Long-time Neigh Savers friend and awesome hat-creater Rachel Satterfield-Masen was there in Kentucky for the first Saturday in May to witness the Kentucky Derby first hand. Some of us are a wee bit jealous, but as always, Rachel does a great job of making us feel like we were RIGHT there.

It was my first Kentucky Derby.  For a girl whose heroes are Cigar, Silver Charm, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Curlin, Rachel Alexandra, and Zenyatta it was the ultimate vacation.  I cannot begin to explain how excited I was.

Oxbow galloping Thursday before Derby

During the morning works, the horses were gorgeous and happy as they jogged and galloped by.  There was plenty of yelling between exercise riders and lots of excitement from the fans at the rail who showed up early to watch the horses.

And then the Derby and Oaks horses came out.  Without their saddle cloths announcing they were special, they looked just like every other hard working animal out there.  What sets them apart?  Breeding? Sometimes.  Connections and money? Rarely.  Conformation? Maybe.  It’s not clear why a horse can do great things while the horse next to him won’t.  They all give us what they can.

The funny thing about the Kentucky Derby is that it’s all glitz, history, press and money…but in the end it is really only about horses.  As high-flying as the 19 this year are, they are still animals who sleep in straw, eat hay and lay in their own poop. They cannot begin to fathom all they have come to symbolize.

Without our love of racing, these horses wouldn’t exist.  Without the work of breeders, owners and trainers they would never race.  Without the passion of individuals who care about the horse for the sake of the horse, they end up in horrible situations. The horses owe us something, but we owe them much more.

Adena Springs

We made visits to Old Friends, Adena and Three Chimneys as well as a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park to visit my old love Cigar.  Adena and Old Friends and Neigh Savers worked together to help a horse named Racketeer.  He was a graded stakes runner bred by Adena who earned over $400,000 in his career and Neigh Savers found him in a bad situation about to go worse.  Thanks to the efforts of Neigh Savers he was saved and thanks to Adena Springs he was shipped back home to Kentucky and transferred to Old Friends.  While I didn’t get to visit him, I was informed that he’s doing very well and is happy.  Adena Springs has set the bar high for breeders for aftercare, and we can only hope for more owners to take these responsibilities and put us happily out of business.

Homestretch run of Kentucky Derby 139 -- May 4th, 2013

Derby day was cold, rainy and bleak.  It wasn’t exactly what I’d been dreaming of my whole life, but it was still a real good time.   Wise Dan demolished the field in the Woodford Reserve in the pouring rain and left me wondering if that was the best race we’d see all day.  Right before the Derby, nature decided to celebrate the Derby with us and it stopped raining.  People crawled out of every nook to find their wet, empty seats waiting for them.  The mass of people was unlike anything I’ve ever seen or am likely to see again.  Orb was impressive and was a very popular winner (though I have to admit I was on Revolutionary and Palace Malice).  The Derby is hard to put into words.  It is big.  It’s exciting.  It’s grand.  It’s crazy.  And then it’s over and your not sure if you should feel happy, sad, excited or disappointed that it’s over.  It’s an experience.

Rachel and Calvin Borel

On Sunday at 11:00, I was lucky enough to be the guest of Lisa and Calvin Borel (3 time Derby winning jockey) for a 10 minute preview of the Mine That Bird movie.  I think we were the only people in the room not directly connected with the horse or with the making of the movie.  It was special and I will never forget it.  I had a little time to talk with Lisa about Neigh Savers and Calvin was kind enough to sign several items that we will have at our upcoming Neigh Savers events.  I was lucky enough to go visit Mine That Bird at the Derby Museum with all of his connections and go in the paddock with him.  Bird is a ham and really has a show stealing personality and it was an honor to be near him.  The Borel’s are truly gracious, kind and sincere people and I’m glad to have met them.  They were happy to talk about Neigh Savers and hopefully we can continue the conversation and friendship.

It was a crazy 3 days and an experience that is unforgettable.  I was surprised at my reaction to the race and the realization that the ones we save are not that different from these being cheered and celebrated by millions for two short minutes.  Volunteering for Neigh Savers has changed my perspective on racing.  I appreciate and love it more because in the end the least horse and the champions will both give us their best try and that is what it is all about.

