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82 SIDELINES FEBRUARY 2011 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE S E C O N D C H A N C E S

When Rachel’s Dancer arrived from the track, he was thin as a rail, unsocialized and defnitely not trusting

Sometimes, Horses Get Lucky

By Danika Rice

It’s been said that every horse, at least once in a lifetime, deserves to be loved by a little girl. For six year old Thoroughbred Rachel’s Dancer, his little girl of a lifetime has become his soul mate. Written off at the track because of arthritis in his knees (Dr. Paul Wolleman states that on a scale of 1-10, his knees are an 11), Rachel stared down a road of uncertainty at a very early age.

The track was all he had ever known. Kept with the same owners his entire life and bred to run, he arrived in Wellington, Florida shy, unsocial and terrifed of horses, people and animals that offered to enrich his new life beyond the confnes of the track he knew. Placed in the Florida Thoroughbred Retirement and Adoptive Care program, director Sonia Stratemann worked to fnd an adoptive home to suit Rachel’s fragile personality. Little did she know it would soon be her own.

Someone to Love Him

Sonia’s 13-year-old daughter Alexandra groomed the malnourished gelding for hours each day, telling him about her days and feeding him oatmeal cookies to help him regain strength. These daily sessions seemed to improve the timid gelding’s temperament, but a bigger change seemed to be forming in Alexandra herself. Surrounded by horses all her life, Alexandra grieved for years about the loss of her previous horse Penelope, and refused to ride any others. Refused for four years, that is, until Rachel.

The unspoken bond that formed between the reserved gelding and his newfound teenager resulted in each of their confdences growing, allowing Alexandra the freedom to enjoy the riding ring once again with her new teammate and friend.

And a Little Buddy

Although still somewhat anti-social, Rachel has found peace in the Stratemann home by way of his bond with Alexandra, as well as an appreciation for some other four-legged companions. A herd of sheep rescued by Sonia provided unlikely camaraderie for Rachel at feeding time, as he does not like confrontation with the other horses. The herd is now down to one sheep that has taken a shine to the gelding, sharing meals and providing plenty of entertainment as they romp around the farm together. “He’s grown so much,” Sonia says. “Now, if he’s out in the yard and we’re all standing in a circle out there, he’ll get brave enough to come say hi to everyone in the circle. But always, after his greeting, he walks over and puts his head on Alexandra. He knows who his kid is.”

From an anti-social gelding with a fearful companion, Rachel and Alexandra have blossomed into an incredible team, one that can be seen everyday in the riding arena working to improve their relationship and abilities together. They are, as Sonia states, “the mascot” for everything the Florida TRAC program hopes to accomplish with their adoptions and rehabilitation of Thoroughbred horses who can no longer run.

Founded in September of 2010, the program is currently housing 30 horses looking for their forever homes. “It can’t be just me in this,” Sonia states. “To make something like this successful, we need a whole army behind us, working to spread the word that these are good horses that deserve another chance, another shot at living a life they don’t know exists yet.” The program offers everything from sound two year old horses that were not fast enough to stay on the track to retired eight year olds who have limitations in their knees due to a life of running. Their mission is to re-create as many stories like Alexandra and Rachel’s as they can. A child and a horse, unspeakably and inexplicably bonded by something more than just mutual admiration. Bonded with love and understanding, compassion and connection with who they both are working to become with their second chance, forever together.