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Writer's pictureKaeli Bartholomew

Ex-Racehorse Finds New Calling as a Hunter Through CANTER


Photo provided by Valerie Davis

CANTER is an organization well-respected for their ability to match horses and people. Those who work within the organization are more than willing to help equestrians interested in OTTBs find the perfect one for them. In the case of Valerie Davis, CANTER helped her find a horse suited to become a Hunter.


Valerie Davis found out about CANTER through Lake Erie College. “We were training CANTER horses for a grade,” said Davis. “I loved the horse I was assigned and started volunteering for CANTER after I graduated.” In order to get a good grade, the students had to get the horses to walk, trot, canter, and some even learned how to jump.

Right out of college, Davis decided that she wanted a horse again. She went to go look at a horse, but the horse she was interested in was no longer available by the time she got there. So, the volunteers at CANTER convinced Davis to look at a horse named Hope’s Jet. “They thought he would make a good Hunter, which is what I was looking for,” Davis explained. “He was fairly easy to ride and pretty so I bought him.” Hope’s Jet had raced 25 times, mostly at Beulah Park in Ohio. He hit the board just three times in his career.


Hope’s Jet, now called Delta, needed ulcer treatments when he first arrived at his new home. His feet also took a while to get back into good condition, but there was nothing majorly wrong. Davis says he did take a while to teach the left lead, but he was very easy to train to jump after that.


“Delta is expressive, brave, and very loyal,” Davis described him.


Together they compete in local hunters whenever they can.

“I just kind of fell into OTTBs because they're usually affordable to buy and good at jumping, but now I love them!” CANTER helped Valerie Davis find her perfect partner. Like everyone else who has gotten a horse through CANTER, Davis loves and recommends the organization.


“I tell people about CANTER all the time, they are great to work with and do good work matching horses and people” - Valerie Davis

 

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