by Marcella Peyre-Ferry

You never know where you will find the horse that is perfect for you. For Janine Guido, the horse that fills all her needs came out of a kill pen in Alabama.

Janine has been riding since she was five years old, but injuries kept her out of the saddle for more than a decade. She remained vitally entwined with animals, running Speranza Animal Rescue at her family’s 17-acre farm near Mechanicsburg, PA. The rescue focuses primarily on bully breed dogs, but also includes a wide range of farm animals plus two zebras and a camel.

As far as horses go, Speranza was focused on a few older, neglected or unrideable animals that needed a healthy retirement home. Known for her willingness to take in the worst cases, Janine didn’t have a horse she could ride.

In 2021, a year after recovering from knee surgery, Janine let her friends know she was interested in returning to riding. Soon she got a call from one who had spotted a horse in an Alabama kill pen. What made this horse stand out was that he was a branded warmblood.

“I had gone through so many bad injuries and knee surgeries. I wanted to get back into riding but I needed something that wasn’t going to kill me,” Janine said.

The 16.2 hand, bay Holsteiner gelding that would become known as Murphy was in poor condition weight-wise, missing several front teeth from periodontal disease and had a healed bowed tendon with no apparent lameness.

“He looked broken. His eyes had no hope,” Janine said. “Little did I know he would turn out to be the perfect mister unicorn ever. I cannot say enough good things about this horse.”

All Janine had to go by was a photograph, but she was willing to take a chance. “I thought, ‘if I can ride him great, if I can’t, I can’t-- that’s OK,’ There was just something special about him,” she said.

It took time to get Murphy back into shape. As he gained weight and condition it became apparent that this was a horse with a history.

When it came time to get on his back, Janine was hesitant at first, but Murphy exceeded all expectations. The first ride was a five-minute walk - a small step to build confidence. The next included trot work and Janine began to see a hint of how well Murphey had been trained.

“He does incredible lead changes, he jumps anything - you just point him at it. He’s got the best brain. I can’t say enough good things about him,” Janine said. “He’s a once in a lifetime horse and I got him from a kill pen.”

In addition to being a willing jumper, it is possible he was trained for eventing at one time. “It’s apparent he has had dressage training,” Janine said.

Although he is believed to be in his mid-twenties, Murphey is still fit and ready to show. Janine has taken him to nearby shows under his new show name “Simple Man” In February 2023 they won all three of their over fences classes at Heritage Acres Winter IV and placed fourth in the flat class to earn the Baby Green Hunter Championship.

For the coming spring Janine hopes to try the beginning jumper divisions.

After finding Murphy, Janine’s eyes have been opened to other possibilities. She recently purchased a young thoroughbred mare at auction whose only problem was an abscess in her sinus cavity. She hopes this horse may take over for Murphy when it is time for him to retire.

In Murphy’s success story there are poignant moments. “What’s sad for me was when he first came here he knew how to beg for treats. That broke my heart. At one time this horse was so spoiled, he was treated well and loved and yet he turned into what we found him as,” Janine said. “Growing up in the hunter - jumper world my trainers have always been good with keeping in touch with the horses that were sold, This just opens your eyes. People are not aware.”

Finding a good riding horse in the ranks of the rescue is not common but it does happen. Speranza currently has a few that are being rehabilitated before being adopted out.

“It boggles my mind how well trained some of these horses are that people have just given up on. It’s just crazy,” Janine said. “I never thought you’d be able to find something that made and that high level that was going to ship to slaughter.”

Janine encourages people to be open to buying horses that are in challenging situations and to be careful when they sell an older horse. “I would just encourage people, whenever you sell your old or retired horse, keep tabs on it,” she said. “If you’re looking for a lesson horse, don’t be afraid to look in kill pens, some nice horses just need some meat on them.”

This article originally appeared on East Coast Equestrian and is published here with permission.

You can find more interesting articles in our section on Retire & Rehome.

by Retired Racehorse Project

You’re proudly showing off your new off-track prospect to your barn bestie as he’s settling into his new stall at home. “Where did you rescue him from?” she asks eagerly.

How you respond to this (common) question depends on several factors involved with your horse purchasing or adoption process, but chances are, your horse was not a true rescue, and incorrectly calling him a rescue belies an entire industry dedicated to breeding, raising and producing him for the racetrack. Let’s examine this issue closer.

Read the full story on the Retired Racehorse Project website.

This excerpt is printed with permission from Retired Racehorse Project.

