Horse Tales from the LOPE Ranch

Virga Wins Big at Horse Show

Virga was a cute filly when she came to the LOPE Ranch as a three year old. When Terron adopted her to be a pleasure riding mount, we had no idea just how much Virga would excel at showing. Terron reports:

"I just wanted to give you an update on VIRGA. She and I went to a show on June 27 & 28, 2009. Over the two day period she was entered in five classes, both under saddle and halter classes, and we took home FIVE BLUE RIBBONS! Then to add icing to the cake-she took home the overall Halter Championship against geldings, stallions, fillies and mares. I am so proud of her! I hope that more people will give these amazing Thoroughbreds a chance, because if you do they will give you their all. You guys do an awesome job, keep up the good work."

Thank you, Terron, for giving Virga such a wonderful new career in the show ring!

Success Story: Proper Music

Recently I received an email from Jim and Maeghan about Proper Music, a mare they found through the LOPE trainer listings:

"We just want to share a success story about a horse name "Proper Music" that we found on the LOPE website. Music has now gone thru 6 months training and has become one of the nicest and kind horses one could ever want to be around. She gets some sort of training everyday and gets to play a lot as well.

She will be now starting to do some light dressage type of work and we are looking forward to see how that goes.

We would like to share the progress with you and hope it helps more people feel good about your program. Thank you for the good work LOPE does for ex-race horses."

As you can see from the photos, Proper Music clearly loves her new home. Thank you, Jim and Maeghan, for giving her a great new home and second career!

Success Story: Tricky Storm

Tricky Storm was one of our favorite horses here. A true racing "warrior," he retired at age 10 with lifetime earnings of over $400K.

We wanted Tricky to find just the right home, with an owner who would appreciate his handsome looks, illustrious race career and sweet temperament. Recently, he was adopted by Leslie, a trail rider and all around horse lover in Georgia. When Tricky arrived at his new home, Leslie had this to say:

"Oh my gosh, Tricky is absolutely AMAZING and B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!! I still can't believe he's here!

A little recap of the day's events: He was a perfect gentleman his entire ride over here and seemed to be in a bit of a hurry to get settled and unpacked in his new digs. He wasted no time digging into his hay and taking in his new surroundings. He was quick to make friends with a little two-year-old Paso Fino mare, and seemed to take note on which pasture she was hanging out in. After about an hour and a half, I guess the traveling got to him and he went down for the count!!

He's all together too cute!! At one point, Tricky watched as I walked back and forth tending to another horse. He would making sure to whinny my direction as to say "Hey Lady... come back here and pay attention to me!!" And then a "Hey Lady, where does a horse get some food around here?" I do have a question for you... are you SURE he's a TB?? He's so docile and laid back... even after the long drive he just had and all the unfamiliar surroundings, he's a cool customer!!

Today was such an awesome day!! Thank you soooooo much for making Tricky a part of my family!! I'm looking forward to the days ahead, and making lasting memories with him. He is truly a gift!"

We think Tricky has found the perfect home -- and so does Leslie. Thank you, Leslie, for giving Tricky a second chance at a new career (and for appreciating him the way we do).

Mardi Gras Gets Adopted!

One of our recent arrivals here was Mardi Gras Dancer. A bay two-year-old gelding, Mardi Gras had the pedigree of a race champion. But he had the heart of a couch potato – Mardi Gras just wasn’t fast at all.

After ten races, he showed such little interest racing that his owner decided to donate him to LOPE – so he could find a home with less speedy requirements. Anna soon visited the ranch and fell in love with him.

As Anna walked around our pastures, meeting each of the horses, Mardi Gras was watching her. When she came to him, he dropped his head into hands and closed his eyes – a picture of peaceful contentment.

Of all the horses here, Anna chose Mardi Gras to be her riding horse and special pet. Here is a photo of Mardi Gras with his new friend, "Punkin" – as you can see, he is very happy with his new home!

Beau's Town and Amy

Beau’s Town came to LOPE in 2008. A handsome 10-year-old gelding, Beau won almost $700,000 at the track before retiring a couple years ago. But Beau was bored just being out in pasture, so his race owner donated Beau to LOPE, hoping we could find Beau a new vocation.

