“He has two loves in his life, his family and his horses.” That’s how Susan Mollica describes her husband Bert. “You know how a good mechanic can listen to a car and know what’s wrong with the engine? Bert’s the same way with horses.”

Bert’s affinity for horses has been quite evident since he and Susan decided to foster horses for the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society earlier this year. In just a few months they’ve hosted several newly retired Standardbreds: Hollywood Ham, Steam Machine, Lisvinne, Kwik Mac, Marc Et Master, Howdy Partner and Masseno (Bugsy) and within just a few weeks Bert’s had them all turned into riding horses and ready for new forever homes leading to Bert’s nickname, the horse whisperer.

A life long horseman, Bert is quick to point out that his success with the horses is thanks in large part to their previous care givers. “I don’t call what I’m doing with the horses training them, I say I’m tuning them up, they’ve already been trained. The horses we’ve had, I have to give credit to their trainers, owners and grooms, anyone who had been looking after them, they put in the hard work,” he said humbly. 

“These horses are smart, they have the manners and they want to learn. I’ve worked with other breeds, some Thoroughbreds for example, that were very hyper and weren’t trained properly, you can tell the difference between the horses. If you get one that was treated terribly you can’t do anything with them. In my experience Standardbreds just want loving and the Standardbred horse people really love their animals, it’s not just a business for them. For the most part the horses are not being treated like machines and the people genuinely like working with the horses. When I go to the track it’s obvious everyone loves their horses. So when I get a horse from an environment like that, the work is mostly done. The horses are very happy to learn and work.”

While Bert downplays his success with the retirees, the time he commits to each one is an integral part of his formula. “I do spend a lot of time with them, they all become my babies. For me it’s not a business, I enjoy it, I’ll spend hours standing in the field just talking to them. I don’t have a bridle or a saddle, I just spend as much time as I can and the horses seem to like it. I don’t push them, they’ve been pushed all their lives. One of the biggest things I have to teach them is they don’t have to race anymore. They don’t have to go fast. We become buddies, I don’t have a whip, I don’t use a whip. If any horse I’m riding is afraid of something, I get off the horse, we walk up to it and I take the time to let them understand whatever it is.”

“I’m forever calling him in for lunch or dinner, he’s always out there with his horses,” laughed Susan. “We met when I was 16 and he was 18 and he loved the horses as much then as he does now.”

The couple met while Bert was working for the Thoroughbred operation Gardiner Farms. “I started in the broodmare barn and then moved to the racing barn,” Bert remembered. They’ve been together for more than three decades and during that time have faced a great deal of adversity but despite that they remain optimistic and positive with an unwavering love for their sons and horses.

Their son Christopher was born 31 years ago and was deprived of oxygen during birth which left him severely handicapped. He cannot speak but can nod his head to communicate and currently gets around in a wheelchair. 

“He has well exceeded multiple life expectancies we’ve been given,” explained Susan. “He’s very intelligent, he could read a race program from the time he was two. My father, Earl Henry, had race horses. He worked at Woodbine and Georgian Downs and he and Christopher would bet with pennies.

“Our other son, Adam, is a high school teacher in Barrie. He’s good with the horses, he can harness and tack a horse. He went through to be an industrial designer, and then went back to York to get a degree in education. By the time he was 22 he had two bachelor degrees. He’s our right hand man and helps with anything we need as he’s only a half hour away. He’s at the farm all the time giving us a hand.”

Both sons share their parents’ love for horses. When Christopher was young Bert built him a special saddle with a backrest so he could ride. After several surgeries that wasn’t possible, so Bert created a cart which accommodates the wheelchair to allow Christopher to drive his horse, the Standardbred mare Eight Of Hearts, a 17 year-old daughter of Cams Card Shark.

“She absolutely loves Christopher,” Bert said. “She never gallops, but when she sees Christopher come out of the house, she gallops to him, it’s heartwarming to see. We’ve had her since 2008. We went to a Standardbred auction, the Flamboro mixed sale, of all the horses in the sale Christopher picked Eight Of Hearts, there was nothing I could do to talk him out of it. There were horses that would have worked better, but he wanted her and we bought her; she was in foal. When we put the cart on her she knows it’s business, it’s a 300 pound wheelchair and she pays attention. She’s not the world’s greatest show horse, but she knows she’s pulling Christopher and she knows she has to behave. That’s why I love these horses.”

