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For New York Aftercare Organizations, The Success Stories Keep On Coming

For Stacie Clark Rogers of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), there are several ways to measure progress in aftercare.

One is concrete: following up the TAA's banner 2021 by continuing to pursue the organization's proven, long-range strategy in 2022 of raising funds for TAA-accredited aftercare facilities – all geared to re-homing retired racehorses.

The other is more personal, best measured by the tales of the racehorses adopted and how they're thriving in their new careers. For Clark Rogers, the industry's “success stories” are what she and the others in the aftercare community relish most of all.

“Fundraising will continue to be our primary focus because the assistance goes directly to the organizations now caring for the horses,” said Clark Rogers, the TAA's operations consultant. “But we love hearing the follow-up stories about the horses adopted and how they're doing. In New York, that means building on a number of successes in what was a great 2021.”

The TAA awarded a record $3.7 million in grants in 2021 to 82 of its accredited aftercare organizations comprising approximately 180 facilities in North America, including 10 in New York State.

Clark estimates that since the TAA's inception it has affected approximately 13,700 horses, a number that should grow by more than 3,500 in 2022, which is about the average of the last several years.

Among the organization's highlights in 2021 was the inaugural TAA Day in August at Saratoga Race Course, which generated nationwide attention to the importance and benefits of thoroughbred aftercare. The two-day event on Whitney Weekend raised funds for various TAA-affiliated organizations, and provided significant exposure to aftercare at one of the country's most prestigious and closely followed meets.

“NYRA and the New York horsemen have been great supporters of TAA since our inception (in 2012), but TAA Day at Saratoga was amazing,” said Clark Rogers. “For us, it was a validation that aftercare is an integral part of our industry – and one that embraces the whole diverse racing community. That it happened at Saratoga, with such a large fan base and all the media coverage, was huge.”

Backing the TAA in its pursuit of industry-wide funding is the steadfast year-round support of NYRA and its horsemen. Every owner competing at NYRA racetracks donates $10 per start to the TAA, which funds the aftercare organizations that provide homes for retired racehorses.

New York's horsemen also donate 1.5 percent of the purchase price of every horse claimed at a NYRA track to TAA and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association's Take the Lead program, which provides preliminary vet exams and treatment, as well as costs related to transportation, rehabilitation or retraining. The recently-concluded Big A fall meet saw 47 total claims made for a total of more than $1.34 million, generating in excess of $20,000 for aftercare.

Meanwhile, the hard work of accrediting more facilities and re-homing retired racehorses continues. Among the organizations achieving TAA accreditation in 2021 was Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga or THS, which specializes in equine assisted therapy and rescues and retrains retired racehorses for hands-on work with individuals in need. Clark Rogers is soon headed to Spokane, Wash., where she plans to meet with officials of a prison about setting up an aftercare program that uses horses to help rehabilitate inmates.

Small wonder that rehoming retired racehorses is an everyday task involving a never-ending number of details for New York-based trainer Rick Schosberg, who is on the TAA board and also runs the Take The Lead retirement program.

Schosberg said the Take The Lead program is “rapidly approaching” its 900th horse placed thorough the program, a number it should hit in 2022.

“At the moment, I have 12 horses who are transitioning off the track,” Schosberg said. “At any time of the week, we have anywhere from five to 12 horses on our list in different phases of transition. We are very busy and have horses leaving for retirement all the time.”

Take The Lead's goal with each horse is to create a profile and then network with potential aftercare facilities. To do so, the organization gathers information and medical records and ensures that a vet provide a thorough evaluation of each horse for soundness or any lingering injuries. Key is the need to research and find those horses the best fit and career, whether it's show jumping, dressage, part of a rehabilitation program or as a companion, turned out on the family farm.

Working to a retired racehorse's advantage is what Schosberg called “an innate ability to learn new things.”

“[From knowing] the starting gate, the big track, the little track and jogging the right way and the wrong way, they're already processed for that,” Schosberg said.

To make it work, Schosberg, Take The Lead's executive director, Andy Belfiore, and aftercare coordinator, Kristin Mason, hold weekly conference calls with an eye to where the horses in transition stand. No detail is too small, from evaluating a thoroughbred's quirks and habits to bringing in a vet for an exam to checking on van schedules to see if there are any slots on an upcoming trip to Saratoga or Florida in which a transitioning horse might catch a ride to its new home.

