetrack on the evening of Jan. 19 in Gulfstream Park’s Sport of Kings facility.

    Mucho Macho Man will prepare for his first start of the season with his first workout since his brilliant performance from his outside post position in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

    “He’s done great. He’s come out of the race great,” Ritvo said. “He came out fantastic and he’s shown us all the right signs.”
    Mucho Macho Man’s connections said they’ll take his 2013 campaign one race at a time.
    “We have a plan, but we’re just going to start with this one,” Ritvo said.

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