It was through Christopher and his horse that the Mollica family got to know Joanne Colville, OSAS’s manager. “I called Joanne to see if she would allow Christopher to compete in one of the Standardbred horse shows,” explained Susan. “She said ‘of course, why not?’ And I told her a lot of people had said no and we were very grateful that they allowed him to compete. Everyone welcomed us with open arms. I am really hoping that once the shows come back that the people who have adopted horses that have been at our place will come and show them. My dream is that they’ll all come out.”

“It was at the horse shows that we first met Joanne and we hit it off,” recalled Bert. “She wanted to buy my quarter horse, Koda, to use when she outrides at Mohawk. When I wouldn’t sell him she asked if I would tune up her horse, Jay, which I did. He’s a pretty good horse, he just needed some fine tuning so I worked with him for a bit. I had done some Xtreme Cowboy and made a course here at the farm with a bridge, teeter totter, some sticks to walk over and flags. I tried to get him to ride with a flag flapping and really just tried to get him used to anything I could think of that might spook a horse. I put Jay through that and he turned out to be really smart. Joanne then asked if I would be interested in working with other horses and I said we’d give it a try.”

“I was really impressed with the way he worked with Jay,” said Joanne. “Bert is a true horseman, he simply has the knack to communicate with them that few people are blessed with. I saw it first with Jay and now subsequently with the OSAS horses he has worked with; he does an incredible job with them. I always stress that there is no rush with these horses, several of which are straight from the track, but Bert is usually riding them within a few days with no problem at all.”

This past summer marks the first time Bert’s ridden a horse in three years. “He almost lost his life three years ago. At five in the morning he was driving to work, he did concrete forms on construction sites, and was involved in a head on collision and was severely injured. We’re very fortunate he’s here,” noted Susan.

The Mollicas have a small hobby farm 30 minutes south of Barrie. In addition to Bert’s riding horse, Christopher’s Eight Of Hearts, they also have four miniature horses. When they take in a new OSAS horse they’ll put one of the minis in with them to keep them company. One of the first horses they fostered was one familiar to many Ontario racetrack goers, Hollywood Ham, who was one of the stars of the Hands On Horses program which allowed track patrons the opportunity to ride behind a Standardbred (along with a qualified driver) for one trip around the racetrack. 

“Hollywood Ham was an absolute dreamboat. About two weeks after he’d been here he could do anything I asked him. He really learned quickly and was such a good mannered horse to work around. He loved the attention, he was used to it, and that’s what made him so easy to put a saddle on, he wanted to please me,” explained Bert. “The woman who adopted him absolutely loves him and now her husband is riding him as well. We love to hear about how the horses are doing after they leave us, because that’s the hardest part of it, having to say goodbye to them.

“The horse we delivered recently, Marc (Marc Et Master), he put his head right into my chest when I was saying goodbye. His new home is beautiful, and I know he’s going to be well looked after, but that’s the toughest part with these OSAS horses, letting them go. We really get attached to them in a short period of time. I’ve had them a month on average and it kills me to see them go, I’m a big softie. They all become my buddies, they all become part of me.

“I can calm a horse down and relax them, I now have a new life and can enjoy myself,” Bert explained. He has no rules when it comes to working with the OSAS horses, the schedule depends entirely on the horse. 

“I’ll spend a week on the ground, letting them get used to me, maybe the next week we’ll try a bridle and saddle and usually a couple of days after that I’m on them, it all depends on how they react. Normally once I know they’re good with a saddle and are comfortable, then we start riding. At first most of them want to run, it’s my job to calm them down and teach them to go slow. With some horses the adopters have a specific goal for them and Joanne will let me know. The last horse we had, Bugsy, Joanne said they were interested in doing some Canadian Cowgirl so that’s what I worked on with him.

“I like what I do and I’m in no hurry. If it takes me all day to get them to do something, I don’t care. I don’t work. Sometimes it’s a half an hour. If a horse gets frustrated we’ll take a break and do something fun in the field. We’ll go and play. The horse needs to want to do it, they will never be pushed by me. Every horse is different, you can train a horse sometimes in a week, next one can take two months, it depends on the horse’s background. If he’s been racing all his life it might take longer. It’s fun, every horse has their own personality. With Marc he raced on a Monday night we got him on Wednesday morning and by Thursday or Friday I had a saddle on him. He was that good. Howdy was the same. Sometimes the hard part is slowing them down. 