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“All in all, it's a busy week and there are times when we're inundated [with aftercare work],” said Schosberg. “The funny thing is that with modern technology, there are a lack of parameters, and I'll get a call about a horse at 7 p.m. or 4 a.m. I tend to do a lot of my aftercare work before training – that's between 3:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. when I'm headed to the barn. A lot of the answers to my questions come back in 'now time,' so I have them by the time training is finished. Things can move along pretty quickly.”

Schosberg added that the commitment to aftercare from owners, NYTHA, NYRA and other parts of the industry in New York, combined with the best racing in the country, make New York “better than any other jurisdiction” when it comes to aftercare.

“Because New York has the best racing, it should have the best aftercare facilities – and it does.” he said. “It's why they [aftercare organizations] want to be here and there are several great ones from ReRun to Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue and others.”

There are success stories just about everywhere you look. In 2021, ReRun in East Greenbush, N.Y. arranged the adoption of between 90 and 110 retired thoroughbreds, all but about 10 of which are former NYRA horses, according to its executive director Lisa Molloy.

“We work primarily with NYRA because hands down, they're the best racehorses,” said Molloy. “That makes us about as 'New York' as it gets.”

Among the recent adoptees at ReRun was the New York-bred Ragnar Lothbrok. Trained by Gary Gullo, the dark bay ran at all three NYRA tracks, but was retired after five races due to injury. Adopted in January 2020 by the Fuller family of Poultney, Vermont, the dark bay now competes in eventing and dressage with Tayah Fuller, a 15-year-old freshman at Poultney High School.

In October, Ragnar Lothbrok who the family now calls Zyn, and Fuller came in third for show jumping and eventing at the Retired Racehorse Project in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Fullers also have two other horses on their farm. In November, the family adopted another NYRA veteran, the Kentucky-bred Recidivist who was trained by Kelly Breen. It's Tayah's responsibility to care for all of them.

“We couldn't possibly have received a better match than Zyn,” said Rommy Fuller-Young, Tayah's mother. “He's athletic, intelligent and has the best temperament. He's really the perfect fit.”

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The Blueberry Bulletin Presented By Equine Equipment: The Value Of A Really Good Brain

“You have GOT to stop pulling.”

I feel like I say that a lot these days to my 4-year-old off-track Thoroughbred in what I think is our sixth week of stall rest but feels more like the sixtieth. Although his progress healing from a cracked splint bone has been good, he is not yet at the level of soundness he'll need to withstand the rough and tumble play in the field which probably led to this injury, so a month after our last update, we are still basically in the same place.

We are cleared for twice-daily hand grazes and just this week, under-saddle walks. After a Christmas week that included lots of texts to my veterinarian about reserpine and horse poo consistency, as well as a particularly rough hand walk where Blueberry had a rare temper tantrum and spent several minutes as a balloon, I told my friends at the barn I'd had just about enough of stall rest.

'He's driving me crazy,' I said.

But it's often in the most unexpected circumstances that we learn to appreciate the best in our horses. In the background of nursing Blueberry through his splint, I've also been exploring new career options for my 17-year-old draft cross mare. As I've written before, Jitterbug's start in life was not an easy one, and as a result, the start of her training was rocky. She was easy to start under saddle; the challenge came in when she realized I expected her to take instructions from me. We learned dressage, eventing, and jumpers together after I had spent my riding career in hunt seat, and as you can imagine, that was a slow transition. She was not – and still isn't – a particularly willing partner in dressage, but to balance her large frame and downhill canter for the jumps, we had to do a lot of it. It would be a step too far to say dressage judges hated us, but they were usually pretty happy to see us amble out of the ring.

The first horse (at right) and the second (at left)

When it came time for her to find a less rigorous job, I began making inquiries. There was interest from both a local lesson barn whose owner I know well and a nearby therapeutic riding program to lease her on trial (with the provision I retain ownership and be able to come ride and snuggle her frequently – a requirement for me after years of covering stories of well-intentioned sales gone wrong). As I've introduced her to new people, I've had to answer a lot of questions about her.

How is she with kids? Oh she loves kids; kids are her favorite people because they take the least amount of effort and are the most grateful for it. It's the perfect formula.

