by Melissa Bauer-Herzog

In a career that has seen her work in the racing industry and ride a variety of off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs), US Equestrian’s Managing Director of Eventing Joanie Morris knows a little something about the breed.

This summer, while preparing for the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG) taking place in in Tryon, North Carolina, Morris sat down with America’s Best Racing to tell us about her journey to the managing director position, why she loves OTTBs, and some advice for those wanting to get into eventing.

1. Can you give us a rundown on what you’ve done in your career in the equine industry, both in racing and the performance horse world?

I’ve done just about every job! I never was quite sure where it would end up, but I cleaned a lot of stalls and drove all over the eastern half of the U.S. in the process. I started out as a working student for various people once I found eventing and rode and groomed for Phillip Dutton (I wrote him a letter and what started as two weeks over Christmas break evolved into the better part of a decade). I traveled with Will Faudree to the 2003 Pan Am Games and when he was the traveling reserve at the 2004 Olympic Games and I went to Burghley with Phillip in 2005 when he had two horses in the top 10.

It was during that time that I started trying to get some experience outside of the barn and began working for ST Publishing part time as they were just down the road from Unionville in Elkton, Md. I had graduated from the University of Delaware (with a history degree of all things) and was trying to figure out what was next. I was lucky that the Clancys gave me a chance. I went to Saratoga by virtue of Joe and Sean, and we traded advertising for a couch in a house that Richard Valentine was renting. It was an epic summer to say the least. I worked crazy hours, made some lifelong friends on the racetrack and had a newfound appreciation for the scope of the Thoroughbred industry (plus I had the kind of fun that you can only have in Saratoga when you are in your 20s).

Read more: Q&A with US Equestrian’s Joanie Morris: ‘No Truer Athletes Than Thoroughbreds’

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.

Read more: How Old Is ‘Old’ For A Thoroughbred?

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."

Read more: Chores That Make Dreams Come True