Adoptable Horse: Toro Strike, a 6-year-old 15.3hh Thoroughbred gelding
Organization: Kentucky Equine Adoption Center, Lexington, Ky.

Get to Know Toro Strike

Toro was a graded stakes winner on the track and is very personable. He is a “been there, done that” kind of guy. Pampering is his favorite luxury and he soaks up all the attention. Due to a sesamoid issue, he is available for light riding only—nothing more than a walk. Toro would be a fabulous farm trail horse and is unfazed by almost everything. He requires very little upkeep and will soon be barefoot and maintaining a healthy weight to no longer require grain at feeding time. This horse is waiting for an owner to treat him as the winner he has always been.

Could this be your Right Horse? Click here for more information about Toro Strike, the ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week.

My Right Horse

My Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.therighthorse.org.

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When she was a girl, Joni Miller would save her lunch money to afford to ride at a local barn. Back then, she had no idea that she would credit her current horse, a 20-year-old Appaloosa named Spud, with helping her live out her girlhood dream and with inspiring her to do more at an age when many women are doing less.

“I don’t ride as much anymore, but I’m active,” says Miller, who adopted the registered Appaloosa from the Maryland Equine Transition Service (METS), an organization that helps adopt out potentially at-risk horses, like seniors. “I’m out at the barn bathing, grooming. I’m problem solving every day. What would my retirement have been without him?”

A Natural Fit

Since 2010, surveys conducted by American Horse Publications (AHP) that were prepared by Jill Stowe, Ph.D., of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky, have revealed that women 45 to 65 years of age and older represent the fastest growing segment of those most likely to own horses.

Miller is squarely within that demographic, and according to gerontologist Nancy Schier Anzelmo, M.S., one reason why women like her are becoming horse owners is purely economic.

“Older women are retired and have more time and money to spend on keeping horses than they did when they were working and raising families,” says Anzelmo, who is the co-founder of The Connected Horse, a non-profit organization that sponsors therapeutic workshops that match horses to people coping with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

Another reason has to do with a woman’s basic nature.

“Women have been caregivers all their lives, and they need this,” she says. “Horses give women a sense of purpose, especially after they have retired and their children are grown. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

There is a physical component, too. While younger women are more likely to adopt hotter, younger horses rather than a senior horse because of the physical riding, training, and performance challenges they represent, older women are more mindful of their physical limitations.

“It’s a different dynamic,” Anzelmo says. “The older horse might not perform the way he did when he was younger—he may be stiff, might have arthritis, and older women can relate to this.”

Also read- Horse Adoption Drive: Take Home a Senior

Finding Love After Loss

That’s why older horsewomen are unwilling to give up their animals despite their own limitations, says 68-year-old Debbie Murphy Drake. When she relocated to Florida from New Jersey, Drake had second thoughts about taking her 29-year-old Appaloosa gelding, Gus, with her.

“But I couldn’t bear to leave him behind,” recalls Drake. “I wanted to be sure about the kind of care that he would get at his age.”

Just before the move, Drake was diagnosed with melanoma, and even though she and Gus had long given up trail riding and performance, she credits him with helping her through the illness.

“Gus gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” Drake says.

But the pair were not to be together long. Three years after their move, Gus was euthanized at the age of 32 due to age-related health issues.

“I was devastated,” Drake recalls. “I swore I would never have another horse.”

But it was missing that horse-human bond that finally prompted her to form a new relationship with another horse.

“I kept wanting to give my trainer my saddle, but she kept refusing, and said, ‘Keep it for four months,’” Drake recalls. “Finally, I missed having a horse so much that I said, ‘I have to at least sit on a horse.’”

A few months later, Drake leased Red, a 23-year-old Quarter Horse, from a boarder at her barn. Now she and Red are regulars on her trainer’s lesson schedule.

‘When I’m riding, the years just disappear,” Drake says. “I smile like a kid.”

A Win-Win Relationship

The fear that a beloved horse might outlive you is a main reason that older women adopt older horses in the first place, according to Gabriela Rodriguez Quinn, 63, program director and founder of Blixx Horses, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic riding and interactive education programs. Blixx Horses also advocates for the welfare of non-ridden horses, regardless of their age.

“The truth is that [older] women are not looking for a young horse that is going to outlive them,” says Quinn, owner of a 21-year-old Arabian mare named Lexxi and Fritzie, a 26-year-old warmblood. “People who know the horse industry know that there are all kinds of things that can happen to a horse that is left behind by an owner, so they have a plan for their horses when they can no longer take care of them.”

Additionally, older women tend to be more aware that if they don’t provide older horses with caring homes, nobody else will.

“Horses have no choice when they get older and are no longer useful as riding or racing horses,” Quinn says, adding that they are less desirable to potential homes.

“People don’t realize that there’s a lot you can still do with an older horse, even if you don’t ride him,” she says. “Spud and I walk, I bathe and groom him, I talk to him, and he makes me laugh every day. It’s our buddy time.”

That’s the same feeling Miller wants other older horsewomen to experience as well.