"On to the Preakness!" -- Red Bullet, 2000 Preakness Winner

Neigh Savers has had some fun along the way as they’ve placed some really nice horses this year. (Cottonwood) Cash has gone to live with another NS horse and two young ladies who think he is the cat’s meow. Their mom is already thinking dressage training with lots of trail rides, too.

Luke was adopted and is well on his way to being a dream horse for his new owner. Neigh Savers’ own Rachel Satterfield-Masen did a wonderful job of documenting Luke’s journey from week one to fourteen and her dedication and consistent video updates are surely the reason Luke was snapped up in short order.

Dublin, well, Dublin is sound and happy and galloping just for fun these days. He has his own blog now, too. He is extremely happy about this development and has quit pinning his ears and trying to bite. He is quite happy to be a horse in Wine Country.

Happy Wine Country OTTB

We had a horse come and go in the blink of an eye with the wonderful support of Golden Gate Fields. Come Catch Karen, a horse who had raced at GGF, was found at auction in Turlock. GGF stepped up to the plate and helped Neigh Savers rescue and transport her to safety. Come Catch Karen was adopted and sent off to Southern California to her new home in short order and we are extremely grateful to GGF and Joe Morris for their support.

Joe and Karen

In the meantime, Neigh Savers continues to accept new horses while working with longer term rehabs like Dixie to get them ready for new homes.

New horses like Lucky Culprit–aka Don Juan because he continues to make all the ladies around him swoon. Except Dixie. She is unmoved by his royal gorgeousness. Don bats his big brown eyes at you and suddenly he is inside your personal space. “Why would you want me so far away from you?” he asks, nuzzling you softly on your neck and rendering you a giddy teenager. Retraining with Don currently consists of learning about the bubble, learning to use that big engine of his in the back and learning to relax and listen. He is eager to please and if he reminds us a bit of an extra-large teenage boy, well, he is. Bath time should apparently include lots of drinking from the hose. Who knew?

Big and gorgeous, coming through the mist just for you

Meanwhile, Dixie (aka Dixie Doodles or just Doodles) has taken on the role of the more mature four year old on the block. She walks calmly all over the property. She cross ties without fidgeting. She stands still for grooming and bathing and will even stand for having her feet trimmed without being tied. She loves small children, gently reaching out to sniff them with soft snuffles and genuine interest.  Having room to wander, snooze in the dirt and watch the goings on from her paddock has turned the tense little racehorse into a relaxed mare who is ready to learn new things. She really likes being a ranch pony, but it was suggested that she might make a great kids hunter/jumper prospect with a little work. As long as she can still get dirty, too, she says.

Dixie Doodles after her bath

Both horses in Sonoma have quite a few fans. Lucky Culprit has his entourage, but Dixie has her own set of devotees, too. It’s hard not to love a pretty little bay mare with a definite opinion about most things.

Meanwhile, it will be great to see what all Rachel blogs about with two horses headed to her facility! More to follow, including hopefully a lot more video from all corners of the Neigh Savers world.

Off-Track Thoroughbreds get a lot of labels in the horse world. Crazy. Untrainable. Broken. Even as we bash at the myths, people who don’t take the time to learn more tear us down for putting our hearts and souls into rehabbing and retraining these horses, these athletes, these funny and quirky equine individuals.

We have three delightful examples whose journeys are similar in some ways, different in others, and each one offers a new perspective as they do their part to knock down the stereotypes.

Dancing Prince, aka Luke, now available for adoption and smooches

There is Dancing Prince, aka Luke, who demonstrates a steadiness usually associated with Quarter Horses–even when faced with large colorful blown up balls, tarps and even the dreaded umbrella. Where is the crazy ex-racehorse? Not here, nope. Luke is curious and friendly and eager to see what comes next in his life. Oh, and he is so ready for adoption. Bring it on, he says. I can take it.

Ur My Dixie Girl, aka Dixie of course, has now been in a paddock nearly a month and is quite pleased with how muddy she can get. Her eye is softer and her energy is much less rough around the edges. She still likes to come out, though, and not just to graze on green and tasty grass.

