Zalena

We purchased Zalena the day we got home from Connecticut with Killian. Pictures below were taken the day after we got her home.

We left on a Fridiay, had just driven over thousand miles to Connecticut, loaded Killian and driven over a thousand miles back arriving home around 4:00 am on Monday, slept for about 3 hours got back in the truck and trailer and drove another 300  miles into Missouri to pick up Zalena then another 300 miles home. I can still remember that nightmare trip coming home with her. Terrible thunderstorms moved in and the thunder was crashing around the truck so loud I thought Zalena may have a heart attack before I could get her home. Of course it didn't help that I was exhausted. Rhoda, Mike and Diane were waiting for me at the barn when I arrived to unload and put her away. Since Killian was new and without a partner Zalena was put in with him then it was time to crash and sleep straight through for 10 hours. Funny we were a little disappointed in Zalena. Looking back now we had no reason to be but we expected her to look like Jenis and Zalena was about an inch shorter. I kept looking at her legs and thinking they are too short. The longer we keep her the longer we love her. She was a first premie (highest rating available for a foal) and I think grand champion at her foal kuering.  She was bred to Raven and produced a beautiful filly. This foaling was a terrible heartbreak. I brought her inside and tested her and according to the test she would not be foaling any time soon. She was nervous inside and not at all happy so even though it was pouring rain I took her back outside and put her in with Ribbon. With the storm during the night I heard nothing but  thunder crashing but when I went to feed the next morning there was Zalena a nervous wreck desperately trying to get out of the paddock. And then I saw the reason why. She had delivered during the night, the foal had slipped under the fence fell into the drainage ditch and drowned. It took awhile before I stopped beating myself up for that loss. Poor Zalena, she grieved, we grieved and of course the 'if only if only' wasn't helping. When we first brought her home we wanted to find out how she would ride, we were told she was good but don't always believe what we are told, so Karin and Rhoda took Zalena and Jenis trail riding. The excited call not too long after, "she is another Paris!" Zalena was going through creeks, up and down hills and not at all spooky. What a joy to have purchased a trained horse without vices.

Anni rode Zalena at the 2012 IL Horse Fair. 

Mikayla Cooksey rode her for the 2013, 2014 IL Horse Fairs.

and Rebekah rode her for the 2015 IL Horse Fair.

Meanwhile Raven had died so Zalena was bred to Valiant and April 15th, 2014 produced a tall friendly just gorgeous colt.

Zalena was bred to Evan and May 7th, 2015 produced a gorgeous hairy filly with amazing movement named Zoey.

Zoey was sold to Dee who also owns Olympia and Dee is bringing both her girls down to the 2016 IL Horse Fair. Zoey will be 10 months old at the fair so please stop in to see her at our stalls in barn 18.
Zalena will be ridden by Jesse Stickling for the 2016 IL Horse Fair. Zalena is in foal by Valiant and is due April 29th. We are expecting a tall friendly foal with this mating. Valiant throws tall and exceptionally sweet babies. One funny thing we learned about Zalena is she can't swim, no really she CANNOT swim.

Her head goes right under. She learned to hold her breath but could not figure out how to move fast enough to keep her nose out of the water. Zalena will not be asked to swim across the lake any more.