Retire & Rehome
Whichever way we ride or however we are associated with horses, we can all agree that horse welfare and rescue is extremely important. Learn about these caring places in our Rehome section, where money and time can be donated to help horses find, or remain, in their forever home.
Many charity events help fund the good work of equine rescue organizations. Parties and auctions to benefit rescue are included in the Calendar of Events for Retire & Rehome.
Have an old friend to retire? Find a place where your horse can live the life of leisure in our Retirement section.
Do we need to add an event or rescue? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!
by Melissa Bauer-Herzog
If you follow the Retired Racehorse Project’s (RRP’s) Thoroughbred Makeover, chances are you’ve often seen Isabela De Sousa’s name at the top of the results. The young rider has quickly made a name for herself, winning the show jumping division at the Makeover for three years running among her long list of accomplishments.
Born to a horse racing family, her mom is an equine veterinarian at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute and her father a manager and partner at Hidden Brook Farm so there was little doubt De Sousa would join the horse industry. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t ride horses and soon she was retraining retired racehorses, with illustrious names such as Dewey Square and Cozmic One among the horses she’s trained.
Read more: Lifelong Equestrian Isabela De Sousa Makes Splash with Retired Racehorses
In the fall of 2017, horse trainer and rehabilitation specialist Sharon Wilsie took the international horse world by storm with her system of “Horse Speak” and the bestselling book by the same name. It offered a practical approach to “listening” and “talking” to horses in their language instead of expecting them to comprehend ours. In her new book Horses in Translation, Wilsie tells true stories of how serious “problems” can be solved using Horse Speak, like this one, about an OTTB and the woman who desperately wanted to connect with him.
Only a few weeks after buying an off-the-track Thoroughbred named Journey, Ann started to have her suspicions as to why the horse had been so reasonably priced. As Journey settled into his new home, a “mean side” started to show up. For reasons Ann could not fathom, he would suddenly glaze over, and rear, kick, or bite.
At first Ann applied herself to trying to figure out what the triggers were, but as time went on, she came to realize that she simply could not figure out her horse, no matter how hard she tried. Things degenerated to the point where she could not even go near him without a whip in her hand for self-defense. Finally, even that failed: One day Journey grabbed her by the upper arm, nearly breaking it as he tossed her like a rag doll several feet away.
Ann reached out to me in a state of desperation. I was traveling to her area for a clinic and said I would carve out some time to meet with her and see what could be done. Ann had done some homework and tracked down what she could of Journey’s history. He had raced until he was four, and then, considered washed up, he’d been gelded and sold off at auction. Since then, he had been through several homes, and each time trainers had been called in to try and help solve his issues. Through it all he only seemed to get worse. Now that he was 11, Ann felt for certain that she was Journey’s last hope. And if she could not help him, she would not sell him either, because she felt he was a danger to others. She had decided he could live out his days on the farm, and no one would touch him.
Read more: Becoming an Older Mare: Helping an OTTB Start Over
by Natalie Voss
Every year brings a handful of death announcements as stallions and broodmares succumb to “the infirmities of old age.” Whether the horse in question was in their early or late twenties, we usually get questions – doesn't say, 25 years old sound young for a horse? And what exactly are the “infirmities of old age”?
Just as for people, there's no hard and fast answer to the question of how long a horse can be expected to live. Generally speaking, ponies and miniature horses can live significantly longer than the average riding horse, and it's not uncommon for them to reach their early or mid-thirties. Riding horses like Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses begin to show their age in their late teens or early twenties, though may live well beyond that. The oldest horse in the history books, according to The Horse magazine, was Old Billy, a barge horse born in 1760 who lived to be 62. Old Billy is the exception rather than the rule, with most riding horses living to be between 20 and 30. Draft breeds, much like large dog breeds, usually have a slightly shorter lifespan due to their size.
“I figure once they get to be about thirty, every day is a gift,” said Dr. Bryan Waldridge of Park Equine Hospital.
Editor’s Note: On May 26, 2016, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell” was published on USRacing.com. Written by award-winning journalist Margaret Ransom, the story detailed the neglect of 43 horses entrusted to the care of Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer Maria Borell and her father Charles. It quickly became the story of the year and galvanized the entire horse racing industry.
Money was raised to care for the mistreated horses and volunteers — many of whom traveled great distances and put their lives on hold — sprang into action, doing anything they could to nurse the malnourished and, in some cases, gravely ill animals back to health.
The state of Kentucky, where the horses were abandoned, got involved as well.
