Zenyatta

Queen of Racing

Ask The Experts

Ask The Experts #23

12Z. Photo by Alys Emson/Lane's End
12Z. Photo by Alys Emson/Lane’s End

Q:

I have a question about the colts. When is the decision typically made whether to geld or leave them intact, and what factors go into that decision?

Nancy Schaffer

Tucson, AZ

A:Typically we will never geld a colt before it leaves the farm, either for the sales or to be broken in, unless there is a medical issue involved. We often have a good idea that they may become geldings fairly soon into their training careers though! Some colts are definitely more “studdish” than others.

Buyers usually don’t want to purchase a yearling gelding, as this will often indicate they have a difficult temperament. On top of that, this is a dreamers game—when someone buys a colt they like to think they have a shot at owning a horse that will have a stellar racing career and go on to leave his legacy as a stud.

Photo by Alys Emson/Lane's End
Photo by Alys Emson/Lane’s End
Some of the colts that are headstrong and studdish as yearlings improve once they are in training and they have a job to do. With the horses that don’t settle down, it becomes a question of whether you can get the horse to train and race to his full ability if his mind is not on the game and he’s fractious and difficult to handle. If the answer is no, then often he will be gelded at this point.

The other reason to geld a colt is if they are clearly not going to compete at the levels that would then lead to a career at stud. A gelding is usually easier to handle and deal with on a daily basis. I know a lot of people will say they have had difficult geldings or easy colts, and of course that can be the case but generally it’s easier to have a gelding in the shed row, especially when there are fillies in the barn.

Our Expert

Cooper Sawyer

Yearling Manager, Lane’s End

Cooper was born in Lexington, KY and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Agriculture. He started working with horses in 1997 in the training barn of Al Stall Jr. Before coming to Lane’s End as the Yearling Manager in 2010, he worked at Wimbledon and Mill Ridge Farm.

Reader Interactions

965 Comments

  1. / Reply

    Dear Zenny,
    All the very Best Wishes to you tonight and always!
    Lots and lots of love to you, too. Smooth sailing and safe passage to
    motherhood! We await the arrival of 13Z, healthy and happy.

    Love to all our Z’sters, the Mosses, Lane’s End and Team Z!

  2. / Reply

    Goodnight and sweet dreamZ!

    It is 2 AM here on the East Coast, and I must go to bed — try to get some sleep, too.
    Hope everyone who can gets a little rest (catch a few “z’s”).

    Thinking of you, Zenny!

  3. / Reply

    Hi everyone, whats all this rumbling about our dear Queen having already foaled with out an official comment! that’s so not like the Mosses!, they would want to let her family know if such a thing had happened. We’ll wait for tomorrow to bring us news if this is true. Mean while, good night to all and sweet dreams to our lovely Queen Zenyatta and the rest of her rainbow crowd which includes the ever handsome Prince and the little awaited Princess. It is well and tomorrow will bring us great tidings. Blessings to all my Z nation family.

  7. / Reply

    O.K, I have to tell myself just to calm down. It will be OK. Hope Official news will come soon.

  8. / Reply

    Just checked the 2013 Foals List for Lanes End and Malibu Moon is the only broodmare listed for March 27th. After all the flurry of “information” last night not even sure about this list.

  10. / Reply

    I think someone was messing with our minds on twitter last night. There’s nothing official from Team Z this AM so apparently everyting floating aroound last evening was bogus. Team Z would never let this drag out this long if Zenny actually delivered.
    What we do know is official news will show up here as soon as things happen.

    • / Reply

      ITA. Last time Zenyatta foaled, the Mosses were in town a few days in advance. Yesterday, they found time to go visit 12Z, take pictures, and tweet them. In her picture with Ann, Zenyatta looks happy and comfortable, not like a mare in active labor. It may be a few days, or it may happen tonight.

    • / Reply

      Dear LGE, good morning, hope you were not like the rest of us surfing the net to see if the news of our Queen foaling was true. I personally think you are a lovely person who likes to shock with words just for effect but you are loved all the same. Hope your day is Blessed and that today will bring us all great tidings. It is well.

  12. / Reply

    Oh my gosh, all that excitement, hundreds of emails and tweets, no sleep…..only to find out no baby yet? Us old bags can’t take much more of this, ha, ha. How do these rumors catch fire and burn the house down. Now I have to pace on three hours sleep.

    Just want to add what a gorgeous picture of EARnie they tweeted. He has such presence I’m amazed. Love you beauty.

    Well I hope my beautiful mama is okay and not in harms way. Love you girl, push that brat out!! Kisses Auntie Sue

    • / Reply

      Dear Sue Fredrick, good morning, I just loved your posting this morning, made me laugh, too cute. Praying that you don’t fall over some thing with your mere 3 hours of sleep!, try catching some zzzz’s sometime during the day. Have a Blessed day. It is well.

      • / Reply

        Maureen,
        Ha, ha never fear, I’m an old war horse and will bounce back quickly. You have a blessed day too, I always enjoy your blessings. hugs

    • / Reply

      Dear Sue Fredrick:

      You have me laughing out loud. Hope the little one cooperates soon. Love and Hugs, JB

      • / Reply

        Judy B,
        Ha, ha we must have the same sense of humor. Didn’t you just die when you saw that tweet of EARnie. He is so beautiful, just like mom and dad. hugs

  13. / Reply

    Well, it’s morning. Nothing official. The person on twitter saying they had an inside source saying she foaled is now saying they got a call that she was still in labor and doing a lot of up & down. There is a really big difference between ‘the foal is out’ and ‘no, she’s still trying to situate the foal.’ So whatever…

    will wait for the official word.

