We love our thoroughbred horse racing in Texas, right?  It’s pretty amazing to watch those incredibly fit equine athletes battle it out on the racetrack.  But have you ever thought about what happens to those thoroughbreds after they are done racing?  Sadly, those smart, willing, beautiful horses sometimes have no place to go.

However, if they are retrained after they come off the track for a new “career,” they make fantastic partners for riders in virtually all disciplines.  Whether it’s jumping, trail riding, or even barrel racing, thoroughbreds make fantastic riding horses.  They have a reputation for being too “hot” to handle, but it really depends on the individual horse.  I have met plenty with more “whoa” than “go.”  I guess there’s a reason some aren’t still racing.  🙂

Chuko, the “Ranch Horse” (the horse I loved with all my heart before he passed away on March 25, 2021), was an off the track thoroughbred who gave me 10 of the happiest years of my life.  I would hate to think what would have happened if he hadn’t been retrained to do a new job, which is how he found his way to me.

I volunteer sometimes at “Remember Me Rescue,” an awesome 501(c)(3) organization that takes in off the track thoroughbreds with no place to go, retrains them, and then, after a careful screening process, allows them to be adopted by appropriate individuals.  There are awesome people and horses at Remember Me in Burleson, and they would all love your help.  If you would like to volunteer, donate, potentially adopt, or otherwise get involved with Remember Me, go to retiredracehorses.org or find “Remember Me” on Facebook.   Giddy Up!