“No one has really given me a hard time or tried to throw me off, they’ve all been well mannered. I’ve said to Joanne: ‘thanks for giving me all the good horses’ and she says: ‘you’re getting the ones that come.’” 

The Mollicas first experience with Standardbreds was in 2007 when they purchased a yearling named Dreamfair Star, a daughter of Dreamfair Vogel.

“I broke and trained her and was pleased with her but unfortunately our circumstances changed a few years later and we had to sell her,” said Bert.

“We went to the sale to get a male trotter and came home with a filly pacer, she was the first racehorse we had. We were sad to sell her and recently I’ve been trying to find her to buy her back but without much success. If anyone out there knows what happened to her I’d like to find out,” said Susan.

“I’m a quarter horse guy but I do love Standardbreds. When I was 19 a friend of mine had a Standardbred and I trained him to do barrels. I went to the horse shows and he was cleaning up, no one could believe it was a Standardbred, but I find the breed is willing to learn new things,” praised Bert.

Another trait Bert admires in harness horses is their gentleness and innate kindness. “I’ve had a horse in the cross ties and Christopher will drive right up to them. He can’t judge the distance very well, and they’ve all been so good to him, they’re so smart. He’ll drive right up, get really close, they sniff his ears, pull off his knapsack, it’s like they sense they need to be gentle. The horses come right up to the back of the house if we leave the gate open, if I left the door open Howdy would have come right in,” laughed Bert.

While the Mollicas have been working with the Standardbreds throughout this current pandemic, it did cause the cancellation of Christopher’s beloved horse shows. 

“He really missed the horse shows this year, they’ve become a whole family event,” explained Susan. “There have been a multitude of people in our lives in the Standardbred world who have been kind to us but I can’t explain how great (trainer/driver) Graham Kirby has been to us. He saved Christopher’s horse’s life. His wife, Lia Jackson, is our veterinarian. Graham has always treated Christopher like a superstar. 

“Another fantastic horse person we’ve met is Mike Wade, he and Christopher are best buddies. When I talk about him being severely handicapped, Graham and Mike treat him as an individual, Trevor Henry is the same as well, he always makes a point to come and talk to Christopher. We met Mike through Joanne (whose sister Annmarie is Mike’s partner). I take Christopher to Georgian every race night which is where we met Annmarie who was racing a horse. They all treat my son like there’s nothing wrong with him and are great to support us. I called Mike one night when Christopher’s horse was choking and Mike and Annmarie told me what to do.”

It’s quite obvious that the Standardbred horses and people have made a significant difference in the lives of the Mollica family.

“We’ve made new friends with all the people who have taken these horses. Susan talks to them on the computer and if any of them are having issues with the horse I’m more than happy to come out and ride them to see what the problem is if necessary. Every person I’ve met in the Standardbred world would help me. I remember when I was training my first horse, I had the knee boots on the wrong leg and the guy beside me looked at me and said ‘you’re a new guy aren’t you?’ I had the boots on upside down on the wrong side and he was quick to help me. 

“I call it a family - the Standardbred family.” And it’s one the Mollicas have embraced, and been welcomed into, with open arms.

This holiday season was made extra special for an Eastern Ontario family thanks to the Standardbred mare Foamy who was delivered as a present to a very surprised and deserving Taralee Waite on Christmas Eve.

While 2020 has been challenging for everyone, it has been especially tough for Tara who was diagnosed with breast cancer in February. She was booked for surgery in March but when the pandemic hit that was pushed back until late May. She was then given the devastating news she also had ovarian cancer. Since then she’s gone through seven rounds of chemo as well as radiation treatment.

“Throughout it all Tara has remained hugely positive and optimistic with a touch of realism,” said Tara’s friend and neighbour, Julie Morrison Kangas, who is best known in the Standardbred world as the caretaker of the great trotter Goodtimes, a member of Canada’s Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Tara’s husband, Glenn Cameron, wanted to surprise his wife with a horse for Christmas and reached out to Julie asking for assistance. “Tara was an avid rider until her 20s and her husband approached me to help find her a horse,” explained Julie. “The horse would be for trail riding, playing around, emotional support and overall therapist and what better breed for all of that than a Standardbred?” 

