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More than 300 Thoroughbreds have been adopted out of Exceller Farm in the past six years. The farm is managed by Michele Oren, and made available to TRF by John and Betty Hettinger of Pawling.
Renowned trainer Chris Irwin is the featured guest at the open house, and he will give an extensive clinic on the methods of retraining Thoroughbreds.
"Discover your Horsepower" is the theme of the open house this year. This is because of the demonstrations of riding and training on the Thoroughbreds at Exceller by Irwin, author of the very popular books "Dancing With Your Dark Horse" and "Horses Don't Lie."
Irwin has teamed up with TRF to champion the retraining of Thoroughbreds after their racing careers. TRF is a sponsor of Irwin's methodology in developing calm, confidence and stability in the Thoroughbreds in every discipline from Western to English, jumping to combined driving. He himself has adopted two Thoroughbreds, a gelding and a mare named Eb and Flo, both of which he is retraining in driving, jumping and dressage.
For more information about Chris Irwin, visit www.chrisirwin.com , or call him at (877) 394-6773.
Monique Kohler and friends founded TRF in 1982, with a mission statement that included providing humane, viable rescue programs at the end of the racing careers for Thoroughbreds, and offering new careers to able-bodied ex-campaigners through rehabilitation and retraining that would enable the horses to live out full, rich lives. At any given time, there are 600 to 700 horses at various locations in the system, being rehabilitated and retrained, and available for adoption.
TRF is serious about the care of the horses. Michele Oren said, "When you adopt a horse from the Thoroughbred Foundation, you are 100% responsible for the horse and its well-being. You are not allowed to sell it, breed it or give it away. If, for any reason, you need to give up the animal, it must come back to the foundation. Once a horse is in the TRF system, it is with us for the rest of its life, and we are dedicated to its care and well-being."
On a recent sunny afternoon at Exceller, Oren was playing in the pasture with a remarkable 10-year-old gelding named Delta Forum. This Thoroughbred was born in Australia, raced successfully at various sites in Africa, and then was fortunate to find his way to Exceller Farm after his retirement from the track.
"Delta Forum is completely sound, and for regular riding or show jumping or dressage, he is the perfect age," Oren said. "If he were going on to eventing, they might consider that to be a little on the old side. We have horses here from 3 years old and up, and it depends on how they are cared for, but the Thoroughbreds can easily live into their 30s."
When the horses first leave the track, they tend to require some time to settle down from the high tension of the racing career.
"Delta Forum arrived at Exceller last fall, and we basically gave him the whole winter off, because he had been around racing full time," Oren said. "He really needed sufficient let-down time to physically recuperate, so he spent the winter in the pasture in a herd of 12 horses. What is good about Delta is that he is a green horse, which means that he is not fully trained, but mentally, he is a seasoned horse, and that is what makes him so special. Even if a beginner rider wanted a project with Delta, they could really do well with Delta Forum. Mentally, he is able to do whatever you ask of him. He just has to learn the mechanics.
"Sue Roth has been riding him for us here at Exceller. We started riding him in March, and we have been going really slowly with him, walk, trot, cantering, working on leads, working on bending and leg yielding. He has gone through mud puddles, he goes across bridges, and nothing seems to bother him. Thus far, he has been unflappable."
Oren and her staff and riders are completely open with potential owners about the condition of the horses, and that is possible because if the new owner is not satisfied with the horse at any time, they can return it to Exceller.
"Once the horse is in the system of the TRF, they are always in the system," Oren said. "That is what makes adopting from us so special, because it is a win-win situation for everybody. If they take a horse and pay the nominal adoption fee, the adoption fee is not refundable, But, if they get the horse home and he doesn't work out, if he doesn't turn out to be the horse that we all thought he or she was, because horses are products of their environment, what they do here they might not do in the new environment, they can just bring the horse back, and take another horse of their choice."
Oren and TRF are also demanding of the potential new owner.
"We also check out the prospective owners," Oren said. "When a potential adopter fills out an application to adopt from us, they have to have letters of reference, and photos showing where the horse is going to be stabled. And then from the foundation, we mail what is called a vet check, and that is done once a year. The owner must have a vet sign the letter confirming that the horse is in good health and is receiving proper care. They return that with photographs."
The open house is a delightful afternoon in the country on the horse farm at Exceller, complete with the Chris Irwin clinic, a silent auction, and catered lunch with wine and champagne.
An exquisite Hermes saddle will be raffled off, donated by Hermes Saddles.
Admission is $5 per person 12 years of age and older.
For directions and information, call Michele Oren at (845) 724-3680 or e-mail to orenvenida@aol.com.
