As you know, 12 Zenyatta was successfully weaned on August 14.
Three days before, he and mom, along with their paddock mates, moved to the barn and paddock where they had lived when he was a foal. The mares spent three nights there with their colts—familiar surroundings for all!
On the third morning, after breakfast, Charles calmly explained what was to happen while 12Z listened attentively. Zenyatta continued to eat. All understood and were completely relaxed. Then, Mom and the two other mares were led back to the barn and paddock they know as home.
Shortly thereafter, 12Z and pals were turned out and were soon grazing and playing together. Back in their paddock, Zenyatta and her friends were happily grazing as well.
Their human friends, the amazing Lane’s End staff, continue to monitor them, and all reports are good! Yay!
We’ll keep you informed and updated.
-Team Z
Abigail from Montreal, Canada
Thank you SO MUCH for the update, Team Z. I’m very glad to know that our beloved Zenny and Z-12 are doing fine post-weaning day. I’m just SO IMPRESSED by the sensitivity of Team Z-LE Division toward the horses and weanlings. I’m sure that my once-baby-James would have been envious, since when we weaned it was a little more brutal, as I had to return to work when James was only 4 months old.
As a former teacher, I’m VERY glad to hear that Z-12 listened to Charles’ explanation carefully (I KNEW that Zenny would). LOL!
Nancy in Lexington
So glad to hear the weaning went without mishap. I think it was harder on us than it was on Z and Z12!
Is Zenyatta going to be joined in the paddock with Tasty Temptation, her ex-paddock mate? Has Tasty been bred to another stallion and how is her foal doing? Sorry for all the questions, but I’m just a little worried about Tasty since she rejected her first foal.
Debbie G/Kentucky
Me too, Nancy. I’m hoping it was just a one-time thing with Tasty rejecting her foal. I would love to see her and Zenny back together again.
Amanda
Tasty was bred to Unbridled’s Song for 2012. Madien mares sometimes do reject their foals, it happens. Rachel Alexandra’s mom rejected her but has had no issues with any of her other foals.
Zenyen
I believe the chapter of Tasty Temptation’s time with Zenyatta has closed.
She would be on a different breeding schedule than Zenyatta, since TT foaled almost a month later.
Jan S. / Houston
Such wonderful news. Glad all went well. Who is Zenny’s new friend. Will she stay with her while in foal..
Remember Elvis today..
Terry Crow GP
Elvis was an individual who in many ways was admirable. I will be thinking of him often today.
Marilu V
Z Team and Lanes End – Thank you for the update.
Happy the separation went well not only for Zenyatta and Z12 but their 2 other paddock mates. Now we watch, wait and pray with Mama Z for the coming of her next foal.
Donna from Baltimore
Cool!
Perky Green
So happy all is well . Thank-You
suew/Va
THANK YOU, Jerry and Ann Moss and the LE staff for giving us another timely update on Zenny and 12Z. You all know how important they are to us…we are kind of needy that way…and seeing these pictures makes me and others feel so good.
What a journey you have taken us on, Zenny. I feel blessed to be a fan.
tony
LE, thanks for letting us know Zenny continues to be the “pro” we always knew she was.
It seems like 12Z is following her example….life is good in Kentucky.
sue and tony
Ann and Jerry Moss. We love you. LE, you people really are the best. Zenny and 12Z, enjoy every day and know thousands are thinking of you and wishing you well.
karen forehand
Glad all is well with the Queen n her Prince. Learned from an old horseman to wean by the signs. Thighs down. Sign on the 14th was breast. Might be an old.wives tale but it always worked for us.
Sandy (Northeast Ohio)
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Team Z and everyone at Lane’s End for not only “keeping us in the loop” but also for providing the detail that allowed us to envision the process. Of course we were glad to know earlier that Prince had weaned successfully, but this description answers a lot of questions and eases many minds. We know that everyone will continue to thrive, but our need for updates is unending, and we pray that we will continue to get them as the occasion warrants (pix too please!!! :-).
