It was 2005 when Sara Busbice met two kind-hearted businessmen that were concerned about the future of Thoroughbred racehorses once their days on the track were over. The duo, who were horseracing fans, did the administrative leg work to create a non-profit organization with the goal of giving Thoroughbreds an option for a second career. […]

At the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center (MMSC), in a typical day you may see a farrier drop by, a horse on a lunge line, or a horse draped in a banner of colorful plastic flags. It’s all in a day’s work for the center where all horses are matriculated into the Horse Centered ReSchooling Program® […]

The backstretch of a racetrack is more than a place of employment, it’s a small community. A community of people living and working hard to care for horses who never take vacations and where a horse’s “sick day” means even more work for the horsemen. However, in Maryland the backstretch provides an even bigger community […]

“So, an accountant walks into a barn…” sounds more like the start of a bad joke than the start of a successful racehorse re-training and adoption facility, but the story starts similarly for LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers (LOPE) and founder Lynn Reardon. LOPE prides itself by utilizing a classical horsemanship philosophy in all their […]

Employment at a horse farm in Central Kentucky isn’t a job; it’s a lifestyle with a unique set of challenges. Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC) recognizes this. Located in Lexington, Ky. and founded in 2003, by people in the horse industry who saw a need for resources for employees in their industry, BGFC serves over […]

As a long-time horse racing fan and racehorse owner, Karin Wagner saw that Thoroughbreds had so much more upside left after their racing careers were over. Without a background in training or direct care of horses, she surrounded herself with top horsemen and put her business and financial savvy to work to create Neigh Savers […]

The Illinois’ backstretches may look a bit different than the rest of the country, youthful in-fact. It is common for racetracks to house workers that provide direct care to the racehorses, but Illinois is one of the few states allowing children to reside on their backstretches as well. This variable changes the landscape of a […]

Jeanne Mirabito was 17-years-old when she saw Calumet Farm champion, Our Mims, win the Coaching Club American Oaks on TV. Although she meant to exclaim to her family, “I will own a horse like that someday,” she instead said, “I will own that horse someday.” Years later, after finding Our Mims in a cattle field, […]

The glamour of the front side of a New York racetrack can often stray your mind from the thousands of backstretch employees who work seven days a week caring for all the superstars you see on the racetrack. The Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) focuses all their energy on supporting the health and well-being of […]

“I really felt like I wanted to bring the old guys home,” said Stephanie Brennan about starting her Thoroughbred retirement charity, Final Furlong, based in Ocala, Fla. Final Furlong provides a segue for retiring Thoroughbred racehorses to be safely rehabilitated and repurposed. The program targets at risk horses and owners/trainers who will ultimately face the […]