Listen to a Thoroughbred
How one nonprofit organization continues to improve the lives of Thoroughbreds by matching them with new careers and new homes
The beaming lights of international competition arenas across the globe shine brightest on the talented, scopey warmbloods who grab the headlines. The modern warmbloods, bred for sport with floating gaits and powerful jumping ability, are often glamorized as the ideal equine athlete. But a true sporthorse possesses qualities beyond mere athletic prowess—some that can’t be measured by the time on a clock or a judge’s marks on the scoreboard.
According to Dr. Kathryn Papp, DVM, of the Harrisburgbased Pennsylvania Racehorse Rehoming, Rehabilitation and Rescue, Thoroughbreds offer a depth of character and a mental sharpness that can’t be beat. “Anybody who has the time and patience to listen to a Thoroughbred would realize there are a lot more benefits than cons,” she said. “I can’t believe the boldness and how fast they learn … These guys are just the right amount of smart, brave and bold.”
Dr. Papp has experienced both ends of the sporthorse spectrum, as she grew up on the A-circuit, owning warmbloods purchased from Laura Chapot and
Emil Spadone and working with professionals including Callan Solem, Beth Underhill and Missy Clark. However, her lifestyle these days is no longer focused on her own performance in the show ring— now the mission is rehoming, rehabilitating and rescuing Thoroughbreds. In between running PARR and working as a vet out of her own practice, Hillcrest Meadow Equine, she rides the horses that the organization rehomes, often at the end of her day in sneakers and scrubs for the sake of time. “It’s funny because [that] would never be tolerated in my oldschool life of showing on the A-circuit, but it works fine—and you know what? The horses like it and I like it,” she said.
Dr. Papp isn’t the only one who has benefitted from her time with the Thoroughbreds. PARR originally began in 2012 as a simple webpage to list photos and information about ex-racehorses. Over the years, it has grown into a 501-c(3) nonprofit organization that has helped rehome more than 300 horses. PARR is primarily powered by Dr. Papp and her husband who is a longtime trainer at Penn National Race Course, as well as a handful of dedicated volunteers.
The couple lives on the farm, where there are a little
fewer than 30 horses on site, some of which are their personal horses and permanent residents. When the PARR farm is unable to accept more horses due to space restrictions, various local “foster farms,” including Dr. Papp’s New Jersey-based family, pitch in to provide additional assistance.
Dr. Papp is the primary caregiver, rider and veterinarian for virtually every horse who comes through PARR, and her knowledge of every horse—inside and out— has been key to her ability to rehome them. She evaluates all horses with a full physical exam, scope and radiographs to have a better understanding of their physical condition, needs and limitations.
Once she has an idea of their physical condition and personality type, she can make decisions about their management. Do they want to be part of a herd? Do they want to have a job right away? Do they want to be in a stall or do they prefer 24-hour turnout? For Dr. Papp, it’s a matter of understanding what makes the horses most comfortable.
The horses are ridden anywhere from one to three days per week, usually first inside and then they are taken outside around the farm.
From there, she can get a feel for how bold the horses are and what their future careers might be. “We’re pretty good at assessing [them]. We know what the injuries and limitations are.”
She also likes to have horses for at least a month before rehoming them to make sure she knows them well enough to fit them with an appropriate owner. “We try to match them with the right people. I don’t just give the horse to the first person,” she said.
All horses adopted through PARR go on a trial period in their potential new home. They also come with a microchip, a guarantee of health at the time of the adoption and a lifetime guarantee that they can be returned at any time, for any reason. After the horses are adopted out, they are monitored each month.
Seeing the horses leave for their new homes is a bittersweet feeling for Dr.
Papp, who is involved in every aspect of the horses’ lives, from the time they arrive until they leave. “I consider them all mine,” she said. She’s happy for them to find new homes with loving owners, but it’s not easy to see them go.
While PARR has helped hundreds of horses find their forever homes, there are some standout success stories, like that of Robin’s Revenge, a Thoroughbred who came through PARR and found his new career with trainer Erica Eggert. He didn’t have talent for the racetrack and suffered a serious injury, which required surgery that placed screws in his knee. He recovered from the surgery and it was discovered that whatever talent he lacked on the racetrack, he made up for in jumping ability. Eggert developed his natural skill and he went on to compete successfully in the hunters.
Robin’s Revenge is just one example of a retired racehorse who flourished in life off the track. Dr. Papp’s hope, though, is that successful Thoroughbreds aren’t classified as something different in the competitive world simply because of their breed. “I don’t want people to see the Thoroughbreds as different. I want to go in the 1.10-meter and 1.15-meter just like everyone else, not have anything said about it being a Thoroughbred and be taken for the same skills as everyone else there. My biggest dream is to do the Amateur Owners and have a good 1.20-meter or 1.30-meter horse and have them say, ‘That’s such a nice horse. What is he?’ and say that he’s a Thoroughbred.
All we need is one or two really good Thoroughbreds to make it in the big grands prix again, as far as jumpers go. I hope somebody takes a Thoroughbred and makes them into the next World Cup horse.” For more information about PARR, visit paracehorse.org.