During the BC they kept saying she was 17.2
Now, I am 5’4 or “16 hands”. My former TB equitation horse was right under 17.2 and I’ve ridden bigger.
Either her groom is REALLY tall or those angles played a lot of tricks on me.
Has anyone seen her for real up close and can verify? She just does not exude 17.2 through my television. I know those west coasters love to exaggerate their heights 
She sure looks it in a photo a friend had taken with her this past weekend. I’ll have to verify how tall friend is, but I know she’s a tad shorter than I and I’m around 5’6/5’7.
I read a story in Blood Horse from either the 2008 or 2009 Breeders’ Cup that Bob Baffert, who had a big old tank in Midnight Lute, got tired of hearing how big she was when he thought his guy looked bigger, so he went over to the barn and said he wanted to measure Zenyatta himself and compare her to his big horse. So they let him check out Zenyatta himself, and she WAS bigger than Midnight Lute. He was amazed at her size hands-on. :yes:
And so how big is Midnight Lute?
I also have wondered if 17.2 is accurate for Z…
Honestly, she looks it to me. She’s skinnier than the 17.2 beef-cow warmbloods so doesn’t look as massive, but she’s freakin’ TALL. Most of those horses are in the 16hh range and she towers over them. And she’s just all-over big and long in terms of bone structure.
I stood next to her in the stall on Sunday while my husband tubed her for the plane ride back to Cali…while she is taller than most-I would say she falls short of 17.2. I have a 4 year old TB in my barn that is the biggest TB I have ever been next to and he is 17.2…and she is not that tall.
I saw her last week, not really close like you’d do to measure, but from maybe 15 feet away and she’s definitely over 17 hands.
I was probably that close to her at Oaklawn (without tack) and she’s definitely 17, if not over. She has the biggest shoulder I’ve ever seen, so lots of wither.
I stood right next to her on Sunday morning 
and yes, she is a solid solid 17+ hands - whether it’s 17.1 or 17.2 I can’t say exactly, but if I had to guess I’d say on the taller side.
17 and one half hands, not quite 17.1. Now, when her head is up and she’s listening, she’s very, very tall.
she is
[QUOTE=dressagetraks;5213221]
I read a story in Blood Horse from either the 2008 or 2009 Breeders’ Cup that Bob Baffert, who had a big old tank in Midnight Lute, got tired of hearing how big she was when he thought his guy looked bigger, so he went over to the barn and said he wanted to measure Zenyatta himself and compare her to his big horse. So they let him check out Zenyatta himself, and she WAS bigger than Midnight Lute. He was amazed at her size hands-on. :yes:[/QUOTE]
Midnight Lute is 17.1, Bob Baffert measured her with a stick and found that she was bigger then him at 17.2…
I used to own a horse that was 17 hands even, and I have ridden horses 17.1 and 17.2. Zenyatta is definitely 17.2 if not a smidge bigger. I saw her up close yesterday, stood next to her, etc. She has very high withers.
I read an article on Z. a few days before the BC Classic where someone called her “the behemoth mare from California”. That sure made me smile, and it is a great description.
She sure looked it to me on TV with Shirreffs, although I don’t know how tall he is;)
Wow, does she have nice shoulder and hip!
[QUOTE=Bacchus;5219263]
She sure looked it to me on TV with Shirreffs, although I don’t know how tall he is;)
Wow, does she have nice shoulder and hip![/QUOTE]
He’s pretty tall–6’2" easy.
Now, when her head is up and she’s listening, she’s very, very tall.
When she sends the elevator up to the penthouse.
Frances Karon, the jounalist who took the videos (http://huff.to/bxImvc) of Zenyatta on the track at the Breeders’ Cup, interviewed J. Sherriffs at length for an article. Frances asked about her height and he told her Z was 17 hands, 1/2 inch.
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