“What would I say to an older woman interested in adopting a senior horse? Just do it,” she says. “You’re not getting any younger, so give yourself this experience. It will open up a new world for you.”

This article about adopting senior horses appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Adoptable Horse: Clara, a 15.3hh chestnut Thoroughbred mare who is approximately 15 years old
Organization: Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth, Texas

Get to Know Clara

Meet Clara! This tall beauty will light up your day when you come to spend time with her. She will walk right on up to you in the pasture to greet you! She is sweet and elegant and has the dearest nicker. She arrived at the Humane Society of North Texas needing some extra calories, as most thoroughbreds do. Although she has a lip tattoo, the rescue has been unable to find a match on her past and therefore does not have much detail on her history. Clara’s time at the Humane Society of North Texas has mainly been spent getting her weight to a healthy level.

In consultation with Petrey Horsemanship Training, she is starting to figure out what saddle work will look like for this girl! She has a huge, floating stride that will be amazing under saddle. Clara knows her manners, but she can be a little pushy on the ground—she is just so curious on everything happening around her! She responds well to rope halters and assertive handlers. She’s a big girl who wants to see the world. She is up-to-date on her vaccinations, Coggins, dental and farrier care, and she is microchipped.

Could Clara be your Right Horse? Click here for more information about Clara, the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week.

My Right Horse

My Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.therighthorse.org.

The post ASPCA’s Right Horse Adoptable Horse: Clara appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Adoptable Horse: Tranquil Tuesday, a 15.2hh 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare
Organization: Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Woodbine, MD

Get to Know Tranquil Tuesday

Tranquil Tuesday is on the lookout for her next riding partner! She is currently going walk, trot, canter, and over trot poles. Tuesday has been ridden both english/western in a copper snaffle. She enjoys pretending she is a western pony, but can shape up nice and travel around like a lower level dressage horse if so desired! She has done extensive groundwork from cavesson work, long lining, and the beginning of liberty work.

Tuesday or “Toods” is wicked smart and really fun to ride/work with (as long as she is engaged and mentally with you that day). She has been off property a few times including exploring obstacles at Double C Farm where she conquered each challenge with bravery and thoughtfulness. Toods is a sensitive and responsive girl so she would like a person who is aware and attune to horse behavior.

Could Tranquil Tuesday be your Right Horse? Click here for more information about Tranquil Tuesday, the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week.

My Right Horse

My Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.therighthorse.org.

The post ASPCA’s Right Horse Adoptable Horse: Tranquil Tuesday appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

“There are horses of all different shapes and sizes, ages, breeds, colors and disciplines,” says Emily Weiss, Ph.D., vice president of Equine Welfare for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). 

Through The Right Horse, the ASPCA’s initiative, the organization is working to increase adoptions, improve the lives of horses in transition and collaborate with industry professionals, equine welfare organizations and advocates. On its online adoption platform, potential adopters can view hundreds of horses ready for many different careers. 

“There are horses that come from our rehoming partners who end up being champions at horse shows, great trail riding horses, and best friends,” Weiss says. “Some end up being therapy horses that make an incredible difference in the lives of humans.”

With research from the ASPCA identifying up to 1.2 million U.S. households with the interest and resources to adopt a horse in need, there is a promising amount of matchmaking to be done. We talked to five adopters who all found their perfect match through The Right Horse’s partner organizations. 

Daisia and Calypso

When Daisia Bartos’ mom sent her a link to Calypso at the Humane Society of North Texas, she knew she had to make the drive from San Antonio to Fort Worth to meet the gorgeous gelding. 

“He’s about 14.2 hands, and I thought he was so cute,” says Bartos. “I decided to get him on the spot, because I just fell in love.”

Calypso, then named Flame, had been abandoned in a stall and malnourished before coming to the Humane Society. He’s now approximately 8 years old and spent a year getting healthy at the In The Irons Equestrian Center where Daisia works. There, he received some round pen training but needed a strong rider. At first, he would bolt when Bartos went to mount, and is still scared of anyone but her. However, the two have developed a strong bond. 

“His personality and mine—we’ve just clicked,” she says. “It’s beautiful. He’s taught me a lot. He’s so willing to learn. That’s why we’ve progressed so far in two months.”

Recently they began jumping, and the small horse has a big leap. 

“The other day I put him over a cross-rail, and he decided he wanted to jump 4 feet. That was awesome!” 

Bartos plans to show him and keep him for the rest of his life. 

“We’ve created such a big bond in this short time,” she says. “If he’s anxious—head is up high, ears alert, eyes wide—and I walk up to him and put my hand on his head, he completely relaxes.”

Of adopting horses, Bartos recommends it. “If you’re willing to put in a great deal of time and patience, you get so many great things out of it.” 

Erin and Cuda

Erin Degnan of Bernardston, Mass., knew she wanted to adopt an off-track Thoroughbred and found After the Races, a Thoroughbred rehabilitation and rehoming center, in Elkton, Md. 

“I was impressed by the honest, detailed descriptions of each horse available, the videos of the horses, how content and relaxed they looked, and the amazing reviews,” she says. 

