Horse Country

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OTTB, Thoroughbred Makeover, aftercare, hunter, training, Teddy Spaghetti, Thoroughbred, retired racehorse, canter, trail riding, Natty Bumppo, competition

Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: New Opportunities and New Decisions

Well, it’s official. I will have some decisions to make as to who my Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover competitor will be! Or, for the first time ever, will I take more than one? As a professional in this business, I never know what horses will come my way, and when it comes to the Makeover in particular, obviously eligibility plays a large role, but so does a horse’s physical and mental acuity to be able to progress in the given timeframe. So how do we know?

Headlights On, Aspyn Nicole, Bridgett Nicole, aftercare, training, hunter, Arashi, OTTB, pony club, Horse and Hound, rescue, equestrian

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Success Story: Headlights On, Future Bright

Headlights On, a chestnut gelding born in April 2019, never raced but found a new purpose through the Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation, where he arrived in September 2022. Bridgett Nicole and her family had been browsing the Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation website for several months when her youngest daughter, Aspyn, expressed a serious interest in adopting a horse of her own.

Thoroughbred, makeover, Jordan Sigmon, Maverick, Valobra, Retired Racehorse Project, OTTB, retired racehorse, training, horse show, trailer, aftercare

Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: Progress in the Right Direction with Valobra

To me, the most important thing you have to learn how to do when it comes to bringing young horses of any breed along is to trust the process. It oftentimes feels like for every step you take forward, you take two or three back. That has definitely been the theme of the last couple months or so for Valobra, aka “Maverick” and me both.

I had major surgery in early February that kept me out of the tack for about six weeks. During that time, I sent Maverick to get some training hoping it would be a good leg up to have us show ready by early May.

OTTB, aftercare, retired racehorse, New Vocations, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Allison Andrews, Diamond Bachelor, Maverick, eventing, cross country, training, dressage, Breeders’ Cup

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Success Story: The Horse That Stole Her Heart

Allison Andrews wasn’t actively searching for a second horse, but she often found herself browsing the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program website, just in case something special caught her eye. During one of those casual scrolls, she came across Diamond Bachelor.

A seasoned war horse with a unique facial marking, he stood out from the rest. Diamond Bachelor, aka “Maverick,” raced a total of 62 times in his career and earned over $445,000. He even ran in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Concord Joe, gelding, OTTB, retired racehorse, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, aftercare, Allison Moorhead, mother, husband, equine therapy, Yarnaby Road, adoption, Horse and Hound, volunteer

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Success Story: Concord Joe Finds Home Again

Allison Moorhead and her mother, Robin, first met Concord Joe at Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation in May 2018. The 2013 Kentucky-bred gelding had raced 13 times between 2016 and 2018, earning $33,254. Robin immediately fell in love with Joe, a sweet and gentle giant, but at the time, another tall, dark bay named Yarnaby Road also caught her eye. In the end, Roadie went home with them.

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