FLTAP My Story

Seven Go and I had a great time at Oatka park last weekend. He seemed to really enjoy being out and trekking through all the different parts of the park. I attached a couple pictures (didn't get any really good ones - but at least you can see him having fun). We went up hills, through ditches, over bridges and through some very over grown trails. Seven was as calm as could be thoughout. Kimberly Marigh, Rochester, NY 7gotrailridepic

The Story of a “Tru Queen” (A.K.A. Trudy)

By Debbie LaVaute, Skaneateles, NY

Once in a lifetime you may be fortunate enough to be owned by the perfect horse. That day came for me on November 14, 2009, at the Purple Haze Center. The moment I saw Trudy I knew she was mine – it was love at first sight!

After nearly 40 years of owning horses, the one thing I always wanted to do was to adopt and re-train a thoroughbred ex race horse and I wanted that horse to be a pretty bay mare. Trudy had been successful on the track but just no longer had the desire to race. I learned all about her on the web site and she was a pretty bay mare!

Six months later we were enjoying life together. She’s the most delightful horse I have had the pleasure to work with. She is sweet, sensible, willing and SMART. She has a huge heart! She’s doing beautiful under saddle as a pleasure horse and we are looking forward to may happy miles and years together.

I am forever grateful to the Purple Haze Center and particularly to Julie for making the adoption a reality. I also thank her former owners, the Monserattes, for allowing me this wonderful opportunity. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone. Your once-in-a-lifetime horse may well be waiting for you too!

The Story of Top Shotta and Rio Dinero

By Barb Havill, Branchport, NY

For seven years I have owned and competed a wonderful OTTB I bought directly from

a trainer at Finger Lakes Race Track. His name is Top Shotta; he's a dark bay 16.2 h.h.

gelding I bought two days after his last start, as a four-year-old. Within a couple of months he was doing basic dressage and trotting around hunter pace courses, jumping everything with ease.

I've evented him at Beginner Novice and Novice levels and every year he competed

he was either Champion or Reserve in the Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club

year-end awards.

One of Shotta's idiosyncrasies, however, is that he simply cannot deal with living alone. After a couple of days he won't leave his stall to go out to graze. He gets very depressed. Hence, he requires a pasture buddy.

I set out to find the right horse and made somewhere between 50 and 75 phone calls,

but never found one that pleased me. In late September of 2009 I saw a listing on

the FLTAP web site for a 4-year-old River Keen gelding. I called Julie and heard

the strangest tale about "Rio Dinero."

After seven starts his trainer Mike LeCesse had donated him to FLTAP as a 3-year-old. He was quickly adopted by a lady who sent him to her trainer for hunter/jumper basics.

He concluded that Rio would "never be a Grand Prix jumper" so she should return

him. She did so, but added that since he had E.P.M. he should be euthanized immediately! He showed no outward signs of the disease and after examination by five different veterinarians at FLTAP, they saw no reason to conduct further invasive tests. There was nothing wrong with the horse.

Within three hours of first learning about Rio, I arrived at FLTAP with an expert friend of mine, Herb Weaver. We saw Julie ride Rio, then I rode him in the indoor school and bought him within the hour. He was easy, quiet and sensible.

After lunging him daily for several weeks I took him to my dressage trainer's farm for a lesson. Karin Holmes watched me walk and trot him and declared that I could go straight dressage with him if I chose--he's that nice a mover!

In January I started lessons on him with Anne Eilinger, who agreed to drive down to our farm weekly to help me. I rode Rio out on trails, with Ann on my other gelding, Shotta, as well as practiced flat work, and later jumping, under her instruction.

In September I took Rio to his first "baby" combined test and he won a first and second

in his two classes. At the bottom of our dressage test the judge wrote "A Star is Born!"

Rio has been a delight to work with. I'm so fortunate to have him and thank everyone

connected with FLTAP for helping me get him. I hope to event him next year, but

most importantly, to enjoy him for a long long time.

Magical Quiver aka "Magda" is very happy in her new home at Hawks Meadow Farm. She placed 3rd in her first dressage show. She handled the hustle and bustle like a champ!