Beau immediately impressed us with his calm temperament, good looks and elegant movement. And we soon discovered Beau was an absolute ham -- he loves to be admired and will definitely “work” any audience until he hears applause.

When the Equine Expo of Texas invited LOPE to be its featured charity and perform in the big arena, we knew Beau would just have to be the star of our act.

So we hired Amy, a talented local trainer to work with Beau and get him ready for the Expo. She taught Beau all kinds of things and introduced to him to many new experiences -- like trail riding, crossing water, meeting cattle and donkeys and even standing still while she tossed a rope from the saddle.

At the Expo, Beau exceeded all of our expectations. Even though it was his first show ever, he took it all in stride and was a huge hit with the crowd. He and Amy were a great team in the arena demonstration -- Beau loved all of the attention!

Thank you Amy and Beau!

Virga's First Blue Ribbon

Virga was donated to the LOPE Ranch in 2006, where she spent a couple of months letting down from the track after a short and unspectacular racing career. She was a pretty bay filly with a sweet personality, but despite her Seattle Slew bloodlines, her heart just wasn't in racing. Terron saw her photo on our website and fell in love with her. So she adopted Virga to be her special pet and show-horse prospect – shipping her all the way to Florida. We recently received an update from Terron:

"Virga and I have been to our second horse show and we took our first BLUE RIBBON! This along with our two second place finishes that day. We had a great day! Virga truly shines at the show – she knows that everyone is there to see her! She has definitely made a great transition from the track."

The LOPE Award for "Most Addicted Adopter" Goes to a Doctor!

Dr. Alan and his terrific family have adopted seven LOPE horses -- plus they have taken in at least four other ex-racers.

They have a lovely ranch with lots of grass and turnout -- as you can see, the horses are very happy there.

Dr. Alan gets a big kick out of looking up their pedigrees -- he enjoys seeing great-grandchildren of Seattle Slew and Secretariat grazing in his pastures.

A big thank you to Dr. Alan and his family for giving such a great home to so many ex-racers!

First Show

This is Ivy on John, a handsome bay gelding who came to the LOPE Ranch in 2005. And John brought his family with him -- eight other horses! His breeder was getting out of the business and decided to donate all of her favorite young horses and broodmares to LOPE.

John still hadn't been started under saddle when he arrived here. But he was handsome, intelligent and loved attention -- and of course was adopted right away.

Thanks to Donna, his first trainer, and Ivy, John has come a long way since his days at our ranch.

Congrats to John and Ivy on your first show together!

Outlaw: From Racetrack to Riding Trail

Outlaw was a hardworking pony horse at the racetracks. He would patiently pony young horses during their morning workouts. And then at night, he would help pony racehorses to the starting gate. Being a pony horse is a big job and lots of hard work. Outlaw's owner decided to donate him to LOPE, so he could find a good home as a riding horse. After all those years of service, he thought Outlaw deserved a nice, easy job.

Soon after, John came to visit Outlaw. He liked Outlaw's kind eye and stocky build right away, so he adopted him. We are so happy for John and Outlaw!

John recently sent me this photo of Outlaw on the trails. He says:

"Outlaw is turning into an excellent trail horse. He is confident and he thinks through everything. He does not spook easily and he does not lose his head. He certainly is looking good, don't you think?"

We here at LOPE agree with John - Outlaw is looking very good (and happy)!

Scarlet: A Dressage Star in the Making

I just got an email from Patti in New Mexico. Recently, she bought a horse from the trainer listings on the LOPE website:

"I wanted to give you an update on 'Scarlet,' who I purchased from a Texas race trainer about 3 months ago.

"Based on a single photo and a phone conversation, I immediately knew Scarlet was 'the one.' My husband and I packed up the trailer and our three dogs in Albuquerque, NM two weeks after seeing Scarlet's photo. We road tripped 12 hours to the south of Dallas to pick up Scarlet. It was obvious from the second I met Scarlet that she had been well-cared for. She was easy to work around and absolutely a doll as just a 4-year old.

