Ruth Cheyenne Gilman had been a volunteer at Circle A Home for Horses, and she also had adopted a horse previously from the organization. In the fall of 2022, Asuka, a slender and beautiful Thoroughbred mare, arrived at Circle A Home for Horses in Virginia Beach, Va.

Initially, Asuka appeared moody and seemed to be “thoroughly scared of people,” wrote Ruth about her first impression of the bay mare. However, after having time to adjust to her new environment and get to know her new caretakers, Asuka slowly came around.

Circle A Home for Horses (Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance photo)

Less than a year later, in the summer of 2023, Asuka was ready and in need of a new home. Fortunately for Asuka, Ruth’s husband had always been drawn to her, and when he found out that she needed a home he knew just how to persuade Ruth. Asuka was just a “feisty, opinionated, misunderstood mare” who needed a place to call home.

Soon after getting the mare to Ruth’s house, her husband went back to work and Asuka became Ruth’s sole responsibility. For a while, Asuka remained scared and closed off to the environment and people, as she was when she first arrived at Circle A Home for Horses.

Once Asuka realized that Ruth and her husband were her new herd, her aggressive behavior started to slowly disappear.

“She is still incredibly opinionated but so am I [and] seeing her come around has been amazing,” Ruth wrote.

With “consistency, confidence, and trust” they continue to chug along in their training. Ruth couldn’t be prouder of Asuka. Some days they make a lot of progress and other days they just take small steps; nonetheless, they move forward.

Ruth is very careful with the number of expectations she puts on Asuka because she understands that Asuka probably had quite a demanding life as a racehorse. She just wants Asuka to be happy.

“We work every day on physical and mental health,” wrote Ruth.

Starting in the summer of 2024, Ruth will evaluate Asuka to determine if she wants to be a riding horse. Ruth is not worried one bit if Asuka decides that she doesn’t right now, she is committed to going at Asuka’s pace and doing what Asuka wants when she is ready.

“My number one goal is [to keep] Asuka safe, happy, healthy, and [that] she knows she is loved,” Ruth wrote.

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.