She’s So Fly, now affectionately often called Sophie, was born in March 2020. After solely racing as soon as, Sophie was retired by her breeder in 2022. Sophie arrived at After the Races in December 2023, the place she waited patiently for her excellent match to return alongside.
Chloe Ras, a former assistant supervisor at After the Races, stayed related to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited group and sometimes browsed their web site and Fb web page for potential horses.
“I discovered Sophie [She’s So Fly] particularly by means of a weblog put up that was carried out to spotlight a few of the horses that have been being neglected,” Chloe remembered.
As she was accustomed to the adoption course of, Chloe acted shortly. “I simply submitted an software, was permitted, and arrange delivery inside the week! It was attention-grabbing to be on the opposite aspect.”
Sophie’s light nature and potential gained Chloe over instantly.
“One thing about her simply struck a chord in me. She had such a candy eye within the couple movies of her being ridden within the spherical pen. She appeared to have a really easygoing means about her. She was described as candy and personable, and he or she was an incredible dimension,” Chloe defined.
Regardless of Sophie’s superb qualities, she had been neglected merely for being a chestnut mare, a small element that didn’t faze Chloe in any respect.
“I’ve owned two chestnut mares beforehand, and was not scared off by the stigma, so I jumped on the chance,” she mentioned. “This was the second time I had purchased/adopted a horse sight unseen, however I belief After the Races of their honesty when matching horses with folks.”
Since bringing Sophie house, Chloe has prioritized persistence as a result of Sophie was nonetheless younger, so she needed to take it sluggish.
“We’ve saved issues very low key for Sophie as she continues to be rising and maturing. We focus lots on floor work, and he or she recurrently will get time without work to calm down and be along with her mates. We path experience on my property, and he or she has been really superb at taking all the things in stride once we go discover,” Chloe mentioned.
Sophie turned out to be a really assured horse, which helped the pair tremendously out and in of the saddle.
“She usually leads on rides, since her stride is longer than most of my different horses, however she is simply as content material to comply with and I’m able to hold just a few free fingers on the reins,” mentioned Chloe.
Chloe’s long-term objectives for Sophie are to be her major path horse and presumably endurance later down the highway.
“I’m not a lot of a aggressive particular person anymore, and my horses get pleasure from a slower tempo of life on my farm. Since she’s solely 4, I do know now we have fairly a little bit of time and some extra progress spurts to get by means of and I’m joyful to be affected person as she matures.”
Sophie’s affectionate persona made her a favourite on the farm.
“She completely loves being scratched on her chest, to the purpose the place when she comes up within the subject, she is going to usually current her chest to me as an alternative of her head and ask me to scratch her chest,” Chloe mentioned. “On the new days once I bathe them within the subject, she is at all times the primary to return up and the final to go away and can even put her head within the water stream to play with the water over the opposite horses’ backs.”
With Chloe, Sophie has gone from neglected to cherished. Their bond has proved that every one it takes is one particular person to see a horse’s hidden potential.
The Jockey Membership helps many aftercare initiatives together with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the one accrediting physique in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which inspires the retraining of Thoroughbreds into different disciplines upon completion of careers. View the entire initiatives supported by The Jockey Membership.
