Where is New Start based? It is based at Penn National and is a program of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (PAHBPA). How long has your group been active? In 2013 the PAHBPA decided to create an in-house program. The program is staffed by only Lauren. There is a board through PAHBPA that she works with. Doctor Renee Nodine donates almost all of her time and energy when she works with the program. What makes your program unique? Lauren won’t say no to a horse that a trainer puts in the program. New Start will take all eligible…

Kind Of A Big Dill is officially back in action! After some much deserved rest and recovery time he is back in the saddle. KOABD may be a little behind, but he is well on his way to becoming a master barrel racer. He is trotting the horsemanship pattern and beginning to tackle the barrels at a small trot. Despite his funny aversion to left turns, he is a smart horse who will soon enough be a champion barrel racer. KOABD even mastered bowing during his stall time and is eager to do it for anyone who asks him to.…

In early June, our Community Evangelist, Michele Pesula Kuegler, was invited to visit the TRF Second Chances program at Central Maryland Correctional Facility in Maryland. Earlier that morning the program had held a graduation ceremony for one of the inmates. Held on a farm near the correctional facilities, this program rehabilitates off the track thoroughbreds, while also providing a new skill set to the offenders who are chosen for this program. Currently, Second Chances houses six retired Thoroughbreds. These horses will spend the rest of their lives at this farm. Second Chances is run by Program Manager, Sarah Stein. Working…

Wasabi Ventures Stables recently did an interview with Anna Ford at the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. Learn more about them at http://newvocations.org/. Where is New Vocations based? We have two locations in Ohio and also are in Kentucky, New York, and Pennsylvania. We also just opened a location in Louisiana in March. How long has your group been active? We were formed in 1992. Over 6,000 horses have been rehomed via our program. We retire both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. The majority of our retirees, over 75%, are Thoroughbreds. What happens when a horse is accepted into your program? We…

Kind Of A Big Dill (formerly known as Vineyard Harbour) has been working hard with his trainer Samyi! He has been working on the barrel pattern and getting him to bend and relax his neck. This upcoming week they will work on slowing his cute trot down to a jog. Check out his previous update here.

Kind of A Big Dill (formerly known as Vineyard Harbour) is still on stall rest with hopes to have him start training by the end of March with groundwork beginning in just a few weeks. Stall desensitization has begun with bag tarps and hula hoops and is going well. Check out his previous update here.