Dixie and Nina on a stroll

And then there is Lucky Culprit, aka Clyde. He is gorgeous. Tall, dark and handsome. With dapples. Big man on campus, too–17 hands with a lovely arched neck and good feet. Drooling is allowed. Heck, it’s involuntary in many cases.

Hubba hubba

Clyde, like many OTTBs, is still learning about the bubble. Here he is with our Social Media Maven Allison Stark as she reminds him that “the mares are talking.” He is very good with the bubble once you remind him. He just likes to snuggle. A lot. That, however, can work to your advantage when a horse like Clyde respects your space enough to use it as a reward.

This is my space, that is your space.

Each of these horses came right off the track. Dixie with a month-old fracture, Clyde with a year-old tendon injury, and Luke because he had an old infection and a trainer that knew he’d be better off doing something else. Their past experiences were similar enough, but they are still different horses in the way they react, the way they need to be handled and retrained. And yet with patience and consistency, all of them show improvement–sometimes exponential from one day to the next–and all of them are curious and willing to learn.

All of them kick that crazy Off-Track Thoroughbred myth to the curb with every step they take towards their next career.

It’s been a long road for Ur My Dixie Girl–from a non-displaced condylar fracture in her last race (November 18, 2012) to an open-air paddock this past Saturday.

Dixie kissed by the sun

It might not have seemed long from the outside, especially for her stall-cleaning buddies, but the time had begun to wear on Dixie and it is a testament to her truly good nature that she was not more grumpy than the occasional pinned ears and stall bounces she used to express her boredom of the four walls she stared at. All day, every day.

Are we there yet?

Yes, Dixie, we are.

The Princess had good days and bad days in the stall and not one of us could blame her for that. On good days, she was happy to see you and politely got out of your way when you cleaned. On bad days, she pinned her ears and gnashed her teeth and spun around you–but always away from you–just to release some of the energy she had built up inside her dainty, well-proportioned athlete’s body.

She particularly loved to have her stall open so she could watch what was going on in the barn, see who was wandering about in the aisles and sniff babies as they wandered by. She loves babies and puppies, it seems, being far more gentle with both than she is with adults who annoy her in her stall.

But she was restless. She could be hand-walked the last few weeks but sometimes that pent up energy made for bigger bounces than were technically allowed and she was quickly returned to her stall when they occurred. She always tried really hard, though, to stay in control and stay calm–seeming to know that was the key to being out. It was just really hard sometimes for a being made to be in motion to be so confined and not be able to release that energy somehow.

Luckily for Dixie, her stall rest has come to an end and she is out in a paddock now–not a pasture or a huge paddock, but triple the size of her stall and surrounded by other horses, birds, air beginning to warm and glorious sunshine.

This, she says, is the way it should be.

She has a ways to go, yet. More weeks of hand-walking before we can start to build back her conditioning and then help her figure out what she wants to be when she grows up.

She is dainty but beautifully proportioned and very athletic. She is a Bay, with perfect black tips and the softest and silkiest mane and tail. She is smart and curious, too, always watching what goes on around her.

If you’re in Sonoma County (or not) and would be interested in meeting her, please contact us. If you’d like to help sponsor her as she finishes her rehab and begins her retraining, we would greatly appreciate it as that would give us enough time to give her the right (re)start and a better chance at that next career.

Dixie will make someone an awesome horse, we just have to give her time to find her forever human. And leave her outside. Not inside. Outside. With as much food as she can eat, thanks. Maybe a little more?

When rehabbing horses right off the track, very often a certain amount of stall rest is required. Being in a stall isn’t a foreign concept for racehorses, they are in fact quite used to it. They are, however, also used to getting out at least once a day for at least a little leg-stretching exercise and attention.

Dixie has been on stall rest for over two months now, recovering from a hairline (non-displaced) condylar fracture she sustained in her last race on November 18th, 2012. (She still finished third, by the way.) The leg is healing up really well (at least from what we can see on the outside) and new ex-rays are coming soon to see how things look on the inside.

