Racehorses spend their early years trying to be the first to cross the finish line, but one local woman has made it her mission to make their later years just as rewarding. Heather Walker has her story in tonight’s 7 Spotlight.
Thoroughbred horses are bred for racing. But their careers on the track are typically very short, which is why one woman has dedicated herself to finding these horses new homes once their racing days are over.
Raina Gunderson: “They just live a long time, and they’ve got a lot to give.”
Raina Gunderson has been working with horses for 30 years and knows just how special these animals are.
Raina Gunderson: “They can do anything. There are no limitations for a thoroughbred racehorse, none. They’re amazing, and they have so much heart.”
Racehorses can’t just go from the track to someone’s barn. They need retraining.
Raina Gunderson: “So they’re already trained. They just have to retrain their brain to be different to a calmer setting, to just be a horse and do other things.”
So far, some 300 horses have been trained to move on to other jobs.
Raina Gunderson: “They could be a polo pony. They can do police. We have hunter, jumpers, barrel racers, everything. They can do anything.”
This former racehorse is now a valued member of the Coral Gables Police force.
Ashley Sheran, Coral Gables Police: “A lot of what he does is community-oriented policing, so he’s a conversation starter. He’s a little bit easier to come up to and ask questions than, say, a motorcycle officer.”
He started in 2017 and underwent extensive training before being put on active duty.
Ashley Sheran: “Exposure training. We show them a little bit of everything. So we try to find out what bothers them and see if it’s something that they can overcome through working and just giving them an opportunity to see it more often.”
His partner, Officer Ashley Sheran, says in a way, racehorses are a perfect fit for policing because they are trained to ignore noise and focus on their job.
Ashley Sheran: “These guys are bred for that, so they’re exposed to a lot of people at the racetrack, loud crowds. It’s just a great opportunity for them to do something after the track that isn’t really out of the norm.”
It’s success stories like this that give Raina the greatest joy.
Raina Gunderson: “The racetrack is its own little world, and they all love horses, so, you know, it’s a love job.”
And transitioning these racehorses to a slower pace of life gets them to the ultimate finish line.
Heather Walker, 7News.
If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.
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