My Turn: How a Triple Crown winner led me to HorseAbilty

I used to feed sugar cubes to mounted police horses in Manhattan when I worked there many years ago. I loved the horses and they brightened my day.

But somewhere along the line and over the years, my love for horses was buried under all the stages of life, with marriage and children.

Fast forward to 2015. I heard so much hullabaloo about a young 3-year-old horse named American Pharoah, with the unusual spelling of his name. He was due to run in the sweepstakes at Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, where I grew up. The press anticipated that he would be a strong contender for the Triple Crown title after a 37-year drought, when Seattle Slew and Affirmed last captured it in 1977 and 1978, respectively.

Turns out, American Pharoah ran to victory as the 2015 Triple Crown winner.

I wasn’t at the race, but I saw a photo of American Pharoah. There was something beckoning in his eyes that seemed to speak to me.

I knew I had to go and see him in person.

I found out he was promptly retired to do stud work at Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, siring other potential future winners for those horse owners willing to part with megabucks for the privilege.

On a tour of the farm, I caught a glimpse of him. I broke away to catch him. I clicked my tongue. His back was to me. He stopped eating his hay and turned around and came to the front opening of his stable. I touched his nose! Pharoah gave me his full attention. He was in no particular rush. I told him he was beautiful.

Four years later and still totally enamored, I visited him again. He maintained the same penetrating eye contact with me. I understood why he was and is still so immensely popular. He loves people!

Sadly, for me, I had no personal or continuing access to this horse. I don’t live in a suburban area zoned with tons of space for a horse, so I did the next best thing. American Pharoah inspired me to seek out a local farm on Long Island and find horses I could love and work with.

I found HorseAbility — an equine therapy center serving seniors and individuals with disabilities — on the campus grounds of SUNY Old Westbury. HorseAbility, a nonprofit since 1993, boards about 22 horses (plus several minis) for their therapeutic riding programs. It has won awards and operates on donations.

My husband joined me there and we’ve been grooming the horses and side walking (assuring the safety of riders while on horses) since 2018. When I go there and walk down the uneven, tree-trimmed dirt aisle strewn with stones, with paddocks flanking me on either side, my equine friends all stop grazing and come to the fence to greet me. The horses at HorseAbility give me a peaceful feeling, and it is fulfilling volunteer work. We even sponsor horses with a small monthly donation. I reckon it is probably the closest I’ll ever get to owning my own horse.

The seasons at HorseAbility are so beautiful, and as you look out at the vast, bucolic landscape, it feels like you are in the country.

I can truly say I’m living as close to my dreams as possible in retirement — all while horsing around! Thanks to American Pharoah, who won the big race, but also raced right into my heart.

Gloria Schramm

North Bellmore