"'Scarlet' is a dream in every sense. She had a minor suspensory tear from racing when her race trainer decided to list her on the LOPE website. He told me he felt she had too much potential in other areas to ruin her future. He was absolutely correct! After just three months, Scarlet is doing basic dressage: turn on the forehands and leg yielding. She takes away most peoples' breath as they watch her floaty trot.

"I have no doubt that by early Spring, Scarlet (show name: Ma Petite Chere) will be making a splashy debut in the baby green hunters of New Mexico. Thank you, Cliff Dodson, for giving Scarlet such a great beginning and recognizing her other potential outside of racing!"

- Patti

Bridge Place

"Can you fit another horse at your place?" The race trainer sounded casual, but I could detect a pleading note under his laid back drawl. He knew we were sending a trailer to pick up a horse at Sam Houston Race Park - and he was hoping to add a second horse to our transport.  "He's a really good colt, easy to handle." The pleading note was stronger now. "I'll even get him gelded for you. He'd make a great riding horse, if someone would just give him a chance."

And so Bridge Place arrived at the LOPE Ranch, slipped into a transport at the last minute. Bridge Place was a gorgeous bay fellow, with great conformation and a cheerful look in his kind eyes. Bred in Britain, he was shipped to the US with high hopes for a big racing career - he was regally bred, very expensive and full of talent.

Sadly, he developed a slab fracture in his knee at age three - his race owners sent him for surgery to pin the knee, hoping to save Bridge Place's racing career. But his knee just couldn't take the pressure - after a few weeks of training, he was sore. And so he found his way to LOPE.

Bridge Place swaggered off the trailer, looking for attention and treats. He carried himself like a football star, and seemed to be looking for admiring cheerleaders. Clearly he thought highly of himself - the only problem was that he was all of 15H tall. Beautifully conformed, athletic, cocky and…well…kind of short.

The other gelding who came with him was tremendously tall and slim, a supermodel of a racehorse. By contrast, Bridge Place looked like a warmblood, all stocky and sturdy, with round hindquarters. I smiled at the Mutt and Jeff appearance of them - especially since Bridge Place took it upon himself to boss the other gelding all over the pasture. It was hilarious to watch Bridge Place's confident leadership over the much bigger horse.

Soon after, I began riding Bridge Place, now nicknamed "Billy." He rode well, and seemed to love the attention. With his breeding and speed, I was expecting sass from him - but he seemed content to go slow, picking his way through pastures and over logs like he was an old ranch horse. If anything, Billy was lazy - I had to kick him into the canter, setting off a sigh and a pout from him.

And I loved Billy's "short guy" ethos - he truly seemed to believe he was 18H tall. He would carefully walk around hanging tree branches (that were several feet over my head), clearly concerned that his mighty height would put my head at branch-whacking risk. He was a bit of a dandy too - he hated getting muddy and always managed to be the cleanest horse on the farm.

One day, Cheryl came to the ranch to look for a lesson horse and trail riding mount. As she rode Billy, she marveled at his laid back attitude, his responsiveness to voice aids and his happy, beagle-like personality. She adopted him on the spot - he now teaches little girls to ride near Houston. Although a far cry from being a high-end, imported race champion, Billy loves his new job - to the delighted surprise of his former racing colleagues!

Mickey’s Birthday

Mickey is about to turn one year old. He was bred to be a show horse and lives on a beautiful farm in Fredericksburg with his dam and sire. Mickey is extra special to LOPE because his dad, Tawakoni, was a LOPE adoption horse.

Tawakoni came to the LOPE ranch in 2004. A gorgeous dark stallion, he had regal bloodlines and a Kentucky Derby winner as his sire (Grindstone). Knee chip surgery had slowed Tawakoni's racing career – he just couldn't run at top speed any longer.

The day he came here, several people warned me that stallions would be dangerous. One neighbor even told my husband that all stallions attack women. A friend advised me to geld him immediately, just to be safe, to protect me and the other horses.

But Tawakoni was a gentle giant, a true gentleman. And his conformation was outstanding – he was beautifully proportioned and moved elegantly. His head was especially striking, handsomely sculpted with an intelligent expression and dark, alert eyes.

