CANTER Kentucky: On the Forefront of Rehoming American Ex-Racehorses

By Britney Grover Known as CANTER, the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses is now a nationwide effort to help find off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) new homes, and has succeeded in transitioning over 25,000 OTTBs nationwide. CANTER is run 100 percent by volunteers both at a national level and in each of the 18 independent affiliate
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Susan MacRae: Dedicated to Thoroughbreds

By Lauren R. Giannini Horses give us wings. In return, we take care of magnificent creatures that are prone to injury, illness and balky attitudes. The extreme ups and downs of partnership with horses demand bottomless reserves of optimism and strength of spirit; even so, we keep coming back for more because we’re horse-crazy and
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New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program: Every Horse Deserves a Home

By Britney Grover Since its founding in 1992, New Vocations has become the largest racehorse adoption program in the United States. It was created to offer safety, rehabilitation, retraining and ultimately new lives to retiring racehorses, whether due to injury or performance. When horses leave racing careers, many are injured and most are underweight. Having
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The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program

Rick Violette, Jr. got his start in the equine industry showing hunters and jumpers on the East Coast circuit. He also galloped racehorses part time before opting to make a career at the racetrack. Now, as president of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program, Inc., Rick is combining all of his equestrian experience to help
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roving Versatility Coast to Coast – Valerie Ashker Took Her Passion For OTTBs On The Road With A 3,300 Mile Journey

By Lauren R. Giannini It sounded like a Hollywood promo for a movie: 60-year-old equestrian and her friend ride two ex-racehorses 3,300 miles coast to coast to prove that off-the-track Thoroughbreds are phenomenal riding horses. It actually happened in 2016 when Valerie Ashker took her passion for OTTBs on the road, literally, accompanied by Peter
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Cassidy Sitton – Thoroughbreds in Her Blood

By Stacy Bromley Cheetham You don’t need to spend long with Cassidy Sitton to realize why she has such a dedicated group of riders in her barn — her smile and sense of humor are contagious, and her commitment and passion for the sport of eventing are truly special. That sense of humor and passion
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Seabiscuit: A Four-Legged California Movie Star

By Susan Friedland-Smith Scrolling through Facebook, it’s not unusual for me to see pictures of friends posting horse show images, but a timeline photo I saw recently of my friend Natalie jumping a cute bay stopped me in my tracks. “I had so much fun on the movie star Seabiscuit, aka Fred, at the Thoroughbred
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Kimmy Risser: The Rewards of Rescue

By Lauren R. Giannini Kimberly Risser has a soft spot in her heart for horses, especially off-the-track Thoroughbreds, thanks to her junior show hunter and horse of a lifetime, Make My Day. So, when she rescued her first horse about seven years ago, it wasn’t a surprise that she chose an ex-racehorse with three bad
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Against the Odds

By Doris Degner-Foster At the Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show at Pimlico Race Track in Maryland this past July, a young bay gelding named Atom was there mainly to gain experience. It was only his second show and his owner was focusing on her jumper who was competing in the $7,500 Jumper Speed Stakes, so she
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Mary Jastrzemski — A Real Survivor

By Doris Degner-Foster Mary Jastrzemski began riding in a western saddle placed over a five-foot wooden coop jump. With her drink and some cookies within reach, 3-year-old Mary could “follow along” in the riding lesson with her mother at Quantico Marine Corps Base. She had no way of knowing then that horses and riding would
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