2018 LOPE Benefit Horse Show is NOW October 27. Learn More →
The LOPE barn needs some repairs and upgrades by November! LOPE always has rehab horses and older racing warriors during the winter months. Last year, our barn was constantly full due to horses in need of stall rest as well as inclement weather (sleet, below freezing temps). Our barn was so heavily used that it [...]
The 2018 LOPE Benefit Show Raffle features fun, high-value items and is a super easy way to support LOPE! 2X Treaty Oak Packages Bottles of the premium Treaty Oak Spirits, including the brand-new Ghost Hill Bourbon and Antique Gin! Six-person VIP tour and tasting at the lovely Treaty Oak distillery facility Treaty Oak speciality pint glasses There [...]
Dante 1992-2018 — owned and loved by Deborah Holbrook Dante was a gift from my wonderful daughter-in-law, Celeste. An OTTB, he possessed great movement and a personality to match! Retired from racing after a shoulder injury in the starting gate, we tried to find more information about his racing career along with his JC registered [...]
Why bother with tough, complicated horses? There are many horses who are calm, sound, well-mannered and easy to ride/train. With these horses, you can concentrate on your own riding goals (competitive or recreational). Many trainers have the perspective that challenging horses (especially troubled or injured ones) will only hold you back from bigger accomplishments. Wouldn’t [...]
LOPE is a nonprofit organization devoted to preparing at-risk horses for new careers, while inspiring young people through horsemanship education. We have launched a new videography internship for graphic design/video students who aspire to become professionals in the creative industry. Description and Duties Candidate Requirements Top consideration will be given to candidates in collegiate graphic [...]
Here are some of the 2017 highlights at LOPE: Favorite Learning Moments “Every single thing this internship has taught me will help me become a better friend, employee, horsewoman, and all around person.” The LOPE interns had a great year of education with our horses! Read what they learned at LOPE (in their own words). [...]
As the year draws to a close, I want to share a tale of two special equine teachers who came to LOPE. These two stories show why 2017 was such a big year for our charitable work — and why we are asking for your continued support of the LOPE horses and the young people [...]
Shadow Warrior is the latest racing warrior to arrive at LOPE. His story is unusual — and a perfect tale for the holiday season. Bred in KY in 2008, Shadow Warrior has a distinguished pedigree. His sire was AP Indy and his dam was Victory Ride (by Seeking the Gold). His breeder had produced many [...]
Eliza: The importance of emotional discipline “One of the most valuable things I’ve learned yet is how to control my emotions when working through challenges with a horse. Often times, before working with my current project horse Eli, I would find my self struggling to stay positive when I faced difficulties with my own horse.” [...]
Kissing Sally Falls had a spectacularly unsuccessful racing career. She retired after two races. Sally finished in last place for her first race. In the second race, she passed one horse to finish next to last. That horse had stumbled in the homestretch, allowing Sally to leisurely lope by him. Her race trainer told me [...]
Fiesty Day (aka "Friday") has rules about how to leave his stall (so we can clean it). First, alfalfa must be placed at the stall door to his barn pen. He may or may not choose to eat it right away. Sometimes Friday likes to just stand in front of the alfalfa and stare out over the pasture for awhile. Next, a mix of alfalfa AND hay must be spread out from the stall door to the barn pen. Finally, the trail of food must culminate in large pile of alfalfa in the middle of the barn pen. Ideally, the recipe goes in a specific order (alfalfa, followed by hay and ending in alfalfa again). If done properly, Friday will happily exit his stall and peacefully munch on the carefully designed buffet. If not done to his liking, he will return to his stall -- and stand exactly in the spot we are trying to clean! Friday is such a sweet horse -- we love his quirky, slightly nerdy personality! 🐴💕🤓🐎❤️
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