Meet our Team

This Standardbred gelding was nicknamed George Strait by his trainer in honor of the country singer, George Strait. Around the farm, he is referred to as Curious George because of his nosey personality. George was foaled by Angus Hall and Keystone Last Call in Lucan, Ontario on March 2008. He raced as a trotter and earned $17,564 before retiring in 2012.

George is a gentle giant who is clueless to his size, loves attention, and will snuggle up to anyone. He doesn’t go anywhere without his sidekick, D.W.

Maria is a quarter horse mare who was foaled in 1990. She is a retired lesson horse and enjoys her new career as an equine assistant. Her patient and nurturing personality places her as the “grandmother” of the herd.

Maria loves to be groomed and will practically fall asleep if you brush her long enough.

Nicknamed “The Kid” by previous owners and fans, this Thoroughbred gelding was foaled in 2009 by Posse and Elise. The Kid raced on the flat track (including Saratoga Race Course) and earned $151,576 in his time running. After retirement from racing, Kid took on a new role as a lead pony at Saratoga Race Course and found himself to be a local celebrity with the fans. The Kid eventually was unable to continue his career as a lead pony due to back issues and retired to ReRun Thoroughbred Aftercare, where he received the necessary treatment. After recovery, Kid Blast found his way to THS, where he has discovered yet another role that he so comfortably fits in – giving attention and love to humans in need.

 

Nicknamed Quinten or Q on the farm, this Standardbred gelding was born in 2014 and had a brief racing career before retirement due to injury.

Quinten is a curious and kind horse with a lot of energy. He will follow you anywhere you go in the paddock and wants to be a part of any activity.

 

Cut Me Loose is a 2017 Thoroughbred gelding from Hold Me Back and Quiet Honor. His bloodlines reach back to Giant’s Causeway, Danzig, and Secretariat. This gorgeous young horse is called Copper for his shining personality and color.

Copper developed EPM (Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis) at a very young age – a disease that attacks the central nervous system of the horse. Because Copper was so young when he developed this disease, it severely impacted his physical functioning, making him disoriented, agitated, and unable to race.

Founders of THS, Erin and Jim Sisk, set Copper up with intensive treatment from the veterinarian as well as condition training from Christine Schaszberger. With over a year of hard work and close monitoring, Copper has grown into a calm, affectionate, intelligent, and hard-working young horse. Despite his inability to race or be ridden more than trail riding, Copper has found an incredible new career as a therapy horse. We are thrilled to welcome this wonderful success story into our herd!

Laura’s love for horses began at a very young age when she competed in English riding and learned the ins-and-outs of horse care throughout her childhood. This interest extended to compassion and understanding for people and the ability of animals to comfort them. Because of these passions, Laura completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University at Albany with the intention of getting into the counseling field. During college, she interned at a local non-profit which specialized in rescuing neglected horses and using them for hands-on work with individuals in need. After running summer camps with at-risk youth through Parsons Family Center, Laura knew that this was the career for her.

As the Director of Equine Care at THS, Laura combines her knowledge and love of both horses and people. She works with the therapy horses to provide safe and meaningful space for clients with the use of consistent desensitization training. She then assists in equine-assisted learning sessions. Laura’s role in the paddock is to ensure safety and provide feedback by reading both the client and horses’ body language and looking for useful metaphors that can be used in real-life situations.

Because Laura knows that spending time with animals positively impacts her everyday, she aspires to spread that opportunity to others in the community through leadership in the THS volunteer program. Laura provides training and support for all volunteers who work with the horses.

Laura has a cat named Elwood and hopes to someday own horses and dogs of her own.

 

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Photogenic Legs, June 2020.  Known as “Boots” around the farm for the special shoes she wore due to hoof issues, this Standardbred mare, was foaled in Paris, Kentucky in 2007 and raced as a trotter in her days on the harness track.  She came to Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, Inc. for retirement in 2017.

Despite her physical limitations, Boots set an incredible example for many as she tackled challenges with strong, stubborn strides – and always a positive attitude.  A sweet, gentle, and motherly mare, she always greeted her friends with cuddles and nickers and loved a good molasses treat.  She taught us all about resilience in hard times and provided the softest shoulder to cry on.  She was an inspiration and bright spot in our days.