Horses That Heal: the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

Have you ever needed a second chance? At the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) Second Chances program, both retired racehorses and incarcerated men and women are given a new lease on life and a chance to change the course of their lives. 

In 1983, Monique Koehler saw a need for safe retirement for Thoroughbred racehorses. Senator Howard Nolan saw a chance for a dual benefit for an unused dairy farm at the Wallkill Correctional Facility in Wallkill, NY. Together, working with the NYS Department of Corrections, the farm was transformed to accommodate retired thoroughbreds, and the TRF Second Chances program was established.  

“The program addressed two needs, it truly saves horses and saves lives.” explains Chelsea O’Reilly, the Program Development Manager of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “The horses, who may have had nowhere else to go, became teachers for the incarcerated men in the vocational program. So too, the men’s lives were changed by working with the horses, and many of these men at Wallkill had never even seen or touched a horse before.” 

In the program, the inmates care for the horses in a vigorous educational environment. In addition to learning about the daily chores and basic horse handling skills, they are taught horse anatomy, how to care for injuries, equine nutrition, and other more advanced aspects of horse care. “Depending on the length of stay of the inmates, they can achieve a certificate of completion,” explains Chelsea. “Men and women are in the program from six months to multiple years depending on the length of their sentence and how close they are to release.” Utilizing the education that they have been provided, many graduates of the TRF Second Chances program have gone on to work as farriers, vet assistants, and equine caretakers after their release from prison.

The horses also benefit from the program.  “We take in those horses who are most at risk, or who cannot necessarily have a secondary athletic career,” says Chelsea. “The TRF Second Chances program is a sanctuary to senior citizens, horses with injuries, or horses who have come across uncertain circumstances. The horses are then provided with a sanctuary to live for their lives, with caretakers who are there for their every need.”

The program was originally developed as a vocational training program for the inmates, however other benefits were soon observed. Working with horses gives people a general sense of empowerment and empathy, while improving their self confidence. “The program is so powerful because there are some things that only a horse can effectively teach you,” Chelsea remarks. “A horse does not judge you by your past actions, your tattoos, or anything. They judge you only by how you treat them, and that is the most powerful thing for the men, because you also cannot bully the horse or lie. In this the men learn respect, patience, non-verbal communication and how to listen. This also helps break down barriers between the men, because they are working towards a common goal that they learn to see as more important than themselves.” According to the TRF website, studies have found that facilities that host the program tend to have less reoffending inmates (reduction in recidivism rates).

The program quickly demonstrates to the participants that actions speak louder than words and they are able to see first hand the importance of accountability. “Farm managers see a change in the men as they learn to care for another – and learn there is more out there than they previously believed,” remarks Chelsea. “That it doesn’t matter if it is raining, Bubba Sparks needs breakfast. It doesn’t matter if it is 30 below zero, the ice needs to be taken out of the tanks in the mare field, and it doesn’t matter if it is 80 degrees and humid, the hay needs to be put up in the barn. The power of them doing this, willingly, for others, can change your entire viewpoint in life because you cannot just look at a horse and say ‘sorry, I didn’t do this’ – they don’t understand that.”

Horses can teach us all a great deal about hard work and determination, and caring for a horse can bring great peace to our lives. “To be able to share the incredible horse connection with others is powerful and life changing, and we need to remember the impact a horse can have on someone. It’s really important that we support the programs that allow this to happen,” says Chelsea.

“I enjoy feeding, watering, or whatever task there is to help the horses. It is a small token in comparison to what the horses have done for me.”

An inmate at the Wallkill Correctional Facility explains it best, “I had never been on a farm or around horses before. The experience has been more than I could’ve ever imagined. I have been involved in a small part of the ins and outs of running the horse farm. It has been great. I enjoy feeding, watering, or whatever task there is to help the horses. It is a small token in comparison to what the horses have done for me.”

The TRF Second Chances program can now be found in seven different states at various prison facilities: Pleasant Valley State Prison, CA; Lowell Correctional Institution, FL; Vandalia Correctional Facility, IL; Blackburn Correctional Complex, KY; Central Maryland Correctional Facility, MD; Wallkill Correctional Facility, NY; and Wateree River Correctional Institution, SC. The program is geared towards minimum and medium security level prisons (the names of levels vary by state). The facilities are located on the Department of Corrections (DOC) property, with farm managers that oversee the care of the horses while providing instruction to the participants. The Lowell Correctional Institution Women’s Facility has the added bonus of allowing the women prisoners to ride and drive the thoroughbreds.

There are a number of ways that you can get involved with the Second Changes program and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to support their admirable endeavors, “We have a wonderful group of volunteers in Saratoga, and we love our TRF Volunteer Family!” Chelsea exclaims. “Anyone can reach out to us at the office on how they can best support and get involved. There are endless possibilities!” At The Cheshire Horse, we are proud to support the amazing work of the TRF programs, and The Cheshire Horse of Saratoga proudly supports the TRF on a regular basis with donated supplies for the horses in their care, in order to help them continue to do their important work. To learn more, you can visit their website, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.