I couldn't help wondering what kind of foals he might sire. And although LOPE normally gelds all stallions that come here, we made an exception in Tawakoni's case.

And Mickey is very glad we did!

Stay tuned for another blog entry soon about Mickey and Tawakoni.

Update on Tristano

Tristano is a handsome four year-old gelding who came to LOPE with an ankle injury (see previous blog entry for more background on Tristano). He was recently adopted by Lucy to be a pleasure riding horse. She fell in love with his photo and had him shipped all the way to sunny California.

Lucy recently emailed us some photos and an update on Tristano.

"I wanted to let you know that Tristano is settling in really well to his new home! He has several girlfriends already! Nobody can believe he's only four years' old and off the track. He is so calm and sweet and just takes everything in stride."

Lucy knew Tristano hadn't been ridden regularly since his injury. She was careful to take her time and let him ease back into work. "I did some ground work with him to start off, then led him by hand on the trails and now we ride out about four times a week. He loves it!"

And even Lucy's daughter is helping "retrain" Tristano. "He is very proud to let my three-year-old daughter, Thalia ride him in the ring - she's ridden him a couple of times."

Congratulations to Lucy and Tristano – they are a great team!

Sugarfoot

Sugarfoot was known for two things at the racetrack: an endearing habit of licking her groom's bald head and her incredibly slow speed. A small red filly with gentle eyes, Sugarfoot was oddly put together, like a toy assembled in a rush. Her front hooves turned out, her knees were crooked and her drooping hindquarters didn't match her long back. But her kind face, with its big dripping star, made up for all those imperfections.

She was donated to the LOPE Ranch as a three-year-old. Many horse people wince at the thought of a chestnut filly or mare. Like red-haired women, they are assumed to be difficult, high strung and moody. Sugarfoot put all these myths to rest, with her mellow disposition and willing attitude. She was easy to ride and loved the outings when we rode around the farm, a contented look on her face as she ambled through the tall grass.

Many people were interested in adopting Sugarfoot. A local show rider looking for a new prospect. A Colorado trainer, with a teenage student in need of a quiet mount. An intermediate trail rider in search of a reliable horse for himself and his wife.

Sugarfoot performed earnestly for all of them, riding easily in the hot summer sun, walking over logs, nuzzling each potential adopter hopefully. But none of them adopted Sugarfoot - she wasn't tall enough or energetic enough or flashy enough.

But one day, a nice family contacted me – they were looking for a gentle horse for their daughter, Desiree. She was twenty years old, but developmentally disabled - Desiree couldn't speak and gestured wildly to communicate. Riding helped her coordination and soothed her troubled nervous system.

They came to see Sugarfoot - Desiree sat on Sugarfoot while her father led the filly around the pen. Excited, Desiree began to wave her arms and cry. Sugarfoot stopped dead - no amount of tugging on the lead rope could convince her to move forward.

Desiree's mother went to comfort Desiree, and discovered she had slid off center in the saddle. As soon as Desiree's position was adjusted back in balance in with the saddle, Sugarfoot began to walk forward again - with one ear tipped back, listening for Desiree.

It was clear to all of  us that Sugarfoot was protecting Desiree, that this little red filly with the funny build had a true, deep vocation to be a therapeutic riding horse. Awed, we watched as Desiree and Sugarfoot walked together, with Sugarfoot always listening, always careful to keep her steps slow for her special rider.  This story caught the attention of the San Antonio Express-News, which ran a nice story about Sugarfoot, Desiree and LOPE a while back, and you can still read the full article online.

Might Tonight

Might Tonight came to our farm in 2006. A tall, pretty mare with an elegant head she was sweet and feminine – the geldings here all fell in love with her, following her wistfully around the pasture, letting her eat out of their feed buckets.

One of our volunteers was Deirdre, a jockey at the Texas tracks. She was our best racehorse photographer – every week, she’d walk around the racetrack, taking photos for the trainer listings on our website.

Might Tonight was one of Deirdre’s favorite mounts ever – when Might Tonight didn’t find a home, Deirdre made sure she got donated to the LOPE Ranch. "She is just such a doll to ride," Deirdre said, smiling as she petted Might Tonight gently.

