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When 11-year-old Kaleigh Marschall arrives at the barn in her hometown of West Palm Beach each day, she is greeted by a loving nicker from Tossa El Dartay, a 4-year-old off-the-track-Thoroughbred. The nicker from Dart, as he is fondly called, is music to Kaleigh’s ears.

Kaleigh adopted Dart through Pure Thoughts Horse & Foal Rescue’s Florida Thoroughbred Rehab & Placement Division and the young horse and rider are madly in love. Kaleigh said she fell in love with Dart after riding a few horses at Pure Thoughts. “I knew we were a perfect match for each other,” Kaleigh said. “My dad really liked him a lot too.”

Kaleigh’s father, Kurt, considers himself the “offcial treat giver” in the relationship and is thrilled that Dart, who came from Calder Racetrack but never offcially raced, has become a trusted member of the family. “When I see how Dart treats Kaleigh, it’s more than a dad could ask for. When she tacks him up and takes him to the arena, he follows her like a puppy. He also knows that I am the treat giver and I reward him greatly for taking care of my daughter. He likes carrots and apples and he hasn’t let me down, must be a guy thing,” Kurt says. “Most of all, I know that Dart is a true blessing from God for our family, he is everything we could ever ask for.”

Kaleigh’s relationship with Dart has made her a strong supporter of horse rescue. “I recommend rescuing a horse to any horse lover because when you frst meet your dream horse at a horse rescue you think, ‘Wow, I can help one

horse that was once mistreated or couldn’t be taken care of.’ Then when you fnally adopt your dream horse and get them home, all you think of is that you are going to give them all the love you can.” In the fall of 2010, Dart was recognized in the Winner’s Circle at Calder Racetrack’s Festival of the Sun in a special ceremony honoring retired Thoroughbreds that have found a second chance in life. The ceremony also honored Pure Thoughts and other rescue organizations for giving racehorses a new lease on life and the chance for love that will last a lifetime. “My goal with Dart is to give him lots of love and, maybe in the future, show him in a jumping division,” Kaleigh said.

Kaleigh keeps Dart at T.R.T. barn in West Palm Beach and said that since rescuing him she has given him lots of tender loving care. “Since Dart was a racehorse he never went on trail rides or had arena time, so working with him and teaching him that a mailbox isn’t going to get him has been fun,” Kaleigh said. “Recently I have also stared jumping him and we are working on fying lead changes.”

Kaleigh said one of her favorite things to do with Dart is to give him a bath and ride him bareback. “When Kaleigh rides Dart he is gentle and he knows that he has precious cargo on his back,” Kurt said. “Kaleigh and Dart truly are a beautiful match. Seeing and riding Dart is the only thing I hear about every day from Kaleigh. If she had it her way, she would want me to fgure out how to keep Dart in her bedroom. That’s love!”

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