Dixie's fracture -- November 2012

Dixie says that is barely soon enough and she’s fine and can she pretty please come out and play. Now.

She just turned four on the 29th and was still pretty fit and well-muscled when she came into the program, even having been off about a month at the track after her injury. Horses in general have evolved to move constantly and a top athlete like Dixie is used to blowing out that energy–at least some of it–daily. She simply hums with pent-up fire some days, watching other horses come and go as they are getting ridden and worked. Sometimes she gets a little grumpy but for the most part, she is doing as well as can be expected.

She does get out for short walks to graze when things are quiet, but gets wired up when there is too much going on so it’s not as often as she likes–which would likely be three or four times a day at this point. She has learned that the quieter she can be, the longer she can graze and it seems grass is a very big motivation to behave.

The weekends, starting Friday afternoon, are the hardest for her because the barn is the busiest. She picks up on the energy, the people and horses constantly flowing through the barn, and you can see the tension build up in her–almost like she’s wondering when it’s her turn.

“Soon,” we promise her. “Just a little longer,” we soothe.

I have been on good behavior for sooo long!

She likes her stall window open so she can peer down the aisle at what’s going on while we clean and to peek around her corner into the arena to see who’s in there doing what. Usually, she will allow a little acupressure and loves (loves) to have her head and particularly her ears and jaw rubbed gently. Some days it’s all too much and the only thing that helps her is a little company in her stall, not talking, just there being calm and relaxed while the rest of the world spins around her.

The first time out with no restrictions could be a little wild, a little interesting, but we can’t wait to see it. There are quite a few Dixie fans itching to see her with the sunlight shining off her copper-colored coat and the spring-time breezes lifting her mane off her lovely arched neck.

In the meantime, Dixie says donations to the “Dixie Freedom Fund” are appreciated. She likes pellet bedding because it is so much fun to stir them up with shavings and poop and hay and it fluffs up so nicely when wet. Oh, and treats are good too. On the home page, yellow “Donate” button, we all thank you for anything you can give!

Cottonwood Cash arrived at our Sonoma facility sometime back in November with a blast of three-year old energy. He raced around his new paddock snorting and blowing and looking very much like one of those “crazy” Off-Track Thoroughbreds you hear about.

Cash is a nap expert

And then.. he just settled in, settled down, and became the nap champion. Unfortunately, he also became the abscess champion at the same time–right after we started him back under saddle.

Cash sporting the duct tape boot with his buddy Buffie

So his training took a bit of a backseat to duct tape boots and ichthamol, with hand-walking and grooming taking the place of lunging and getting him used to different tack and having a rider up on his back again. Actually, since it’s all training, it just became a matter of what training was happening.

For example, we had to convince Cash that the wash rack–though dark–was not a cave of doom (COD). Neigh Savers volunteer Keri Simpson patiently walked him in bit by bit, encouraging him with pets and treats every time he moved just a little more into the COD until he would walk in without hesitation.

He likes to go over poles in the arena and is so far the only horse we’ve met–our own included–that likes the scary-corner-of-doom (SCOD–not to be confused by the COD–very different, says Cash.) He went to hang out in the place every other horse avoids like the plague when he got turned loose one day. He’s special, this one. He is also curious and calm about most things–even yoga balls.

Cash meets a yoga ball--and licks it

After introducing Cash to the yoga ball and getting no spook or worried looks when he touched or was touched by the odd alien creature, one of our intrepid volunteers rolled it slowly at him as he was walking the perimeter of the round pen. It landed between his front feet and his hind feet. This is a Thoroughbred, remember. There could have been fireworks. Cash just stopped. His first reaction was to hold still until he decided it wouldn’t eat him, then he just walked over it, kicking it out of his way.

Now granted, his foot has hurt badly for awhile as the abscess worked its way out, but it is clearing up rapidly and as it does, his energy begins to shine through even more. Rumor has it there might have been bucking in his paddock today. With some horses, that would be cause for hand-wringing. With Cash, well, some of us might have cheered a little.