Donna, an eventer from the Dallas area, came to visit Might Tonight one steamy spring day. Impressed with her disposition and floaty trot, she adopted her to be her next eventing prospect.

Might Tonight was racing fit, tautly muscled but thin - with almost a greyhound look to her physique. And she was footsore – having spent so much time in thin racing shoes, her hooves were having a tough time adjusting to pasture life.

But Donna set to work, gradually putting weight on Might Tonight, giving her time to grow out her racing hooves. Donna renamed her "Splash" for her endearing (well, sometimes annoying) habit of turning over water troughs.

After a year with Donna, Splash has flowered beautifully. At her very first schooling trial, she took SECOND place – wow! Donna says, "Splash is a STAR! She is quite a gem and loves the water obstacles on cross-country – living up to her name. She is jumping beautifully and doesn’t bat an eye at anything."

Might Tonight is a great example of how well racehorses adapt into second careers. At first glance, many people might have dismissed her as a "typical" racehorse – too thin, too lanky, too much trouble. But Donna saw her sweet temperament, her lovely movement and her desire to please – and took a chance on Might Tonight, giving her time and a loving home.

And look how Might Tonight returned the favor, becoming not just a willing prospect but a true star in the making!

LOPE and OSU

Recently, Dr. Michael Davis, DVM, of Oklahoma State University contacted LOPE. He is the director of the Equine Athletic Performance Laboratory at the OSU vet school. Their research focuses on the cause and prevention of respiratory diseases in equine athletes.

What’s especially fascinating is that they train the horses in the lab herd to canter on a treadmill. The exercise is mild compared to true racing and allows the researchers to monitor the horses’ respiratory rates under athletic performance.

Dr. Davis and his team love their research horses – the horses are their partners in every sense. They work closely with the horses, using natural horsemanship techniques to gain their trust and teach them about the treadmill. The horses are handled, groomed and fussed over – with steady exercise at comfortable speeds.

When a horse is ready to retire from their program, they get pensioned – sometimes even one of the team members adopts the horse personally. Or they simply hang out as part of the herd, enjoying a peaceful life with their equine buddies.

I was impressed with Dr. Davis and his research partner, Dr. Williamson – their work is helping horses everywhere, especially racehorses. It even has some impact for human respiratory studies.

But most of all, I was impressed with how much they care for the horses, how much they see them as valued partners and trusted colleagues. Their horses are happy with a wonderful job – an important job, too.

So LOPE has adopted one of its horses, Magic, to Dr. Davis and the OSU program. Magic is a beautiful QH ex-racer with tons of personality. Dr. Williamson thought he was perfect for the job – because he is intelligent, kind and loves being the center of attention. All of their horses are treated like stars – and Magic is one of those horses who likes being a star!

Butterscotch

Butterscotch was officially the oldest horse to come here to the LOPE Ranch. Born in 1986, she raced a whopping 114 times, winning over $172,000. She was Canadian bred – her true registered name is Beurre Ecossaise, which means "Butterscotch" in French. Click here to download a PDF of her pedigree and amazing race record.

After retiring from racing, Butterscotch became a racing broodmare. Her owner was retiring from the business – and he was worried that Butterscotch would have trouble finding a home. He brought her to us himself, a round trip of several hours – and even brought several bales of hay for her too!

So at 21, Butterscotch became the equine senior citizen here. Tall and beautiful, with a huge blaze face, she stood out in our pastures – her big white face visible even at night. After all those years racing, then having babies – nothing much fazed Butterscotch. She even got along with Wooden Phone, one of our more alpha herd bosses here. Butterscotch was a great companion horse, keeping Wooden Phone calm and mellow during his first months here. Thanks to her, he became much more social and now has other equine buddies at the ranch.

Butterscotch got adopted to a wonderful home nearby us – she will fully retire in fields full of grass and hay, with two other older horses as her companions. Her new owners, Robert and Marsha, are delighted to have such a gorgeous, grand old mare in their fields to look at, too.

As you can see from the photo, Butterscotch is also very delighted with her new home!