Julie turned to Joanne Colville and asked if the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society had any horses that would be suitable. Her timing couldn’t have been better as the Striking Sahbra daughter Foamy had just become available. “Foamy had just been returned to OSAS through unfortunate circumstances. She’s a lovely mare with the sweetest personality and really cute,” described Joanne. 

The plan was hatched and local horseman Jason Woodward drove Foamy to her new home and Glenn managed to pull off his equine Christmas gift for his wife. The following is part of what Julie wrote regarding the surprise on her Facebook page:

“Well, we pulled it off. Weeks of secrecy and behind the scenes texting. It has taken a village to pull this off. 

“Welcome to the Cameron family Foamy. Tara was speechless and had absolutely no idea. This horse will be exactly what Tara needs, she deserves this perfect Christmas present.

“Knowing the perfect breed, I turned to Joanne and the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society for help. She knew exactly the perfect horse for this very special situation. Within a week we had everything ironed out. Enter Jason (Woodward) who, even though had been racing for two days down Mohawk way, he made yet another trip to pick Foamy up. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to you both. It means so much.

“Foamy must know the role she is to play since she has settled in like a dream.This is the boost my good friend Tara needs and deserves. Special thank you to Jackie Wimbush for documenting Foamy's journey so far. It is so very much appreciated. It is the start of a great friendship for these two. Tara, you deserve this very special gift.”

Tara, who has two children, daughter Kennedy, 11, and son Harley, 7, received another special gift just after Foamy’s arrival in the form of a dream featuring her father who died close to five years ago. “I have Irish roots, deep, green roots. In the dream we were sitting in a pub talking. The bartender handed him a beer and my Dad said ‘Ahh, would ya look at the cúr (pronounced cure) on that pint!’ I said ‘Dad, cúr means foam/foamy in Irish doesn’t it?’ He smiled at me and I woke up,” recalled Tara.

Understandably Foamy’s new nickname is Cure which is very fitting on so many levels. 

Photos credit to Jackie Wimbush 

Tara’s husband Glenn shot this video of her reaction when she first met Foamy

https://www.facebook.com/glenn.cameron.503/videos/10159053472317938

The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society’s newest member has likely had more drivers and trips around a racetrack than just about any other harness horse. Hollywood Ham faced the gate 135 times during his racing career but made hundreds more trips around all sized tracks as one of the equine stars of the popular Hands On Horses team. 

That program visited many of Ontario’s racetracks where patrons were invited to enter to win the chance to sit behind one of the Standardbred racehorses for a trip around the track between races. As every track operator can attest, this was a very popular attraction, engaging fans, young and not so young, who lined up for the unique experience.

Hollywood Ham, known affectionately as ‘Woody’, and his partners in Hands On Horses converted many casual racetrack goers to devoted fans after their trip around the oval. The horses wouldn’t just give them a ride, they would allow their passengers the chance to have a photo taken with them and they stood for hours as they were given treats and pets by the delighted fans.

Stacey Reinsman, Woody’s owner and trainer, was usually the driver behind her beloved pacer as she gave rides to hundreds of folks behind him in the two seated sulky.

“He actually started giving rides with Hands on Horses while he was still racing and he quickly adapted to giving rides and I think preferred it to racing. I can clearly remember one night when I was warming him up to race and he saw a kid standing near the winner's circle (where we would always pick kids up to give them a ride) and he tried to stop the warm up because he wanted to pick the kid up to give him a ride. I think it was shortly after this that I knew he was ready to stop racing and focus on promoting the sport by giving rides and we never looked back until COVID that is,” said Stacey recently. 

Bred by Chris Christoforou and Bobbi Morley, the now 12 year-old son of Mach Three is the second foal from Access Hollywood who took her life mark of 1:52.4 at Woodbine in her three-year-old season. She earned $145,000 during her career. Her son wasn’t quite as successful but he did take in over $55,000 during his racing career.

Stacey’s history with the horse goes back several years. “I met Woody when he wasn't even a full year old on a farm and shortly after made arrangements to purchase him as a yearling. He was a little bit afraid as a baby, very timid, but he trusted me and we bonded instantly. He has become much more laid back over the years and really loves kids.”