  14. / Reply

    My eyelids are so heavy this morning. I hope I can get trough the day without crashing into something.

  15. / Reply

    Perhaps she is going to do like last year and wait until Ann and Jerry think nothing is going to happen and surprise them. If I remember correctly, last year they were at dinner and had to come back to the barn.

    Can’t wait to see if Z13 is a filly or colt.

    • / Reply

      Dear Shirlee:

      Yes, you remember correctly. That’s what happened last year. The Tweet saying Z had a colt last year was from Daisy Farish and proved to be true. I think she is one of the Farish grandchildren.

      Will be waiting for the next Tweet from Z’s Team for official info. Hugs, JB

  16. / Reply

    Hi All:
    I am at work so I have to make this short. I signed on because I couldn’t take the suspense. And found out ” No Baby Yet!!!

    Lol.

    Oh, well, we’ll all be back on this site tonight–tapping our toes.

    • / Reply

      Hi Maureen:
      Oops. I think there’s been a miscommunication. I just read the above posts and it appears that there is no baby just yet.

      Sorry for the misunderstanding.

      – Linda

      • / Reply

        Hi Linda,

        No worries, there is no miscommunication, or misunderstanding, I was just thanking for clarifying that there was no baby yet from our beloved Queen Z.
        Have you a very Blessed productive day at work. It is well in Z nation land.

  17. / Reply

    I am looking at my plushie of you Z and 12z, thinking and praying for you. I have dragged myself out of bed from a restless interrupted sleep to find “No foal” yet!!
    Yikes!! Just be okay, and baby too, this is all I pray for.

    Feel my kisses and hugs and gentle rubs Z? love, Auntie Sally B

  18. / Reply

    Greetings I send to all my Z nation family. It’s been an exciting night for sure and am not blaming anyone for starting all this fire, I personally think it was in good humor that this was started, just to inject some excitement. So we wait, now that we know.

    To our Queen Z, good morning, am sure you found this whole foaling thing hilarious!, humans’s, we’re usually too impatient so forgive us. Hope you have a great day today, eat and extra carrot for the Princess and say hello to the Prince, You know, he should have his web site already. If he continues to be this handsome, we are in trouble!

    Blessings to all, it is well.

    • / Reply

      Dear Maureen:

      It would be great once Prince leaves LE for training in Florida if he had his own website so we can follow along with his progress. He’s just gorgeous. Hugs, JB

      • / Reply

        Judy, Great idea. It would be a lot of work for someone, but we would really enjoy following him along in his training. 2015 has the potential to be a very exciting year with both Zenyatta’s and Rachel’s colts hitting the track. And Stonestreet has a filly out of Maggy Hawk who is a full sister to Afleet Alex. Don’t know if Stonestreet owns her as information is hard to come by. Guess we will just have to be patient.

  19. / Reply

    Maureen great attitude. So we’ll celebrate twice. We needed some excitement while we paced. Still pacing. Good to have a sense of humor.

  20. / Reply

    Good Morning to all the Queen Zee fans, Has the filly arrived as yet?????? Somone please update me>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Blessings!!!

  21. / Reply

    As Bob Marley says: Sun is shining and the weather is sweet……………make you wanna move your dancing feet>………….. come on Zenyatta >>>>>>>>> make my day!!!!!!!!!!!!

  22. / Reply

    I will continue to PACE…PACE…PACE… until TeamZ posts that all is well….I know that our lovely Z will do this in her own time and she will triumph….but waiting is so hard…
    have a great day to all…
    ….

  24. / Reply

    Here is what is being said this morning. Some of last night’s tweets are being
    retweeted this morning. No they are not in this info. Even Sirius was reporting foaling

    Terra Turrin‏ tweet Sorry for false info herd Zenyatta had her foal from @Backsidetips.
    But I guess still no foal. I’m quite confused myself!

    Inside Tips@Backsidetips tweet
    Hmmmm a lot of questions about zenyatta and a filly? Heard it on SIRIUS RADIO she had a filly?
    I was told last night she was in labor and Z was doing great.
    I then heard she had a foal but couldn’t confirm it. See next tweet
    As expected source at farm stated “zen still in labor taking time but everything is great so far”
    Received a phone call 2 minutes ago that bag is zenyatta is still in labor.
    Repeatedly getting up and down *trying to situate the foal In birthing canal
    (correct me if I am wrong… This means no foal yet, and she is still in labor? yes mam!)

    I REPEAT THE PPL ON HERE SAYING SHE HAD A FILLY IS FALSE
    If you want info on Zenyatta and want to find out you can call LOUISE at lanes end farm. She will confirm no filly was born. (5 minutes ago)

    Keta Note: Just so we are clear. We are not going to call Louise. Lane’s End has its hands full with foaling. They do not need distractions. I am just sharing the
    ever shifting information flow.

    • / Reply

      Barbara. Well said. It is always fun to be with the Z family. And we still have something great to which we can look forward.

      • / Reply

        Yeppers!
        Wearing my T-shirt…Foaling Around. Sunny day for you,13Z.Flowers blooming.Robins hopping around…..Dyeing a special egg for you.
        Love you Zenny.

  26. / Reply

    Y’all, over at the Forum the “Waiting Room” discussion thread is busting at the seams.

  29. / Reply

    Zenny,
    Checking in tonight. Hope your new baby arrives very soon. Know you are so ready to be a new Momma again. Can’t wait to see you with your new foal.
    God’s many blessings to you and your whole family here on your ‘home’ page.
    with love, Elizabeth

  30. / Reply

    I was wondering if it is unusual for a valuable mate of Zenyatta’s age to have only 1 colt (not counting the one on the way)?

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