Horse Country

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Friend of Dubai Kimberly Quinn Aftercare hunter jumper competition OTTB off-the-track retired racehorse Michigan CANTER Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance adoption

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Success Stories: Rewarding Journey for Friend of Dubai

Kimberly Quinn rode with Jennifer Blades at Willowbrooke Farm. Kimberly was in search of her next horse when Friend of Dubai joined the CANTER Michigan herd at the farm. Friend of Dubai, a 2016 dark bay Thoroughbred gelding, had raced 21 times and earned $30,523 over his three-year career. Friend of Dubai had only two under-saddle rides off the track, so when Kimberly inquired about him Jennifer said that she was "uncertain about his potential.”

OTTB Thoroughbred Makeover Drafted Widget training obstacles dressage hunter competition retired racehorse preparation aftercare surgery foot trail hunting veterinary bridle equipment freestyle chiropractic

Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: Final Countdown for Drafted and Widget

This month marks my final update before the big Thoroughbred Makeover event in October, and it’s been quite a stressful ride! The biggest concern has been ensuring that both of my horses are fully prepared for the makeover show. Have I done everything possible to get them ready? Can I somehow keep them in a bubble to prevent any major injuries before the event? The list of worries goes on! Each horse is at a different stage in their training, with their own set of unique challenges.

Aftercare OTTB ex-racehorse retired retraining Thoroughbred Makeover Millet-Simpson Mr Nobility canter accident jumping shows schooling cross trail practice competition

Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: Building Experience As Crunch Time Approaches

My last update saw Mr Nobility and I preparing for our first show on Aug. 5, a hunter/jumper show at a local barn nearby. It was meant to be a lovely little schooling show, only 10 minutes away, just a nice outing to see what kind of horse we are working with in the environment. The nice thing about these shows is that you can ship in and school over the jumps the day before, so it’s very friendly to green horses allowing them to see everything. Or so we thought…

Chanel Minnifield actor equestrian OTTB retired racehorse ex-racehorse Thoroughbred Makeover Digi Digital Soldier aftercare training diversity inclusion Zen Heart Horsemanship Olympics

Breaking Barriers and Building Dreams: Chanel Minnifield's Journey with OTTB Digi

Hello to all the dreamers and trailblazers out there! I’m Chanel Minnifield, passionately pursuing my 2028 Olympic dreams and aiming to reshape the equestrian world. As a Black woman navigating a traditionally homogenous field, my journey is more than just personal achievement – it's a heartfelt mission to inspire change and empower diversity within the equestrian community.

Meet Digital Soldier, My Partner in Change

Thoroughbred Makeover training dressage Turcotte Grayson OTTB ex-racehorse retired aftercare horseshoes farm lambs ducks sheep cats equine

Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: All Creatures Great and Small

Well, another month has come and gone and our progress continues to be hindered by the series of unfortunately chaotic events that seems to be marring 2024.

After a spring and early summer of below-normal temperatures and a fair bit of rain, we got two solid weeks of excessive heat with no relief. And then, we got smoke. Smoke that cost us two race days, and me a lot of riding time.

My province is on fire. Our greatest natural treasure is under siege by it.

My elderly pets have been having health crisis after health crisis.

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