New CANTER Initiative Helps Both Horses and Military Members in Need

Canter Mid-Atlantic owned horse Pegasus Fever gives a first riding lesson to a young military family member. Photo by Allie Conrad.

Canter Mid-Atlantic owned horse Pegasus Fever gives a first riding lesson to a young military family member. Photo by Rachel Medley.

CANTER has announced a new partnership with the Old Glory Legacy Foundation (OGLF) in Wagram, North Carolina that will help rehome ex-racehorses who are considered difficult adoptees due to their age, soundness and appearance. Through a program called “Warrior’s Claim,” horses will work with military members and their families as part of the rehabilitation process before they are made available for adoption.

“Attractive, sound, vice and injury-free horses are finding homes at unprecedented rates, but the injured, old and plain horses often get overlooked,” read a recent CANTER press release. “This groundbreaking program will help the forgotten horses and give them a path for adoption, and help military members and their families in a way that only a Thoroughbred horse can help.”

Warriors Claim will take horses passed over by sport horse buyers and give them time to recover plus two months of retraining and desensitizing before they are moved into the program at OGLF where they will interact with military members and their families through ground work, lessons and trail rides for six to nine months before they are made available for adoption.

“This alliance is going to save the lives of Thoroughbreds who have so much to give but are overlooked by the sport horse buyers. We have countless horses who might have small injuries or not be able to pass a pre-purchase who languish in limbo, but still have so much to give,” said Allie Conrad, Executive Director of CANTER Mid-Atlantic.

“Thoroughbreds are unbelievably empathetic, and we believe their very nature will lend itself to healing Military members, veterans and their families who face countless mental and physical traumas. In helping these families, they will be learning much-need skills to help them find their forever homes.”

You might remember the OGLF, a non-profit that brings military members and their families closer together through horses and the outdoors, from our stories about Hope the Wonderhorse, who inspired the creation of the Sandhills Horse Rescue. OGLF and Sandhills Horse Rescue Founder Rachel Medley told us in an interview that one day she hoped to be able to take in more horses in need, but it would depend entirely upon income.

Now is the time and you can help. The goal is to raise $10,000 to support Warrior’s Claim for the first six months. Click here to donate through the CANTER Mid-Atlantic website.

“Our mission has always been to help the horses who need help, and this program will ensure that it will continue,” Allie said. “Our pilot program has proven to be amazingly successful, and we cannot wait to be able to help more horses.”

[CANTER announcement: Introducing a groundbreaking new program to benefit forgotten Thoroughbreds, Military Members and their families]