May/June 2024 Issue

Page 38 May/June 2024 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Grooved Rubber Flooring Non - Slip Surface Virgin Rubber e1 Great For Dairy & Horses Also available ungrooved rubber for other purposes. Horse Mats That Last A Long Time Rubber for Steel Wheels 2" Thick Rubber for Snow Pushers and Manure Scrapers NEW WAVEMATTING 2958 Best Rd.• Morgantown, PA 19543 484-645-3919 - Ray 484-645-3355 - Glenn In Business For 43 Years Shipped Rubber Flooring Nationwide and Internationally PTK Racing Supports Its Horses for Life; Horses & Kids Benefit By Marcella Peyre-Ferry When non-profit organiza- tions work together, there can be great outcomes for both horses and kids. Work To Ride is taking on a horse from PTK Racing’s partner Pastured Place, a non-prof- it retirement and rehoming orga- nization for former racehorses, to take part in the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover competition this fall. PTK LLC is a family owned stable dedicated to responsible racing and breeding of Thor- oughbred horses. They try to make sure that every horse that goes through their stables has a home when their racing days are done. To accomplish that they have partnered with the non-prof- it organization Pastured Place. Older horses and those that need specialized care, who may face a long-term retirement, may go to Six M Farm in West River, MD. Horses that have potential for a second career may go to Meadow Spring Farm in Oxford, PA. This spring, Ali Rawle from Meadow Spring Farm contacted Lezlie Hiner, founder of Work to Ride, about a horse that could be a good candidate for the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thorough- bred Makeover. Work to Ride is a non-prof- it organization that empowers Philadelphia youth through horsemanship, equine sports and education programs. Through riding and horse care the city children experience educational, social and cultural experiences that are otherwise unavailable. “This racing family is dedicated to taking care of their horses when they are done racing. They board out over 120 horses. Some of them are pasture pets, some of them Ali gets so they can be rehomed,” said Hiner. Hiner was hesitant at first to take on a horse at this time. Work to Ride is boarding its horses outside its home base of Chamounix Equestrian Center while renovations are underway. One of the boarding locations is Northwestern Stables in Phila- delphia. What made the offer too good to refuse is that Pastured Place is supporting the horse and covering all expenses connected with taking part in the Thorough- bred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY October 9-14. “I’m excited about this. They pay all the bills for people like us who can’t really afford right now to pay for board and all the incidental expenses. They pay to get you to the Retired Racehorse Project in Kentucky,” Hiner said. The horse, a 5-year-old mare named Sconce, is by Animal Kingdom. She only raced a few times, with her best finish a third place that netted earnings of just $3,000. After she left the track, she was turned out for about a year and a half, only coming to Northwestern about a month ago. Horses entered in the make- over must have been raced within a designated time frame. There are divisions for trainers who are professionals, amateurs, juniors and team entries. Because they will be at Northwestern Stable the entry will be a team entry be- tween 17-year-old Work to Ride student Marc Anthony Harley and Northwestern Stable’s 13-year- old rider Isabella “Bella” Parillo. Marc Anthony has been with Work to Ride about seven years, starting with pony racing, then doing some jumping, but now focusing on polo. He will be competing in the polo divi- (Continued on page 41) Sconce, an off the track thoroughbred mare shown with young rider Is- abella Parillo, is headed to the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thorough- bred Makeover in November. She will compete in the team division, ridden as both a hunter or jumper and polo pony by both Parillo and Work to Ride student Marc Anthony Harley. Photo credit Maria Parrilla