In 2002, while working in marketing and community relations at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, Elisabeth Jensen and then farm co-owner Bill Casner sought to find an effective means to give back to the Thoroughbred industry while making a significant impact within the community. As they worked to identify the greatest need they found that […]

“This is the best job I’ve ever had,” said Ruth Plenty founder of Harmony and Hope Horse Haven in Portal, Arizona near Rodeo, New Mexico. “Horse rescue can be terrible heartache but there is also nothing more rewarding. You just do the best you can.” Located in a rural area two and a half hours […]

“We are unique in that we only focus on high risk Thoroughbreds,” said Caroline Betts the founder and president of Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue (SCTR). “Our program was created to provide a safety net for Thoroughbreds that have run out of options.” Founded in 2008, SCTR’s all volunteer staff work to acquire their equine residents […]

In 1996, while traveling together on a plane, Rob Whiteley of Liberation Farm said to Fred Seitz of Brookdale Farm that Bluegrass farm workers deserved greater recognition and support for their tremendous contribution to the industry. This hard-working group is often described as the backbone of the breeding industry, which provides the foundation for the […]

In 2007, when the economy was in the midst of a recession, a group of Central Kentucky equine advocates saw a need for an all breed equine rescue and rehabilitation organization. The group formed the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, a non-profit organization that provides care for horses surrendered by their owners or rescued from perilous […]

“I can’t explain what just happened.” “I was so flooded with emotion.” “It made me feel forgiven.” “I feel like the world has dropped off my shoulders.” These are some of the sentiments that Bob Nevins hears from veterans who have been touched by the Saratoga Warhorse experience. Nevins is the founder and executive director […]

“I wanted to become part of the solution,” said Nicole Smith about working to find a suitable retirement for Thoroughbreds at the conclusion of their racing careers. Smith, a lifelong equestrian, became interested in the post racetrack welfare of Thoroughbreds when a representative of a retirement organization spoke during one of her college classes. That […]

On any given day on the backside of tracks across the U.S. you’ll find owners, trainers, jockeys, backstretch workers and, increasingly, volunteers with the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racers (CANTER). Founded in 1997 as a solution to help retiring racehorses find new homes, CANTER’s services have become a welcome resource on the track. “We’ve […]

“I had always heard that horses were very therapeutic, and as the parent of a special needs child, I wanted to better understand this so I began volunteering at Horses Help, a therapeutic riding organization,” said Dannielle Marturana. A high school teacher without prior horse experience, Marturana seemingly was a fast study as she went […]

“The horses don’t know that it’s Thanksgiving,” stated Joanne Adams Executive Director of the Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. in New York, when describing the 365-day per year care that is provided to horses by racetrack backstretch workers. These non-traditional work schedules of those employed on the backstretch present a unique challenge for families with […]