40 SIDELINES AUGUST 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Maria Holman
Melissa Raffaeli already had two horses and a newborn baby
when she spotted a picture of Royal Wildcat online. A fve year
old, 16.1h, Off the Track Thoroughbred gelding. Royal Wildcat
was rescued from the kill pen at the New Holland horse auction
in Pennsylvania. During his racing career, Wildcat had competed
in six races, losing his frst fve and winning his last. As much as
Melissa, 27, of Beckett, Massachusetts, wanted to take him home,
she told herself it was simply not possible to take on another horse.
The more Melissa looked at Royal Wildcat’s picture, however,
the more she thought, “Wow, why would someone dump a
horse like that?” She contacted Another Chance for Horses, Inc.
(AC4H, Inc), the rescue organization that had Wildcat. Even after
talking to them, Melissa was still not sure she could take on the
responsibility of owning three horses. She also knew that her
husband would not be happy. After making the decision to not
take Wildcat, she was told that another rescue, Hope for Horses,
was willing to sponsor him during his quarantine, paying his travel
fees, grain, hay, shavings and vet bills for two weeks before he
would arrive in a new owner’s care. “When they told me that they
would sponsor him for those two weeks, I told them I’d take him
and I didn’t even tell my husband!” Melissa said laughing. “But he
knew right away after talking to me that I had another horse. I just
told him, ‘When you married me you signed up for this!’”
In Melissa’s care, Wildcat has fourished and has no quirks or
bad habits that are often related to being on the track. He is a
kind, quiet, young horse. After a few weeks of letting Wildcat “be
a horse,” Melissa started riding him and to her pleasant surprise
discovered she had adopted a wonderful horse. On their frst ride,
Wildcat walked, trotted and cantered on a loose rein. “Someone
obviously had taken care of him at some point. I was asking
him different things to see how he would respond and he was
fabulous,” Melissa said.
One month later they entered their frst local show including a
e
Second Chances
Rescuing
Royal
Wildcat
trail class in which Wildcat had to walk over a bridge, stand while
opening a mailbox and other similar obstacles. He was perfect.
They also entered an English pleasure class, which Wildcat and
Melissa won thanks to Wildcat’s fuid extended trot. “Judges
typically come up and give you advice on how to improve,” Melissa
said. “But the judge just said, ‘…it was wonderful, I don’t have
anything to say.’” Melissa still has trouble understanding how such
a great horse was only seconds away from slaughter.
Luckily for Royal Wildcat, AC4H, Inc. and Melissa were able to
give him a second chance at life and a new career. Royal Wildcat
is now a happy, spoiled, loved horse, that Melissa says, “Will
defnitely be sticking around.”
About the writer: Maria Holman is a graduate of Delaware
Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She has a degree
in Communications with an Equine Studies minor. Maria has
been an avid equestrian since she was 11 years old. She recently
purchased her frst horse, Herin, and is looking forward to entering
her frst event with him.
Wildcat’s
adoption
photo
Wildcat’s show
career -- off to
a great start
Photos courtesy of
Melissa Raffaeli