Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Success Story: From the Racetrack to the Fox Hunt

Fox Searching is a fancy and demanding sport, requiring a horse with bravery and composure amid the joy. When Michelle Stephen Seigel was looking for her subsequent Fox Searching prospect, Kiss Him Goodbye appeared like the proper match. Conscious that the majority off-track Thoroughbreds include their very own set of challenges, Michelle, as a therapist, was well-prepared and geared up with the instruments to assist him thrive on this new position.

In the course of the summer time of 2021, Michelle was scrolling via the Horse and Hound Rescue Basis’s social media pages and was immediately fascinated by Kiss Him Goodbye. After watching a video of him in a spherical pen, she fell in love together with his stunning motion. “I used to be looking for a horse I might Fox Hunt, and he’s tall and athletic, so I knew he could be an excellent match for me,” Michelle shared. She rapidly scheduled a go to to satisfy him.

Horse and Hound is an accredited group by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Positioned in Guthrie, Okla., they soak up retired Thoroughbred racehorses after their racing careers finish, specializing in retraining and rehabilitation. The employees wholeheartedly believes that simply because a horse will not be suited to racing doesn’t imply that they gained’t reach a brand new profession.

Kiss Him Goodbye is a 2015 bay Thoroughbred gelding who had 30 begins and earned a complete of $62,709 throughout his four-year racing profession. Upon arriving at Horse and Hound, Michelle realized that “Kissy” had undergone some Monty Roberts coaching with licensed coach Jamie Jennings. Monty Roberts’ program focuses on pure horsemanship ideas, educating people about horse conduct and fostering a collaborative partnership between horse and proprietor.

“The folks of Horse and Hound have been supportive and real,” Michelle defined, noting that “the adoption was straightforward.” Though she didn’t trip Kissy throughout her go to – solely observing him within the spherical pen – she rapidly realized she had discovered her subsequent Fox Searching associate and agreed to take him residence in August 2021.

As soon as they arrived on the ranch, Michelle observed that Kissy had some nervousness, which is widespread for off-the-track horses transitioning to new environments. Kissy would get bored and begin cribbing, and he additionally struggled with trailer loading. Quite than being discouraged, Michelle’s therapist instincts kicked in, and she or he was keen to assist him overcome these habits.

Michelle and Kissy made it to their first hunt that December, the place she supposed to trip him within the third group of much less skilled horses for his Fox Searching debut. Nonetheless, “it was an excessive amount of for him,” Michelle admitted. When the horns sounded and the hounds have been launched, Kissy turned frightened and bolted, taking off for a solo tour of the property.

After their difficult first outing, the pair determined to sluggish issues down considerably. Michelle and Kissy centered on clicker coaching and groundwork to assist ease his nervousness, additionally spending time on path rides. Kissy was typically ridden by Michelle’s husband in a Western saddle – “who thought he could be a husband horse?” Michelle joked.

Their onerous work paid off, as Kissy remodeled right into a Fox Searching star. He not solely turned an ideal gentleman within the subject but additionally realized to load and unload from the trailer with ease.

“Final season, I rode him within the second subject and moved him as much as the primary subject by the tip of the season … he’s a pleasure,” wrote Michelle. The longer term appears vivid for Michelle and Kissy, as they plan to proceed constructing their confidence within the subject and hope to take part in Fox Hunts throughout america.

The Jockey Membership helps many aftercare initiatives together with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the one accrediting physique in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which inspires the retraining of Thoroughbreds into different disciplines upon completion of careers. View all the initiatives supported by The Jockey Membership.