How is she with a busy environment? Well, since her normal exercise takes place with other (sometimes very green) horses working around her, surrounded by dogs and children, sometimes in blustery wind with pastured horses zooming around just over the fence, I'd say there's not much that bothers her. Except (ironically) carriages. Don't let her see a carriage.

Cows? Thinks they're a bit weird and doesn't really want one for a friend, so mostly just stares at them. Is turned out near a goat, a mini horse, chickens, and mini donkey, so other farmyard animals are no problem.

Is she hard to stop if she gets going with a forward trot? You're kidding, right?

What about ground manners? Her favorite thing in the world is eating. Her second favorite is sleeping. Her third favorite is days when her only job is to stand in the crossties while I clean tack, clean the stall, or clean her. She has quite literally stood there lazily in the midst of multiple fireworks displays while the barn cat weaved in between her legs.

Does she trail ride? She gets very excited on trail rides, and by that I mean she carries her head about four inches higher and sometimes snorts at trees.

Instead of focusing on what she couldn't (or wouldn't) do anymore, the process has made me realize what a terribly useful horse she is for a low-key job with riders in a lesson or therapeutic program, mostly because of how smart she is. She is very good at assessing any given situation and mentally filtering out what she doesn't need to spend energy on. (And in her case, there's very little she thinks is worth spending energy on – a liability in a dressage test, but a strength for the young students she has had through the years.)

That was what drew me to Blueberry's mother when I first met her at Keeneland. She was sweet, but above all, she was smart. She considered new things calmly, curiously. She learned habits – she could shift her weight to give me the next hoof when I finished picking one, and learned which direction I went around her body. She quickly figured out that it was easiest after a show to wait for me at the front of the stall; I might be back for her in a minute and a half because she was so popular, or if I had to get another filly out, she probably had about ten minutes to grab a snack before her next trip.

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When I swung a leg over Blueberry for our first under-tack walk earlier this week, I was taking extra precautions. Including his vacation after the Makeover and some downtime before his splint diagnosis, he hadn't been under saddle in two months. I checked my girth a few extra times. I asked my husband to hold him by the mounting block. I closed the arena gate.

And – he was serene. Forward and cheerful, but utterly unflappable. Our rides since have been exactly the same.

Sure, part of it was probably the low dose of reserpine a couple of weeks ago. But I think most of that is his brain. I think he's mostly happy to be doing something, but is smart enough to realize it's not worth too many airs above the ground. My friends keep pointing out what an incredible testimonial it is to him that at the age of four, he has been stalled for six weeks with comparatively minimal drama. There are some horses, particularly young ones and particularly hot-blooded breeds, who can't tolerate stall rest even with much heavier-hitting drugs at higher doses, and who would never have made it a month without needing some kind of sedation. He still stands quietly in the crossties for his standing wraps, ignores the gusts of wind rocking the barn and rattling the doors. He gets through each day not worrying about the one before or the one after, and I'm trying to channel his very smart coping mechanism.

I look really clever, having now hand-picked two incredibly rational, intelligent horses as partners. When I adopted Blueberry, I had been thinking about picking up a young prospect for some time, as I knew Jitter would soon need a lower-stress job. I wasn't committed to getting a Thoroughbred, actually. I wanted a really smart horse, and if they were athletic then that was a nice bonus. I was determined to reunite with him before exploring any other options, and see if he was the personality match I'd hoped for.

As I get ready to get back in the car for a second trip to the farm this holiday, I may feel tired but I also feel lucky. Even as our dressage training is on ice, Blueberry reminds me a little each day what an extraordinary individual he is. There was a Thoroughbred out there for me. I really believe there's a Thoroughbred out there for everyone.

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Horowitz On OTTBs: Looking Forward To 2022 With Hope For Ex-Racehorses

Last month, I wrote about “nature,” genetics, and how the Thoroughbred breed “has evolved over more than three centuries to be an elite sport horse, regardless of what that sport is.”

“Understanding and embracing the true nature of the Thoroughbred means that events like the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover, programs like The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program, and retired racehorses competing at horse shows can be appreciated as representations of the strengths of the breed, and not just something different that happens after a racing career ends.”