In late March, Kentucky governor Matt Bevin signed into law HB-200. Known as the “Borell Law”, the new legislation allows courts to order a person convicted of animal cruelty in equine cases to pay restitution costs, as well as forfeit ownership rights to the neglected animals.
Read more: One-Year Update On The Shocking Untold Story Of Maria Borell
Nancy Bidlack, Carol Burnell, Judy Kirby, Cathie Morton and Roxie Nieroda have never met but they share a commitment to ensuring that America's horses live in comfort, and with purpose and dignity. They are also the five volunteers that are receiving new boots thanks to Ariat International, the sponsor of the EQUUS Foundation Champions program.
Roxie Nieroda, a 63 year old grandmother, retired two years ago from a lifelong career as a CPA and financial consultant. "I have always loved horses and always dreamed of owning a horse one day," said Roxie.
When she retired, a friend told her about the Missouri Forget Me Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary, a charity committed to providing aid and sanctuary to abused, neglected, abandoned or donated horses in peril and to providing a network of support and basic equine educational resources to help prevent any further abuse and neglect.
So, Roxie volunteered to feed the horses and muck the stalls. Roxie also offered her professional skills to keep the books, and it wasn't long before she joined the Board and assumed the position of Treasurer. "I love being able to help save these beautiful animals from neglect and abuse," said Roxie.
Then Buddy found Roxie one day. "He made me adopt him", said Roxie. "I am glad that I am able to help this wonderful organization, and am so grateful that my dream came true."
Nonprofit receives national recognition for finding retired horses at Arlington Park homes
Karen Ann Cullotta, Contact Reporter - Chicago Tribune
Horse trainer Jan Ely remembers the day she received a frantic phone call from an animal rescue volunteer who had identified one of the horses in a "kill pen" in Shipshewana, Ind., as Pushin Up Daisy — a thoroughbred mare who had been racing at Arlington Park just a few months earlier.
"She had left Arlington around the end of July of 2015 and just four months later, she had her foot on the banana," said Ely, the coordinator of Galloping Out.
The nonprofit organization in Illinois has found homes for more than 180 retired thoroughbred horses who have raced at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights and Hawthorne Race Course near south suburban Cicero.
Read the story in the Chicago TribuneRead more: Nonprofit Receives National Recognition for Finding Retired Horses Homes
Fuelled by talent, charisma and passion Nic Roldan is currently the leading American polo player with an impressive 8-goal handicap rating. He is also the youngest polo player in the world to win the prestigious U.S. Open Polo title at the young age of 15 and is currently Captain of the U.S. Polo Team.
Winning in tournaments on all 5 continents at every goal level, Nic continues to gain worldwide acclaim. He intends to increase awareness and participation for the sport at all levels, attain the highest accolade 10-goal status, play the Argentine Open, claim a second U.S. Open Polo title, add more worldwide Polo trophies to his cabinet and help America reclaim the illustrious Westchester Cup.
Nic is the captain of the U.S. Polo Team which has benefitted by his leadership and skills with success in International tournaments. The team continues an increasing participation in Beach Polo, Snow Polo and Charity events. His philanthropic involvement as team captain in charity tournaments is widely recognized, as is his distinct modelling career.
He is committed to popularize the sport he loves as an ambassador to a wider audience of younger players and new spectators which reflects his passionate dedication to Polo.
EIE: Nic, you are an international polo star from the result of your hard work. Tell our readers about how you got started in polo?
NR: I’m a fourth generation polo player and was born in Buenos Aires. My father was a professional polo player, I was riding by 3 and playing at 5 as is normal in polo families and having been bought up on a polo farm in Wellington, Florida.
EIE: What separates you from other players and elevates you to the top of your game? It is your work ethic, your skills, your ponies or something else?
NR: I think a little bit of everything, like any top athlete everyone has a good work ethic, I’m focused, have a good work ethic and a deep hunger to win which has always helped me. I believe in myself. Of course ponies count for 80% of the game when it comes to polo and all the top players are extremely well mounted. Other than that practice, practice, practice and hard work, I think people underestimate that at times.
EIE: Tell us about your ponies! Here we see a wonderful page which pays tribute to some of your amazing ponies. Can you let us know some of the ways you find your horses?
NR: Argentina has the monopoly on all things polo. There, players breed copious numbers of ponies and nowadays frequently using embryo transfer. Obviously they have the pampas and space is not an issue so the number of horses people own is not constrained, which means they can try lots of breeding combinations very quickly which by regular breeding would take over a decade to achieve.
Read more: From Racetrack to Polo Field, Nic Roldan on Retraining the OTTB
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