There's more informative articles in our section on Retire & Rehome.

The wait is over…..the most popular calendar in the world is back! The highly anticipated 2024 Australian Firefighters Calendar has just been launched and is now in its 31st year of production. The annual photoshoot brings Australia’s favourite heroes and animals together to produce the worlds most iconic calendars.

Read more: Australian Firefighters Calendar 2024 Turns Up the Heat

The highly anticipated 2024 Australian Firefighters Calendar has just been launched and is now in its 31st year of production. The annual photoshoot brings Australia’s favourite heroes and animals together to produce the worlds most iconic calendars.

Since its launch in 1993, the calendar has donated over 3.4 million dollars to charities across Australia. The calendar’s proud history of supporting animal refuges and Australian Wildlife in the past, will continue into the future. Australia’s Rural Firefighters and children suffering from Cancer will also once again benefit from donations.

The Australian Firefighters Calendar is found on the walls of supporters in over 90 countries around the world. The firefighters from the calendar are in hot demand to appear on some of the most popular TV shows and magazines around the world. From Germany to Taiwan, to the US and Japan, the firefighters from the calendar use their popularity to continue the message of conservation for Australian Wildlife.

Read more: Australian Firefighters Calendar 2024 Behind the Scenes (2:57)

Australian Firefighters Calendar 2024 turns up the heat and promises a year to remember!

The wait is over…..the most popular calendar in the world is back! The highly anticipated 2024 Australian Firefighters Calendar has just been launched and is now in its 31st year of production. The annual photoshoot brings Australia’s favourite heroes and animals together to produce the worlds most iconic calendars.

Since its launch in 1993, the calendar has donated over 3.4 million dollars to charities across Australia. The calendar’s proud history of supporting animal refuges and Australian Wildlife in the past, will continue into the future. Australia’s Rural Firefighters and children suffering from Cancer will also once again benefit from donations.

The Australian Firefighters Calendar is found on the walls of supporters in over 90 countries around the world. The firefighters from the calendar are in hot demand to appear on some of the most popular TV shows and magazines around the world. From Germany to Taiwan, to the US and Japan, the firefighters from the calendar use their popularity to continue the message of conservation for Australian Wildlife.

Editions

Over 25 Australian firefighters have come together for the month-long photoshoot to make this years 6 editions. Firefighters from aviation, military and urban fire services have once again produced the most talked about calendar photos for the 2024 editions of the Australian Firefighter Calendar.

Each month of the 6 different calendar editions reveals a different firefighter and their heart-warming bond with some of Australia's most adorable animals. From cuddly koalas to playful kittens, these visuals capture the compassion that these firefighters stand for both in and out of uniform.

Due to the popular demand of the past editions, the Dog, Cat, Horse, Mixed Animal and Classic Calendars will be back. A new addition to the calendar collection for 2024 will be the ‘Hero’ Calendar. This edition depicts action shots of our handsome firefighters doing what they do best.

2024 AUSTRALIAN FIREFIGHTERS CALENDAR IMAGES

Photo credits: Australian Firefighters Calendar

Australian Charities

• The Queensland Koala Society
  Donations from this years calendars will help support this organisation that relies solely on on public donations. The donation will be used to help sick and injured Koalas and get them back into their natural habitat as quickly and safely as possible.
• Kids with Cancer Foundation
  Kids with Cancer Foundation provides financial assistance to families from funds held in trust that have been donated by the public through direct donations, fundraisers and their lotteries. Families that find themselves in financial stress resulting from their child’s cancer diagnosis can apply to access their funds to help with bill payments.
• Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital (BBWH)
  Conceived and launched by vets Dr Stephen Van Mil and Dr Evan Kosack, Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is a registered charity and not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. BBWH provides dedicated, expert veterinarian services to wildlife, free of charge. Their mission is to conserve, protect and ensure positive welfare outcomes for Australian wildlife through treatment, rehabilitation, research and education.
  The licensed mobile veterinary hospital, affectionately named Matilda, operates from a custom-built semi-trailer, making it Australia’s largest Mobile Wildlife Hospital, and the only one of its kind in the world. Operating from its base near Byron Bay Australia, BBWH’s mobility enables it to be immediately deployed to a natural disaster to assist in the triage, assessment and treatment of injured, traumatised and displaced wildlife, anywhere in Australia.
• Safe Haven Animal Rescue
  Safe Haven Animal Rescue Inc (SHARI) is a not-for-profit, registered charity that operates in the South East Queensland region in Australia. They are a small group of volunteers working together to save, rehabilitate and rehome for both dogs and cats.

