Everett Tucker and Invincible Vince at the Blackburn Correctional Facility in Lexington, KY. Credit Charles Toler
They advertised it as “a horse show like no other,” and it lived up to its billing. Actually, it surpassed its promise and provided an authentic, heartfelt demonstration of horse/human relationships built on trust, respect and the wonder of discovery.
Like everything else in these COVID-infused days, the horse show was live-streamed. With differences. Unlike most horse shows, this one—in mid-October—featured several inmates of Blackburn Correctional Complex in Lexington, KY. They were shy. They introduced their horses: My Turf Hero, Walinski, Chief Cashier. They demonstrated how they had worked with their horses and taught them to walk over ground rails, to back up and to lead. They answered questions about horse anatomy with confidence and pride. It was clear these individuals and their horses had far more in common than one might expect. The inmates had learned skills that would help them find meaningful work after their release. The horses have become permanent residents of the Blackburn Correctional Complex, part of an innovative, successful program created by Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF).
Promised Road Arrives at the Promised Land
In 1982 Monique S. Koehler created TRF to ensure the safety, care and quality of life for retired racehorses. She approached the Corrections Department at the State of New York with an offer that they could not refuse. In fact, they embraced it wholeheartedly. Koehler promised that, in exchange for use of the land surrounding the state’s Wallkill Correctional Facility, TRF would train inmates on equine care and management. Additionally, TRF would staff the training program and provide full veterinary and routine care for the horses. The program, called Second Chances, has proved to be just that for horses as well as the inmates who care for and learn from them.
Promised Road, a nine-year-old gelding was the first horse to arrive at Wallkill in 1983. Since then, TRF has expanded the program to seven facilities across the country, including a location at the Central Maryland Correctional Facility in Sykesville and a new one in Florida for women.
“It’s an interesting niche and it helps twofold,” Chelsea O’Reilly explains. “Helping horses and changing lives. We’re a unique program, in that we cross state lines and operate in many jurisdictions.” O’Reilly, TRF’s Program Development Manager, says that over the years thousands of inmates have graduated from the Second Chances program. About 500 horses enter TRF annually, she says.
“We start with the basics in care, safety, nutrition and history,” she explains. “They then move up, depending on time in the program, through anatomy, behavior, training, advanced handling and all the smaller nuances of farm maintenance and management.” She says that all their programs offer the Groom Elite certification, which provides skills tests and exams for the participants in the program so graduates can demonstrate to prospective employers that they’ve qualified through rigorous, accredited training programs. “In addition, inmates in our women's program in Florida are able to learn riding skills and currently they’ve taught two thoroughbreds to drive in harness.” The women are also learning how to drive tractors, build fences, operate brush hogs, etc.
First Lesson: Horses Don’t Take Vacations
O’Reilly says that TRF farms are just like regular farms, in that there’s important work to be done every day. “At all our facilities there are inmates out seven days a week to care for the horses, overseen by our Farm Manager and Vocational instructors,” she explains. Classes are in session Monday through Friday, and groups of inmates will usually volunteer to work weekends. “This weekend work is often seen as a huge privilege at the facility—to be outdoors during the day and care for the horses,” she says. The men and women learn firsthand how demanding the work is. “And they gain the understanding that horses do not take days off and require care on every holiday regardless of the weather.”
Prison life can be monotonous, and the Second Chances programs offer inmates extraordinary opportunities to learn skills and to get outside for several hours a day. O’Reilly says there’s often a waiting list to get into the program, since the duration of participation varies from one inmate to another. “Many of our programs incorporate inmates who are within 6 months to a few years of parole. They are then in the programs anywhere from 6 months to 2-3 years depending on their sentence and good behavior.” She says their programs are at minimum and medium security institutions, where the men and women must have outside clearance to participate. “At a given time there are between four and 18 inmates in each program,” she explains. “This fluctuates depending on how many inmates have outside clearance, and currently how the prisons are working within the COVID restrictions and guidelines.”
A Steady Stream of Horses
Just as there is a waiting list among inmates hoping to get into the Second Chances program, there is usually a waiting list for horses hoping to get into prison. O’Reilly says that the waiting list varies throughout the year, but they see a surge of horses in the fall. “In cases of neglect, we have partnered with other rescue groups to all absorb the horses into our herds,” she says. “Aftercare today is a giant ‘quilt’ where we each play a role. Some groups focused on retraining, some on sanctuary, some are able to take stallions, and some are able to take seniors.” She calls it a “rising tide” that floats all ships.“Wallkill is our flagship facility in New York,” she says. “While it is one of our larger facilities, the correctional farms in Kentucky and Florida are just as large.” The larger farms can have anywhere from 30 to 50 horses. “Space is a big factor, as we want to allot two acres per horse at each facility,” she says.
TRF also partners with other groups for joint events and fundraisers. They are accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and receive grants from Thoroughbred Charities of America. But, like non-profits everywhere, they are always seeking ways to expand their reach among donors. Their website, www.trfinc.org lists upcoming opportunities for donors.