Sandy (Northeast Ohio)
To the horse racing experts: I noticed Judy B’s info about the next handicapping race (on a post that was current as of this morning, but now is an old one). What is the importance of the post position in a race where there are only 7 horses vs a race like the Kentucky Derby where there were 20 (more or less)? One might think that with a smaller field, it might not matter so much???
signofthetimes; President Texas Chapter RNC
Post position is important in the strategy and style of each race horse, front runner,
stalker, closer. It sets the strategy of the trainer. The horses in the Alabama are very high contenders with at least 4 top contenders:
Royal Delta
Its Tricky
Plum Pretty
St John’s River
Inglorious – the Canadian champ who beat the boys is also in the line up.
Handicapping will take place on the day of the race up to the moment of the race and change. Do you have HRTV? They handicap all day Sat.
Good Luck !!!
Sandy (Northeast Ohio)
Is this some other “Alabama”? These aren’t the horse that Judy had listed?????
Maryp (New York)
Sandy, I believe she inadvertently listed the horses that ran in the 2011 Alabama.
signofthetimes; President Texas Chapter RNC
Sorry Sandy,
Brain Infart !!!
judy berube from Rhode Island
Dear Sandy:
As Sign said in her answer to you, Post Position is important depending on the running style of each horse, the track bias that particular day, etc. But, I think you are right it’s probably more of a factor when there’s twenty (20) horses going than when there are only seven. There’s greater risk for trouble in a large field and less opportunity to recover from it. Hugs, JB
Terry Crow GP
Track bias is an often overloooked handicapping tool. KIt should be well esrablished by the time this race is run.
Sandy (Northeast Ohio)
Terry – would you please revise this to “ordinary English”??? Track bias? Kit??
Terry Crow GP
Sandy-Track bias is whether the condition of the track that day favors speed or closers and has to do with what was done to the track in the morning. For instance, if the track was plowed deeper than usual it would inhibit speed. You can usually tell in the first three races what the situation is. Unfortunately, there is usually very little access to this information and one has to make an “informed” guess on what has been observed..
Terry Crow GP
Sandy-Kit was a typo. It should have been it. Thanks for catching that.
Randy
Thank you so much for this lovely post! The kids look happy and this sounds like a very gentle and humane way to do the separation.
The moms look happy too… they can stand around all day grazing and discussing how wonderful this empty nest… er… empty stall thing is. Zenny will be a lady of leisure for the next few months and won’t have to worry about what Z12 is getting up to now. And Z12 will always have his rambunctious little friends to “horse around” with.
HeidiK (Vallejo, Ca) aka DinkyDiva
Thank you LE and Team Z for continually updating us! I just saw the picture of Zenny playing in the mud. Too funny! It’s on their Instagram/Twitter.
Criminal Type
Zenyatta….Be on the look out, that handsome devil Union Rag’s is moving in over there at Lane’s End’s stallion barn ! The girls are going to be lining up to get to him, but since you two both have Mr P so close up, I doubt you two will ever meet. Glad Zen and the colt are adjusting so well to each new step they take. The colt gets to establish his independence and Zen gets 6 months off motherhood before the new baby comes. Good luck and stay healthy, all.
Don Martello
I posted this before and I really believe that baby 12Z’s name sholud be Yattayattayatta, I can hear the call from the top of the stretch ” its Yattayattayatta by 14!!!!!!”
sue and tony
Love It!
Eileen
Great name.
Vicki B. near Hollywood Park
That’s funny!
Jeanne Sutton
Thanks so much!
Gae Seal
Years ago we placed a hot wire down the middle of the paddock to separate two mares from two foals for weaning. The younger foal adjusted right away. The older foal and mare continued to nurse by very carefully sidling up to but not touching the hot wire! I wish I had a picture of their mutual tenderness!
signofthetimes; President Texas Chapter RNC
TOO CUTE !!!