Siphons Off aka "Moose" is doing great! We really lucked out with this guy! Everyday surprises my dad and I with how smart he is! We have been doing a lot of flat work with him in the arena and on the trails. He is AMAZING on the trails, he's calm and really intelligent. Pretty soon, we are going to be taking him on his first overnight rail ride and I'm sure he's going to love it. I really want to thank you guys for the job you're doing. You were honest and didn't try to sugarcoat anything and it's amazing that you knew Moose was the right horse for us. I recommend FLTAP to anyone and everyone, and wouldn't think twice about using you again!

Jake: Eightyninecentsday to Million Dollar Baby - Read Online

Macao, aka "Mackie", continues to charm everyone who meets him. He is really smart and very willing to please.

Another Crash - from Urgent Need to Pet - Read Online

Parisian Airess, aka "Cali" is enjoying a spoiled life out in California.

Shock Jock - Read Online

Saz(Saxton River) is an absolute sweetheart. We love him and he is part of our family. He is best buddies with our other horse Bear. Thanks for your help. Saz is really enjoying life!

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Dover is adapting to his new home and doing fine! We love him to peices! We free lunge him daily and he always has kisses for his mom.

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Daisy (Daybeforeherbday) is doing very well, and seems to be taking new experiences in stride! She has done nicely at our lessons, and is learning how to ride in traffic (the horsey kind). She is adjusting well to the new noises and she is becoming more social with strangers.

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Alex (Alexander) is progressing nicely under saddle, and he has become accustom to his new home quite nicely! He has made a few solid friends and still gallops out into the coral to go play with them every day. He is quick to turn around and greet me when I come into the stable and I think he always looks proud that he has a owner that comes to the barn twice a day! He has brought me so much joy and he seems to be getting acclimated to his new lifestyle very nicely!! I am working with him on becoming a basic pleasure horse and hope to eventually trail ride with him. I found a good book on re-schooling thoroughbreds which actually named Alex's grandfather and 1980 Kentucky Derby winner - Sunny's Halo. That was really neat, but the book has a bunch of helpful hints and I am enjoying reading it tremendously!!!

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Worthy Lover ("Romeo") has been with us for six months and is enjoying his new lifestyle with fellow herd mates on our private farm. He fit in beautifully, and is extremely well-mannered (always nice to get one off the track for this reason). He is relaxing towards his new life as a pleasure horse. After 21 races, he will continue to have the winter off. We can't wait for spring. Thank you for being there; it benefits everybody.

I just wanted to say thanks again for helping me to adopt Rodeoactive! Our whole family just loves him so much, he is such a sweetheart! I have begun working him under saddle and he is great. He doesn't really like to halt yet, no surprise though. He is going to make an excellent hunter someday!

I've had Clocker ( Clocker Katz --bay) since July of '07. He's been retrained as a pleasure mount and is loving it. He's so smart and playful!! In fact, my family fell so in love with him that we decided that we wanted to bring another horse in as well. So we adopted Cammie ( Little Cammie --chestnut) this May. She can't be ridden, but nobody seems to mind that--she's learning how to be a pet and LOVES to be brushed and spoiled full time. Clocker loves his carrots and having his head hugged. They're turned out together and have gotten along great since day one! We are so grateful to FLTAP and to the trainers/owners that gave their horses to this program so we could have them in our lives. We absolutely adore them! THANK YOU!!!

I adopted Kickin Stones (aka: Stony) one year ago. My family just loves this big guy! He's very well mannered, and just loves his treats! Here is a picture that I took of him out in the pasture. He loves being turned out with his playmates! And as you cal tell in one of the pictures, he likes rolling in the mud!

Sailing West, aka "Sailor", is doing great! He went on his first big trail ride in the snow. He really loved it. Now that he is sound he is full of himself some days, but we love him very much.

Glory Be To Winloc, aka "Glory", has settled nicely into his new home, he's made lots of friends! Jake (another thoroughbred gelding) and him are best pals. We'e done many hours of re-training with him, after his week off when arriving he showed his real self to us! He plays hard with others, loves being out in the field! He jumps (high) over little water ditches, and he took some getting use to the bridge and the water underneath to get to the outter fields. He learns very quickly though! And is a champ at lunging and listening.