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StreamHorseTV is proud to present the Virtual Exhibit Opening "TRF Second Chances" at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame & Museum! 

Watch and enjoy the 35-minute event above! Learn more below and at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation website.

About the Event

Celebrating the history and leadership of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) as the oldest and largest charity dedicated to the welfare of Thoroughbred racehorses no longer able to compete on the racetrack, the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to open a new exhibit focused on the TRF's nationally recognized TRF Second Chances program. 

This innovative public-private partnership places the retired racehorses of the TRF in correctional and juvenile justice facilities across the United States, where the horses enjoy a safe and secure life in sanctuary while they teach the men and women in the vocational program the skills they will use to succeed when they complete their incarceration. The program is known for Saving Horses and Saving Lives.

In South Carolina, the TRF Second Chances Program is located at the Wateree River Correctional Institution in Camden, SC. For nearly 20 years the horses of the TRF have been positively changing the lives of the men participating in the TRF Second Chances Program.

On March 22, the TRF and Aiken Museum welcomed racing fans and horse lovers from across the country to preview the event and hear remarks from several "special guests" who have had direct experience with the program at Wateree.

Few prisons in the country were a better fit for a TRF program than the Wateree River Correctional Facility in Rembert, South Carolina. The facility has plenty of land, is in the middle of horse country, and already had several agricultural and vocational programs in place for the inmates. When then-warden John Carmichael read a New York Times story about the TRF and the success the organization has had at its other prison program, he knew Wateree had to have one too.

“The effect animals have on people is amazing, no matter where you are,” said Carmichael, who has since retired. “On inmates, it has tremendous benefits. One of the biggest problems in South Carolina, which has become very much a Thoroughbred state, is that we don’t have trained workers to work our horse farms.”

Carmichael said that great lengths will be taken to place the inmates now schooled in horsemanship on area horse farms upon their release.

“We will look for people who are going home to a community that has thoroughbred horse operations, so that the people who own the farms or barns know that the person has roots there and will stay around and be a good employee.”

The Wateree facility is the home to 40 retired Thoroughbreds.

About The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation: Founded in 1983, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is a national organization devoted to saving Thoroughbred horses no longer able to compete at the racetrack from possible neglect, abuse, and slaughter. As the oldest Thoroughbred rescue in the country, the TRF provides sanctuary to retired Thoroughbreds throughout their lifetime.

TRF cares for 500+ rescued and retired Thoroughbreds at Second Chances prison farms and Sanctuary Farms across the country. The organization is funded entirely by private donations. The TRF is accredited by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and has a Platinum rating with Guide Star.  For more information visit: https://www.trfinc.org/