Vicki B. near Hollywood Park
Gae Seal, how long did the older foal and mare continue to nurse that way?
Sue in Indiana
Heard a Police song today that I think might be a good name. Secret Journey. There will be such expectations for Z12 and me being a child of the 60-70’s, the lyrics just seem to be good. Kind of “Zen”. He is definitely going to have his own journey.
Mary in Boone, NC
Thank you, Team Lane’s End, for this descriptive update. I felt I was in the barn listening to Charles with his wonderful accent and calm demeanor. This is an excellent example of how capable animals are of understanding and accepting. Bet the humans were emitting soothing chemical smells that added to the smooth transition.
We drank a toast to Our Queen and Prinz of Hearts Monday night as they each enter this next phase.
Again, Mr. & Mrs. Moss, Dottie, John, Team Lane’s End, and Team Zenyatta, you are very gracious and thoughtful to keep us in the loop.
Take care,
Mary in Boone
Eileen
Prinz of hearts is a good name.
Sandra Bennington
As 12Z grows will they ever be reunited???
Rosemary McCauley - Pres/AZ/New Mexico RNC
Since 12Z is a colt and not likely to be gelded, reuniting them is probably not a good idea.
Zenyen
To be direct, no.
Z12 is on his way to becoming a race horse and hopefully an influential stallion in the Thoroughbred Industry.
As such he would not be introduced to Zenyatta again in their lifetime.
Terry Crow GP
Z12’s future is assured. He is a valuable stallion prospect even if he can’t run a step.
Barbara Wood (Texas)
A million thanks for the great report. I admit, I was alerted by a fellow Dumpling, so I had to rush to see. Love these success stories of how all horses should handled.
carol in utah
Twitter picture of Z playing in the mud is new today…we do know she likes her mud baths ……
Looks like she wants a spa treatment
Cindi
Thank you for giving all of us such a detailed accounting of the event. Very civilized way to go through a normal but possibly difficult time, thank you.
Bev
Thank you everyone for the update. It can be such a difficult time. Everyone seems so commited to making their experiences as stress free as possible. Great care. They all look in wonderful condition. Another step down the path.
Linda Shull
Love all the pictures!!! What a great journey.
Delrene in Carlsbad, Ca
Thank you Lane’s End for this update on the weaning process. It certainly appears all is well. Cool, calm and collected.
Wondered if that is a new pasturemate to Zenyatta and if her bestie “Tasty Temptation” is out there in one of the other pastures. These ladies deserve some serious relaxing time. Job well done LE AND MAMA’S.
p.s. Ashton, if you check in, your you tube video today was just amazing. So beautiful, music, pictures and videos. Great memories. Thank you so much
Marty R / Colorado
A huge thank you and so much gratitude for being allowed to experience Zenyatta and 12Z in their journeys. All the photos are wonderful and the explanations are so easy to understand. I feel as well cared for as Zenyatta and 12Z are. I love this farm.
Jo-An
You don’t know how I have worried about this!!! I am speared from my Son as he has died so the Weening Process is bring it all back. Am so glad it went well. Love all involved in the Great Job you all do with the animals
carol in utah
@GirlSaratoga….found a 2yr old colt by SkipAway out of Fair Game on the breeders cup nominations site…his name is Daebal…he went thru the May 21st FT sale as HIP #440…
price was $20000….then said KOID…don’t know that means …is this the boy you are looking for?
judy berube from Rhode Island
Dear Carol:
Yes, that is the colt by Skip Away that GirlSaratoga was trying to track. He was sold to Korean Racing connections. You have the correct name. Trying to find out more on him, but is difficult when they are out of the Country. Hugs, JB
GirlSaratoga
Carol in Utah:
Yes this is my guy I was looking for! Thanks for the info, too bad he’s out of the country, probably won’t be able to follow him! Like Judy B said it’s will be hard to track him!
I appreciated you finding the info for me
GirlSaratoga