Now, I'd like to explore “nurture” and how the ability for Thoroughbreds to excel in new sports after racing is actually honed by what they learn on the racetrack.

The Thoroughbred breed was developed with the primary goal of being an elite racehorse. Certain key skills learned through racing and the racetrack serve these horses well for future endeavors. Plus, we're at the stage in the breed's evolution where racing can be seen as a first discipline in which Thoroughbreds will compete but will not necessarily be the end game.

There is still a learning curve to go from horse racing to, say, jumping or polo, but there would also be a learning curve with similar amplitude for a horse going from being a show hunter to an eventer. The foundations of being an equine athlete are similar across all disciplines, and the racetrack does a great job of instilling those foundations.

“The training that a horse gets before the track, like when they're being started under saddle, is like someone going through kindergarten and elementary school in their formative years,” said Jen Roytz, the outgoing executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project who is heavily involved in understanding and promoting the successes of Thoroughbreds both on and off the racetrack. “It's like the most basic building blocks of how to be a riding horse. Then, they get to the track, and that's kind of like their high school education. They start to do several things at once, and they're faster and responding to cues faster. Then, they get off the track where they're going to do other equestrian sports, and people have more time to hone those skills.”

By the time racehorses finish their racing careers, they will likely have travelled by trailer to multiple locations, been handled by many people, and been exposed to high-stimulation environments. They will have been ridden many times by different riders and, in the process, been asked to go through the different gaits of walk, trot, and canter and change leads.

Perhaps of most benefit, a career in horse racing instills a mindset that a horse should go forward.

“You want the horse's answer to always be forward,” Roytz said. “Like, if you're jumping, you want the horse to go forward over the jump and not spook and shy away. People try to train a 'yes' horse. I think racing does them such a benefit in that way because they come off the track eager to go forward.”

The forward-thinking nurturing of Thoroughbreds matches with their forward-thinking nature. It's worth repeating what Chris Ryan, the subject of my “nature” article about the Thoroughbred breed last month, said, “The Thoroughbred looks out into the far distance. His horizon is way out there and he feels he can get there whenever he wishes. This gives him tremendous forward thinking. A horse thinking forward is going forward. Watch his ears!”

The Thoroughbred often knows where he will go before we do. That makes the journey and the possibilities of destinations incredibly exciting.

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To be fair, there are certain areas that horse racing does not emphasize or emphasizes in a different way, but most of those things shouldn't be seen as a knock against racing. A British literature class will emphasize different material than a course in American literature. But a student going from one of these classes to the other does not need to reinvent the wheel, and neither does a Thoroughbred when going from a racehorse to a sport horse career.

Roytz gives a specific example, saying when it comes to changing leads: “Horses at the track know how to change leads, going from their right lead on straightaways to their left lead going around the turns. They learn how to do it at speed based off the riders' weight distribution and a cue on the reins usually. Then, they get off the track, and they learn to do it in a slower, more proper way, balancing themselves differently, pushing off from behind, making a much more purposeful change of lead with a more subtle, nuanced cue.”

And, yes, there are certain areas that horse racing in the United States can improve upon for the future well-being of the horse, like instilling good ground manners, offering turnout, and simply giving horses more opportunities to stand still to get used to high-stimulation settings.

However, at the end of the day, horse racing should not be seen as an outlier for Thoroughbreds nor should an appearance in another sport be a novelty for Thoroughbreds.

As we wrap up a roller coaster 2021, I'm not saying that the horse racing industry is free from criticism. This year will very well be remembered as the year that a Kentucky Derby winner tested positive for betamethasone and that prominent trainers who had made a mockery of fair play were finally brought to justice.

However, we should celebrate that, through trying to prepare horses for their racing careers, many racing connections are giving their horses the skills they need for whatever lies ahead. And that gives me hope for the Thoroughbred industry in 2022.

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Lost And Found Presented By LuibriSYN HA: Grindstone And Giacomo Share The Spotlight In Pacific Northwest

About 2,500 miles away from the site of their crowning achievements, Kentucky Derby winners Grindstone and Giacomo are still considered royalty at Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services and Thoroughbred Farm in Newberg, Oregon.

Grindstone, pensioned since 2019, turns 29 in late January and Giacomo will be 20 in February.

