The Standardbred Retirement Foundation's (SRF) horses are the highlight at the New Jersey Training School, part of the Juvenile Justice Commission where the residents range in age from 12 to 23 years of age.
The program's purpose is to rehabilitate young offenders, and give them a vocational opportunity for when they have completed their sentence and are released.
Psycho Chicken and Bondlyns Dollipop are the new horses and received a very warm welcome by both the staff and the kids. The equine program is the school's favourite and there was great anticipation among the staff and kids waiting for the trailer to arrive.
Ken Lyons, a former groom at the track and now the instructor was especially pleased to have Psycho Chicken arrive, as she was a horse he groomed when she was racing. Previous owners – Mr. Harold Shiffman of Wayne, NJ, Ron Burke, and a woman by the name of Gail – all stepped up to re-obtain the mare. She had been rehabilitating under SRF's care and expense and was broke to saddle, but she continued to be passed over by adopters. "She is a late teenager, and that could be the reason," said Judy Bokman, "but, it is more likely that there are so many horses and not enough adopters; she may not have fit the bill for those looking for a horse at the time."
Bondlyns Dollipop, by Magical Mike, never made it to the track, but someone cared enough to give her a chance. She has been with SRF for several years. She too will be fussed upon and will aid in the rehabilitation of the youngsters. Should these horses age out of the program at the school, they will return to SRF and live out their lives under SRFs expense.
A unique part of the SRF's mission is that no horse that is part of the program will ever be at risk again. SRF has 208 horses under its care and expense with more than 100 assumed retired for life due to age or injury. Donations to the SRF are tax-deductible. For more information, please contact SRF at [email protected].
(With files from SRF)