Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, May 26, 2011

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Harrison fourth-graders took turns sharing bits of apple and carrots.

Ferdy and Fly Lite might not have been the best racehorses, but they are fine ambassadors for the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center.

The two Thoroughbreds recently stopped by Harrison Elementary to visit with fourth-graders, who learned how to make friends with a horse.

Susanna Thomas, the center’s director, compared it to respecting cultural variances with classmates from different countries. And after all, a horse isn’t a dog or cat – and it doesn’t like to be patted directly on the face, especially given its monocular vision and natural fear of predators.

“The way to get along with horses is to be conscious of and listen to their experiences. You need to understand that they don’t see the world as you do,” Thomas told the kids.

She and adoption coordinator Melissa DeCarlo introduced the children to Ferdinand’s Star (a.k.a. Ferdy) and Fly Lite and shared a little of their mascots’ history. Ferdy’s father, for instance, wound up in the slaughterhouse despite having won the Kentucky Derby and the Breeder’s Cup Classic.

“Our job is to give off-the-track racehorses a new career,” Thomas explained. “We take about 30 days to re-school them and then play matchmaker.”

Thoroughbreds are clever and quick learners. That’s a good thing because one key lesson is recognizing what a rider wants when he pulls back on the reins. In racing, that move signals “speed up,” but recreational riders intend for the horse to stop.

“Ferdinand and Fly have to learn a new language,” as Thomas said.

Jack Taylor, an instructional assistant at Harrison, decided to learn the language of horses after losing his pet dog. This spring, he brought the schoolchildren on board. It so happened that the Secretariat Center wanted to create a calendar as a fundraising project, and Harrison is chock full of young artists.

Jeffery Hale used the opportunity to teach about landscapes and the four seasons and tied it all in to the Keeneland races and the Derby. He also chose a dozen pieces of his students’ work for the calendar.

“The new state standards talk a lot about art in the community,” Hale said. “That’s why we try to create projects that put our art into the community.”

Did you know?

The Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center is a 22-acre Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation non-profit facility located at the Kentucky Horse Park. Its mission is twofold:

• To take off-track Thoroughbreds from rescue agencies and private owners across the nation and, using a combination of training methods, make them suitable for adoption as performance or pleasure horses.
• To herald the value and athleticism of off-track Thoroughbreds through education and outreach programs.