The 2024 Australian Firefighters Calendar will also be supporting the following organizations.

• Wildcare Inc
• Fauna Rescue of SA
• Native Animal Rescue
• CAVFA
• Queensland Koala Society
• Best Friends Felines
• All Breed Canine Rescue Inc
• Healing Hooves
• Safe Haven Animal Rescue

US FIREFIGHTERS

Due to the enormous popularity of the Australian Firefighters Calendar in the US, two firefighters were flown out to take part in the calendar photoshoot.

“I have had a love for firefighting ever since I was a kid visiting my dad at the station he worked at. The brotherhood and camaraderie was always something I strived for but never fully understood until I joined the fire service 6 years ago. That family atmosphere is exactly what I found when I was asked to be a part of the 2024 Australian Firefighters Calendar. I was able to firsthand see the amazing people, animals, and unique environment that Australia has to offer. Most importantly I had the opportunity to interact with the numerous charities and foundations that the calendar benefits and learn of the importance of conservation efforts in order to protect our wildlife and environment. We live on one shared planet and this is a message I am more than happy to take back to the States and share with my audience. And oh yeah, I almost forgot…ripped Firefighters with adorable animals. I think people might enjoy that as well.” Caden Troy - St. Lucie County Fire District, United States of America

JACOB HACKER: 30yr old Firefighter from America.
American firefighter, paramedic, actor and model born and raised in rural Ohio. One of my goals was before the age of 30 I wanted to be in the Australian Firefighters Calendar. When I was younger in my fire and medic career it began as a joke because I felt like I could never be physically capable or fit enough to be one of those men you see in the calendar. After 10 years of hardwork and dedication I reached out to the Australian Firefighters Calendar, to my surprise they were impressed by my journey and wanted me to partake in their calendar. This was a dream come true and one of the greatest honours of my life to be an American featured into an Australian Firefighters calendar for a good cause. Jacob Hacker - Willard Fire and Rescue Ohio, United States of America

STEVEN GIANNOPOLOUS: 30yr old firefighter from Canada.
Firefighting was my dream as a little boy. I remember playing with all my little fire truck toys pretending to respond to emergencies and being fascinated every time I saw a real-life fire truck ripping to calls. As I grew up, I realised that it's not superheroes that are doing this job but actual people. From That moment on I knew firefighting was what I wanted to do! I applied and went through all the rigorous tests and had the opportunity to become a firefighter at a really young age. It's been 9 years now and I haven’t looked back. One of the most dynamic and demanding jobs but also the most rewarding being able to serve your community and help people on the worst days of their lives” Steven Gionappilous - Ottawa Fire Service, Canada

US CHARITY PROJECT

To repay the support our U.S. fans have shown, the Australian Firefighters Calendar will continue to support U.S. charities for the third year in row.

The Rescue Rebuild program is a shelter renovation program of Greater Good Charities. This year the Florida Wildlife Project in Fort Lauderdale will receive support to rebuild their Tortoise Rehab enclosure.

As with all of our wildlife projects, the goal of these projects is to give the wildlife facilities the ability to better care for their animals and to increase their lifesaving capabilities.

Fostering the rehabilitation of the tortoise helps to protect a keystone species and the many other species that benefit from their survival. Many other animals use the old tortoise burrows for their own survival, so there are many benefits to preserving the gopher tortoise.

"Greater Good Charities is hugely grateful for the continued support from the Australian Firefighters Calendar! Funds raised from the calendar sales will support a renovation at a wildlife rehabilitation facility by our Rescue Rebuild program this November. Thanks to this generous donation, this facility will be able to care for more animals and protect endangered species that are vital to our ecosystem.” - Zach Baker, VP of Pet Programs, Greater Good Charities

How to purchase a calendar in the US

We now ship the 2024 Australian Firefighters Calendar from Dallas, Texas for our online US fans www.australianfirefighterscalendar.com In addition to this, the calendars will be available in 600 kiosk locations through Calendars.com.

Read more: Australian Firefighters Calendar 2024 Turns Up the Heat

Sizing John was a force to be reckoned with over fences having notably won three Gold Cups. Since retiring he has been retrained as a riding horse by Kate Harrington who assisted in his training. Kate tells us how he is getting on as a show horse and what his targets are.

Read more: Big Targets For Sizing John In Retirement