“We are very, very fortunate and blessed to have two unique and special horses,” said Ben Root, operations manager for the facility founded in 1996 by his parents Dr. Jack and Margaret (“Cookie”) Root. “These stallions give us an opportunity to be ambassadors for Thoroughbred racing. We get calls a few times a month from people wanting to see them and we welcome them.”

The Derby stars have totally different personalities.

“Grindstone still thinks he is king of the world,” Root said. “He screams and yells and bangs on his stall door when a horse walks by. He loves attention. When he is led in or out of the barn, he announces his presence to the other stallions. He knows he's special, he knows he's cool.

“Giacomo is as tame and sweet as you could ever imagine. He might nip a little bit but you can get right up to him and even hold him to get a picture taken. We even have had older school children do that. Especially for non-horse people, Giacomo is an angel.”

Both have their quirks. Grindstone inexplicably removes his halter from his head almost daily. In perhaps a subtle show of dominance, Giacomo backs away if his halter is touched but willingly stands still for treats, pettings and photos. When turned loose in his paddock each morning, the son of Holy Bull performs his self-taught routine that includes pirouettes, bucks, rears and a few laps at a gallop.

Grindstone makes a face for a visit from top author Laura Hillenbrand in 2017

Prior to pandemic restrictions, Oakhurst hosted Kentucky Derby parties for several hundred friends, family and clients and a “Breakfast with the Stallions” event where Giacomo was in a nearby pen so guests could get up close and personal.

The occasional admirers who visit the stallions include owners of their offspring for racing and non-racing activities.

“They just want to see the dad,” Root said.

Track announcer and publicist Jason Beem, a longtime friend of the Root family, has made frequent stops to mingle with Giacomo. Another notable devotee is a man who came during his layover at the Portland International Airport.

From Bluegrass to Pacific Northwest

Grindstone and Giacomo launched their breeding careers in the heart of Kentucky's famed Bluegrass region prior to landing in their forever home. Grindstone, by Unbridled, was at owner-breeder W. T. Young's Overbrook Farm before being purchased by the Roots in 2009. Giacomo campaigned for breeders Jerry and Ann Moss until Frank Stronach became a partner for his four-year-old season. He initially was on the stallion roster at Stronach's Adena Springs before hopscotching to other states.

Grindstone was leased to Oakhurst when the Stronach conglomerate operated the now shuttered Portland Meadows with the goal of infusing enthusiasm into the area's small Thoroughbred market.

Giacomo eventually was sold to the Roots with the understanding he would remain under their care regardless of his results as a stallion.

Both have had a measure of success as sires to augment their celebrity status. A current headliner is Milords Oathkeeper, a Root family-bred son of Giacomo and the Grindstone mare Milady Rocks. The gelding brought honor to his connections in winning the Josephine County Juvenile Stakes at Grants Pass Downs in November. With two wins in five starts, he has earned a meager $14,831, but the figure is irrelevant to the family. The Root clan has long participated with more profitable racers in Washington, California, and Arizona, but Milords Oathkeeper has an intangible value. Ben Root summarizes the significance of the victory in three words.

Milords Oathkeeper is the pride and joy for the Root family, carrying the blood of Giacomo and Grindstone

“Oregon is home,” he said.

To punctuate the point, Root said they have declined attractive purchase offers in favor of racing him as a three-year-old in 2022.

“The emotional attachment kind of throws financial reality out the window,” Root said. “My father walks by his horses every day and says 'look what we have here.' We treat them like kings. They have beautiful stallion halters with brass name plates. Their paddock fences are black because my father designed the farm to look like Kentucky. We never take any of this for granted.”

For more information on Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services and Thoroughbred Farm, visit https://oakhurstequine.com/

Liane Crossley is a Lexington-based freelance writer who has spent her entire career in Thoroughbred racing-related jobs in barns, press boxes and offices. She has worked for stables from Saratoga to Ak-Sar-Ben and from Canterbury Park to Oaklawn Park and about another dozen tracks in the eastern two thirds of America. A longtime contributor to Thoroughbred Times, her articles have appeared in Keeneland Magazine, Blood-Horse, Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Daily News, Breeders' Cup website, Horse Illustrated, European Bloodstock News, KyForward, Horse Illustrated, Young Rider and other publications. She is a seasonal member of Keeneland's media department.

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