We really can’t wait to see what this boy will do now that he’s feeling better. He’s a staff favorite for sure but we’d be willing to let him go to the right person who wants a big, beautiful, snuggly bay horse that is ready for a new job.

As always, donations are appreciated to help us with costs. Every little bit helps and allows us to bring new horses like Cash into the program. Go to our home page at http://neighsavers.com and click that big green button that says “Donate.” You know, just in case Cash needs a new yoga ball soon.

There was a quote recently shared by Steuert Pittman of the Retired Racehorse Training Project about Suave Jazz, a horse in their 100-day Trainer Challenge: ‘ “He is just proof of Bruce Davidson’s unequivocal statement during our Kentucky event that “Thoroughbred horses have the best temperament of any breed.” ‘

Needless to say, we agree.

But they are not all the same, oh no–not by a long shot.

Kind of like people.

Dublin was a tough nut. He was not immediately willing to trust that you had his best interest at heart. He does, however, love to work and at last report from his foster home was jumping over things and enjoying whatever it is that comes next. He also has a buddy named Cowboy to keep him company and teach him a little bit about manners.

"Listen here, son. I am the boss," says Cowboy to Dublin. "Remember that and no one gets hurt. Much."

Eddie (Edit This) apparently has a streak of empathy. His friend Leslie Kutsenkow was slogging through the mud one recent, stormy Northern California day, cleaning stalls and getting soaked to the skin. The wheel barrow was not cooperating and kept tipping over. Picking up soggy horse poop once is bad enough, but multiple times just adds insult to injury. Leslie wrote of this experience:

“I am in Eddie’s stall and not once but TWICE the wheel barrel fell over with mess everywhere.  I am covered in mud, covered in slop swearing up a storm and on the brink of tears.  It is getting dark so I knew I had to hurry and my arms where shaking from the weight of mess.  Then Eddie walks up to me, puts his head on my shoulders and licks my face.  He just stayed there with his nose touching me and didn’t move for a good 3 minutes until I caught my breath and really almost started crying.  Then once again in my history with horses, they never cease to amaze you when you least expect it.  We can get caught up in the stress and world around us but at the end of the day a very large horse will show you… all you need… is a little love.”

Why, yes.. I am adorable AND empathetic

Dixie is a doll–tiny and dainty with a light brown kissable face. She is on stall-rest as her fracture heals and she watches all the other horses come and go with a curious if somewhat wistful expression. She is a pistol, but never hard to handle and quite playful. Volunteer Katie Geary recently found herself wrapped by Dixie’s delicate but well-formed neck as the little mare reached around her and proceeded to bounce the handle of the loaded shovel up and down. You can tell why she was a fairly successful racehorse in her short career and it will be so interesting to see what she grows up to be. Maybe she wants to be an engineer? “How far will this poop fly if I hit the shovel handle.. just.. so?”

Dixie the dainty little racehorse--yes, she is putting on weight now.

And then there is Cash. Cottonwood, not Johnny. He is quite possibly the most mellow Thoroughbred we have ever met. Or at least the most mellow three-year-old Thoroughbred we have met so far. He is young and trusting and willing. He is tall and well-built and super snuggly. He also dresses up and loves hugs which only goes to show he really is a Thoroughbred.

Just looking for that one person to love me

All of these horses are Thoroughbreds, ex-racehorses or at very least ex-racehorses in training. People say you can’t retrain them, they only know one thing, they are all hot, all crazy, all.. you know the drill.

Thoroughbred snugglage. It's a breed characteristic. We swear.

We are here to tell you they are definitely not all one way. They are goofy, they are young in body and sometimes old in their souls–they don’t know a lot but they have seen a lot more than you might imagine. Some are wilder than others, some are so calm you wonder what might be growing in their pasture. What they do share is an energy–a life force if you will–that shines out of their eyes asking you what is next, what will today bring to the table? They aren’t always easy, but they will always show you yourself if you’re willing to see it.

These horses are meant for riders, for horse people, for those of us who want to bond with something rare and elemental and be a little bit better than we might be on our own.

They are Thoroughbreds. And we love them.

Happy New Year to all of you from Neigh Savers. And adopt a Thoroughbred in 2013! It will be good for you. Trust us.