Hollywood Ham’s last career start was in October of 2015. “I stopped racing him for a variety of reasons,” explained Stacey. “He wasn't able to perform to the level of his competitors and I didn't want to put him in lower claiming races.”

From that time until a few months ago he and Stacey were still quite active with the Hands On Horses program and the horse absolutely excelled in his second career.

“Woody was so good at interacting with the public, especially kids. He would just stand there for kids to pet him in the paddock or walking along the fence beside the track and not many horses will do that while on a racetrack. Woody loves kids, his whole demeanour changes when a child is petting his face, he relaxes right into the touch of their hand. He also quickly adapted to standing and waiting on the track for the cart to be loaded, which a lot of horses struggle to feel comfortable with,” noted Stacey.

Allowing patrons the chance to ride behind our magnificent Standardbreds is easily one of the most popular fan interaction ever introduced. However, in this era of COVID with no patrons or on track promotions, Woody found himself out of a job and Stacey was faced with the difficult decision regarding his future.

“With the end of the program Woody is in need of a new career and purpose as I am no longer able to offer him the time and love he needs and deserves. He has had his career as a racehorse, his second career promoting the sport and now due to COVID he is ready for his third career as a companion and riding horse. I unfortunately am at a place in my life where I can't offer him the time and interaction he deserves. 

“I actually always dreamed of living in the country and giving him a forever home, however, life didn't work out that way and I'm hoping to find someone else who can offer him a loving forever home. I also chose OSAS because of their outstanding reputation for placing horses in adoptive homes, I trust their ability to find him a home that will be the right fit for him.”

Once Woody has settled in at an OSAS foster farm, he’ll be trained to ride. He does have some experience as Stacey started sitting on his back when he was three and riding when he was four. 

“He never even hesitated in the saddle, he is happy to walk along through the trails and nothing really bothers him while riding. He is a very adaptable horse and is willing to take on new experiences and learned quickly how to take me on long trail rides.

“I am hoping for him to be placed in a home where he can have a connection and bond with someone special. I am hoping he will have a pasture with another horse because he loves to make friends. And potentially hoping someone will want to drive or ride him to give him continued purpose at this stage in his life. I ultimately want him to be loved and happy for the rest of his life. He has given so much to the sport of harness racing and I want to see him lovingly rewarded for that.”

The heartwarming story of the 10 year-old pacer Ramblingamblinman finding his forever home with long time horse owner Don Washburn accurately illustrates why the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society works tirelessly to find retired harness horses new homes.

Don reached out to OSAS to adopt a horse and asked that his age, a young 73, not be judged against him. And, of course, it wasn’t. He was matched with Ramblingamblinman (who he now calls Beau) a few weeks ago and the pair have bonded quickly.

“Ramblingamblinman has now been here for 10 days, and he made himself at home right away,” he advises.

“Yesterday I tacked him up and rode an introduction ride with me; he accepted me, never missed a beat. He’s an honest horse, one who wants to be a companion and a riding partner. I have owned over 80 horses over the last 53 years in my trail riding school and my private horses. Ten of them have been Standardbreds and none have disappointed me.

“Beau was a pleasant surprise above the rest. He not only impresses me as a horse but has been a great cure for my grief of losing my Quarter Horse, Ben, to a stroke after having him for 22 years. He has already filled that gap in my life. The picture taken was yesterday after a ride with obstacle courses.”

This is a fresh start for Beau, a son of Lis Mara who enjoyed a successful racing career, with 119 lifetime starts and a summary of 20-20-17 for $234,606 in earnings. His life mark of 1:50.4s came during his seven-year-old season at Hoosier Park. He began his career in 2014 at Pompano Park and ended it in early 2020 at Woodbine under the care of trainer Shayne Barrington. 

Bred by Perretti Farms Ramblingamblinman (also a Bob Dylan song title), is from the Artsplace mare Armrbo Althea. His sister, McGibson is the dam of $1.4 million winner Boston Red Rocks, a Breeders Crown and Governors Cup winner as a two-year-old. His second dam is the Dexter Nukes daughter Althea Seelster who was an outstanding two-year-old two decades ago, winning more than $200,000 in her debut campaign.

Ramblingamblinman’s new owner is very appreciative to have had the opportunity to adopt a horse of his calibre, commenting: “There are many retired Standardbreds that are broke and trained to ride, looking to start a new career and find a deserved loving forever home. These horses have paid their dues, now it's time for us to give back.

