At the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, we are trusted with an incredible chance to help provide a second chance for both horses and for people. Throughout the country, our horses are able to show the generous spirit of the Thoroughbred as they serve as equine teachers in our life-changing Second Chances programs.
Horses are the great equalizer. They don’t see a person’s past mistakes – they live in the moment and reflect back what is given to them. They are forgiving, kind and generous in spirit. These are all traits we could learn from and through the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Second Chances programs, individuals who are incarcerated have the opportunity to do just that.
“When you start working with the horses, they start to trust you and you start to trust the horses. That is what helped me the most and got me to where I am now. I consider the horses that I work with to be family. They have always been there for me.”
—Chris G., A graduate of the TRF Second Chances Program
TRF’s Second Chances programs have been saving horses and changing lives for decades. Now located at correctional facilities in seven states from coast to coast, individuals who are incarcerated from every walk of life are taking part in a training program where they learn horse anatomy, how to care for injuries, equine nutrition and other aspects of horse care and farm management. Graduates of the program receive certification based on the level of expertise they have mastered, and some graduates have gone on to careers as grooms, farriers, vet assistants, and farm managers among others.
“The Second Chances program is incredible. I’ve seen what it has done for men and women that get to work with the horses. Not only do the horses get well taken care of, they teach these people to really, really respect and love an animal and take care of them properly. They take the responsibility so seriously and it works magic.”
—Richard Migliore, former jockey and FOX Sports TV Host
Supporting these programs is an investment in your community and we are asking you to help us continue to grow and expand these valuable resources. Many of the horses that serve as equine teachers in our programs are horses that, due to injury or age, are not candidates for a traditional second athletic career, but still have so much left to give and thrive in these jobs.
• Over 70% of America’s individuals who are incarcerated are non-violent offenders.
• Vocational training reduces recidivism from 70-85% down to 30% (on average)
• Evidence shows that the more education, the lower the recidivism rate.
Please donate now and help us continue to share the transformational power of horses.
The Thoroughbred Retirement Second Chances Committee:
• Sarah Stein, Committee Chair
• Stephanie Brennan
• Nick Mettinus
• Patrick Mackay
• Kelsey Marshall Hughes
TRF News Release
Photo by Charles Toller