She fell in love with Cackle the Cuda and adopted him in October of 2019. Eight years old at the time, he had retired from racing after 43 starts. In their first year together, they tried dressage, jumping and trail riding.

“He has proven himself to be an amazing trail horse and has lovely ground-covering gaits,” says Degnan. “With this in mind, I decided to try out some distance riding with him—something I’ve never done before. We recently completed a 15-mile conditioning ride, and I am hoping to compete in a limited distance ride [25-30 miles] with him next year.”

Degnan advises potential adopters not to judge horses by their breed stereotypes. 

“He is very brave; nothing fazes him out on the trail,” she says. “I feel completely safe going out with him alone, because I know he won’t freak out or do anything dangerous with me. He is excellent at finding the best path through tough terrain and always knows the way back on a trail.”

Degnan advises following your intuition when you meet the horse that you feel is the right match. 

“I knew as soon as I rode Cuda that he was the horse for me, and my intuition was correct,” she says. “He is my ‘heart horse,’ and I feel so incredibly lucky that I found him.”

Karlee and Hugo 

When Karlee Boots and her mom, Tiffany Smith, purchased a former racehorse ranch in Edmond, Okla.,to build a wedding venue, they knew they wanted to fill the acreage with rescue animals of all shapes and sizes. At Nexus Equine, an equine adoption center located in Oklahoma City, they discovered a 22-year-old Belgian Draft Horse named Hugo. 

“I fell in love,” Boots says. “We had to bring him to our ranch and let him live out his life.” 

He had come from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania with two other drafts. “All of their body conditions were very poor,” she adds. “He was the only one of the three that made it.”

Just home a short time, Hugo is in great health now and enjoying a ranch retirement with other adopted horses, dogs and even a pig. 

“He’s the most gentle giant I’ve ever met,” she says. “Since he’s been working his whole life, I just want him to be comfortable and happy. He’ll trot up to the fence for treats. He’s such a gentleman. Pampering him is my favorite thing.”

Boots says there are many misconceptions about adopted animals in general. 

“People think they’re better if they’re bought from a breeder. But in actuality, there are so many amazing horses in rescue. You just have to find the perfect one.” 

Kelli and Esprit 

Kelli Sorg of Nicholasville, Ky., had her horses stolen in 2007, never to be found again. It took 10 years before she was ready to try horse ownership again. 

“I decided to look into horse rescues, because I wanted to give a horse a second chance the way I felt like I had been given a second chance over and over again in my life,” she says. 

She heard about the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center (KYEAC) in Nicholasville and originally intended to adopt just one horse. 

“When I went out to KYEAC to look at the horses, one mare appealed to me immediately,” Sorg says. “Of the nine horses I had stolen, the boss mare in that group was a large black-and-white Paint. When I walked up to Esprit for the first time, I looked closely because I wondered if this was my Paint mare. Of course she wasn’t, but the bond was already established. After walking around the farm and looking at other horses, I met Mandy, an almost solid black Rocky Mountain Horse with blue eyes who is a very in-your-pocket sort of horse. Then I realized what most horse people do: Two horses are just as easy as one.”

Esprit had been the longest resident at the center and adopted and returned more than once.

“I was Esprit’s person,” says Sorg. “That’s all she had ever been looking for: someone to provide security and consistency and a sense of purpose. She was already beginning to fight with heaves, so she and I didn’t do a lot of riding, but she restored my confidence in myself as a horse woman. We played ground games and worked on liberty work that felt like dancing.”

Esprit recently lost her battle with heaves, but Sorg still has Mandy and has adopted several other horses. Her positive experience with the center led to her dream job as their development director in 2019. 

“Now I get to help make connections between horses and people just the way someone helped me make the connection with my heart horse, Esprit.”

Kendra and Cinnabar

When PATH Intl. certified riding instructor Kendra Loring of Albuquerque, N.M., decided to start her therapeutic riding business, she wanted to use adopted horses and began volunteering at New Mexico Horse Rescue in Stanley. 

When some people think of “unwanted” horses, they may think of old, broken down horses with behavior issues that aren’t rideable, but often this is a misconception and definitely wasn’t the case for Loring. 

“They were amazing horses,” she says.

She ended up adopting two horses from the rescue in 2013: Cinnabar and a pregnant mare, Misty. Cinnabar was not one of the horses Loring originally considered, but the Thoroughbred mare had ideas of her own. 

“When I went to meet a Quarter Horse in the pasture, Cinnabar was attached to me,” she says. “She wouldn’t leave me alone.”

She shares that Cinnabar enjoys being a lesson horse for both adults and especially for kids, whom she loves. Cinnabar is now 21 and lives a happy life at Loring’s equine facility. 

“She’s my heart horse—she’s a part of me,” she adds.

Kendra’s advice to potential equine adopters is to keep an open mind. 

“Just because you have it in your mind the breed, age, or type of horse you want, that may not be the horse that’s meant for you.” 

This article about equine adoption appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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