“Thank you for finding me my new best friend and companion.”

The Ontario harness racing industry has been decimated over recent months with three separate shutdowns due to the global pandemic. With racing now back on track, our horse people finally have a little hope. That’s exactly what the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society received last year. A small weanling filly with the apt name of Hope.

This was historic as OSAS had never accepted a weanling before, but the circumstances were unique. Hope was born at Seelster Farms in the spring of 2020. Her dam is boarded at the Lucan, Ontario, breeding farm on a year-round basis.

“Like every breeder we had high hopes of a perfect cross and a perfect foal,” explained Ann Straatman, the Reproduction Manager at Seelster.

“We knew right away on the day of her birth she had wry nose. It’s a genetic complication or defect where the nose is crooked which impacts their airway. The wry nose is very rare, I’ve only seen it twice before. Because it’s a midline defect, it sometimes comes with heart defect. I had seen that once and the foal died suddenly of a heart attack. 

“The second one was a defect that proved incompatible with life, the foal couldn’t nurse or eat,” explained Ann whose father, the late Chris Van Bussel, started Seelster Farms with his family more than 60 years ago.

“Fortunately, her nose was not severe enough to prevent her from nursing or eating. The owners were good enough to make a commitment to the foal and they wanted to continue that commitment even though she would never be a racehorse. The goal from the start to find her another purpose in life, to find her a home where she can make a contribution. She’s a beautiful filly, she’s absolutely perfect other than that wry nose.”

Hope’s owners began exploring options for the filly. They reached out to a few sources but weren’t successful finding something that fit.

“I had suggested to her before filly was weaned ‘why don’t we talk to OSAS and repurpose her as a pleasure horse?’ There is no reason why someone can’t ride her. She could be a trail horse or even a companion horse. I truly think she can be a riding horse, just not in competition,” notes Ann.

“She’s so sweet and friendly. After she was weaned from her mom, she was able to continue eating hay and pellets and never lost weight which is always good sign. We got her halter broke and taught her to lead, pick up her feet and stand in the cross ties, all the things necessary for a respectful horse.”

Ann, the most recent past Chair of Standardbred Canada, reached out to another former chair of that national body, Joanne Colville, who runs OSAS, and they discussed the possibility of Hope coming to OSAS.

“This was an unusual situation,” said Joanne. “OSAS is not normally positioned to accept a weanling, but we made an exception in this case. Seelster Farms have been one of our most generous supporters for many years. Every year they step up in a huge way for our annual stallion auction which historically is one of the best fundraisers for OSAS each year. They have always gone above and beyond to support our organization so our board agreed to welcome Hope into the program and we were happy to do so.

“Seelster Farms does a great job raising horses and Hope is no exception, she’s a true pleasure to be around. They taught her well,” Joanne added.

Also helping the young filly as she started with OSAS was having Purina supply a special formula of feed made specially for weanlings called Juvenile. Purina has long been a major supporter of OSAS and this was yet another way they have contributed to their horses.

When Hope first came to OSAS she lived at Joanne’s farm for a few weeks for an initial assessment. She was then moved to the foster farm owned by Mary Christopher in Acton. She shares her pasture time with another yearling lass, Manerva.

“The goal now is to rehome her through OSAS. Now that she’s a yearling she can begin her lessons hopefully in the fall. It all seems to make sense. We know for sure she has a purpose. Hope was such a sweetheart right from the start. I have to give a lot of credit to her owners for continuing that commitment to her. All of us at Seelster believe that if you make a commitment to the horse, you follow that through,” Ann summarized.

It was her owners who christened the filly with her name. They knew that while she may not be a racing hopeful that doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy a full life. 

Hope has been scarce in the Ontario harness racing community throughout the COVID-19 crisis, something Ann herself is far too familiar with having contracted the virus and being very ill for several weeks which included a hospital stay. “It’s just this week I’m feeling back to normal. It’s very real.”

Despite the pandemic and numerous lockdowns, OSAS has been busier than ever which is remarkable given the challenges presented in inspecting horses and potential forever homes, staffing and shipping horses. Many applications are currently on file for people wanting to adopt a horse. One of those could find themselves with a sweetheart named Hope.