look for in them is awareness of the horse’s greatness. Whether or not they have vast experience with horses is not the issue.” “Thoroughbreds have big souls,” she adds. “We have more to learn from them than they do from us. They’re 100 per cent heart and they’ll give it all away to you.” Van Sickle’s job to match potential adopters with the right LongRun horse. The goal is to find the horse a home for life. “A retired racehorse needs to learn how to be a horse again,” says Van Sickle. “Our thoroughbreds have to make enormous adjustments from their life at the track where they thrive on the strict routine and all the attention they get, to a life after racing. There will be challenges in the transitioning process, but there are also rich rewards.” “Adopters usually hear about LongRun by word of mouth,” explains Van Sickle. “People learn about us from our current adopters, through our website, or through our alternative community programs such as WindReach Farm, a therapeutic riding program for the disabled in Ashburn, Ontario.” To determine a good match, she explains, “We give the horse time for a fair assessment. Then we build a wish list for them. What I tell potential adopters is, ‘The horse picks you.’ What I
Once the adoption process is complete, volunteers follow up every six months for the first two years to ensure the horse is adjusting well to its new situation. Lathangue currently acts as guardian to four thoroughbreds. The key question to ask, he says, is, “Does the horse look happy? You can always tell when a horse is happy.” The Lathangues agree their experience with LongRun has been positive on all fronts. They’ve spent their lives around horses and at LongRun, they’ve found community with like-minded people dedicated to making a difference in the lives of these thoroughbreds. “This is our way of giving back,” explains Lathangue. Asked if he would ever sell either of his LongRun thoroughbreds, Lathangue doesn’t hesitate. “No, they’re both lifers,” he says with certainty. To find out more about the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, go to: http://www.longrunretirement.com or call Morgan at: 416-675-3993, ext. 3440. CQL
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