I've been thinking a lot about questions this year: the ones we're afraid of getting wrong, and the ones we can't wait to ask.
LOPE had a big one of our own going into 2026. Last year we reached a record 1,300 youth and teachers. Could we build on that and offer deeper, one-on-one mentorship to teens who dream of becoming vets?
With the year in its final stretch, the answer is yes. We've reached more than 1,200 youth and teachers so far and expect to pass last year's record in December. And this summer, we launched our first-ever veterinary mentorship program.
We're building a true pipeline now, from second graders learning STEM in our school programs to teens pursuing veterinary careers through our mentoring internships. At the center of it all are the LOPE warhorses, the best teachers ever.
Meet Poptart, The Horse Who's Learning Right Alongside The Kids
One of this summer's teachers looked like Dr. Seuss drew him.
Poptart has big airplane ears, a sweet face, and a long, lanky build. His mane collects twigs and mud, even in dry weather, which takes some talent. The teens loved him.
After his racing career, Poptart spent six years as a track pony, escorting racehorses through their daily work. He was dependable and well cared for, but he had become withdrawn. The job no longer seemed to fit him.
At LOPE, our vets radiographed both front legs and checked his hind-leg soundness. We gave him a pasture vacation, and by early summer the vets felt he could go back to work.
That's what sustained mentorship makes possible. The teens could watch, ask questions, practice, and come back to see what changed. Along the way, they learned compassion, consistency, and how to read what an individual horse needs.
But Poptart still worried when we introduced something new. Was he uncomfortable? Anticipating pain? Or just unsure what we wanted? Why should he know the answer to a question no one had ever asked him?
The 15 teens in our new Warhorses and Veterinary Mentorship Program knew exactly how that felt.
Working alongside veterinary professionals, they learned why careful observation and a vet's assessment matter before deciding how to help a horse. As Poptart grew more confident, they learned when he needed reassurance, when he was ready to try again, and how to adjust their approach.
Today he's being restarted under saddle, with his young admirers following his progress. New things still worry him sometimes, but he keeps going. And every kid who works with him learns the same thing he's learning: you don't have to be perfect. You just have to be yourself and keep trying.
That's what sustained mentorship makes possible. The teens could watch, ask questions, practice, and come back to see what changed. Along the way, they learned compassion, consistency, and how to read what an individual horse needs.
From Planting Seeds to Vet School
Every future vet starts somewhere. For a lot of kids, it starts with a first look at a LOPE warhorse. Here's what that pipeline looked like in 2026:
- Record turnout. More than 1,200 youth and teachers reached so far this year, including a record 130 RSVPs at our Retama racetrack event alone. We still expect to pass 1,300 in December.
- 15 teens mentored by vets. We launched our first-ever summer vet mentorship group, with individual guidance and a summer spent getting to know our retired racehorses.
- Real vet partners. Through the Texas Equine Veterinary Association, Dr. Brittany Campbell and four veterinary students came out to coach our teens hands-on.
- Our first intern in vet school. Aubry, a former LOPE intern, was just accepted to Texas A&M's vet school, and came back to mentor the next group.
Last year was a breakthrough. This year shows how much we can build on it: deeper learning and individual attention, while reaching even more students.
Help Us Finish Strong
Our year-end goal is $135,000 by December 31, 2026, and we've already raised $40,000 in gifts and pledges. That's almost 30% of the way there, and every gift keeps the momentum going.
With your help, LOPE can:
- Reach 1,500 students and teachers in 2027, including doubling our youth veterinary mentorship group to 30 teens.
- Maintain our teaching herd of quirky, kind, hard-working ex-racehorses.
- Grow our partnerships with veterinary professionals, universities, school districts, and racetracks.
- Give horses like Poptart the time and care they need to become confident again.
Every Gift Keeps Our Momentum Strong
- $100–$500 feeds and cares for the teaching herd, keeping quirky, hard-working ex-racehorses like Poptart healthy and ready to teach.
- $1,000 sponsors a teen vet mentee, funding one of the 15 new spots next summer.
- $2,500+ sponsors a warhorse's rehab and vet care: the X-rays, pasture rehab, and daily care that turn a retired racehorse into a confident teacher.
Or give any amount that's meaningful to you. Every gift moves us closer to December 31.
Our warhorses' athletic careers, sports injuries, and big personalities make them extraordinary teachers. Your generosity gives them the care they deserve, and gives students the chance to learn from them.
Together, we're creating something that matters: a place where a horse like Poptart can find his confidence, and a teen can begin to imagine a future caring for horses like him.
Thank you for believing in what our warhorses still have to give, and in what our young people can become.
Lynn Reardon, Executive Director, LOPE Texas