Every year, Neigh Savers tries to do at least a little more than we did the year before. We’ve definitely done so this year and we would like to thank all those who have contributed. Not just money, no, but time, energy, compassion and love. Our horses need all of that on top of a healthy treat allowance.

Dublin the Christmas pony

To all of our volunteers–the folks that slog through the rain and wind and mud just to be sure a horse has what it needs–we say we couldn’t do this without you. Our horses go to their next careers with confidence and good health because of the time and energy you put into them.

To our donors we say THANK YOU!!! Every dollar you send gives us the flexibility to take in the next horse, the horse that will be someone’s soul mate and possibly the next Neville Bardos.

To our board we say kudos for continuing to strive towards helping more horses even when it means making hard decisions.

And to the horses we say thank you for reminding us every day why we do this with your soft noses, happy little nickers when you see us, and your individuality. No one who really knows Thoroughbreds will say, “Well, that’s a typical Thoroughbred,” because all of you are different, all of you bring distinct personalities to the table. Some, like Dublin, are defensive–waiting for you to prove you are truly trustworthy. Some, like Cash, are so amazingly mellow it’s hard to believe they were ever on the track. And many others fall in any space you can imagine between the extremes.

Whoever you are and however you interact with us, we thank you for whatever you can give. To the horses we say… you make it all worth it, every last bit.

Horses continue to keep Neigh Savers busy–even during the holidays–and we are very proud to announce the arrival of this delightfully dainty filly into our program. Ur My Dixie Girl arrived in Sonoma County for her rehab last week and is quickly becoming the belle of the barn in Sebastopol. Don’t tell Paris, but she has some competition in the who-is-more-feminine contest! Dixie could also use a sponsor or two during her long lay-up and she is so very worth any donation that comes her way.

Ur My Dixie Girl and Neigh Savers volunteer Katie Geary

Trained by Steve Specht, “Dixie” was a good little runner, was well handled and got great care–all of which makes caring for her as she rehabs from an injury and transitions to a new career that much easier for us. Specht handed over her papers with one caveat–”Don’t let her end up back on the track.” No worries, she is headed for something new and exciting, though she hasn’t told us what, yet.

Dixie looks delicate, but she was a scrapper on the track. Short distances were her specialty and she was a little dynamo–winning four races, coming in second once and placing five times. In fact, she came in third in her last race but pulled up sore and was diagnosed with a non-displaced condylar fracture–time to retire and heal for little Miss Dixie. Neigh Savers was called and we moved the little bay mare up to Sonoma County for two-and-a-half months of stall rest.

This pretty filly is not sure about this stall rest thing, but she is settling in and getting lots to eat and tons of attention from our Sonoma County crew. She has quickly become a favorite with her soft coat, sweet nuzzles and her fairly easy-going manner. She is great to handle–even if she gets a little excited when there is a lot going on, she is relatively quick to come back to her handler and settle down. She is sweet and curious and thinks grass is just about the most awesome thing ever. She does get to come out and graze a little bit every day which is currently her favorite activity. We take her out in the quiet around dusk when the barn chaos is minimal and she can munch in peace.

Dixie checking out the facilities

Aside from stall rest, Dixie needs at very least a shavings sponsor. Because she has to be in the stall most of the time and needs a good amount of padding, the shavings usage is quite a bit higher than normal. She’s also–despite her good looks and feminine demeanor–a bit of a slob. A mere $20 a month would keep her piled knee deep in shavings, help make her as comfortable as possible and be greatly appreciated by Dixie and her stall cleaners. Just go to our home page and click on that big yellow “Donate” button–you’ll be glad you did! (And so, of course, will we.)

During our December event, Neigh Savers Founder and CEO, Karin Wagner was interviewed by long-time Bay Area radio personality Peter Finch of KGO. He also interviewed long-time trainer, Bob Hess, Sr. Bob has worked with us in the past and donated Sigfreto (winner of nearly $600,000) to the program.

Give the interview a listen here! Finch Files Neigh Savers 12-5-12

Thank you, Peter Finch, for a well-balanced piece and for promoting Neigh Savers!