Second Wind Adoption Program

The Second Wind Adoption Program was founded by the stable owner, Celeita Kramer, when her mentor, Evelyn Duhr died of cancer the summer of ‘97.  Evelyn owned Second Wind Farm in Maryland where she ran a standardbred adoption program. Second Wind was dedicated to Evelyn’s work but was expanded to address all breeds and horses in need.  Second Wind Adoption became a not for profit animal welfare program the summer of ‘98. Crossed Sabers is registered/licensed with the state of WV and SWAP is registered with the state as a not for profit organization. The stable has been licensed since 1996. Second Wind has added foster homes all over the continental US and Canada in order to be able to address the great need and the vast number of calls from horse owners looking for a quality home their equine friend.             

PRIMARY MISSION OF THE SECOND WIND ADOPTION PROGRAM

Prevent animal abuse/neglect of all the equus species and the need for rescue through adoption, there by being a catalyst for “Rescue Prevention” by placing horses into quality homes before the need arises for rescue or intervention by authorities.

Whenever possible, provide all horses (everyone in the equine family) including race, show, eventing, fox hunting, steeplechase, contest & working horses, polo ponies or any other sport or endurance horse an easy transition to a second career and give owners in every facet of the horse industry and private owners a viable, safe place for their horses to go and a more humane place than a bad home, selling or giving the horse to just anyone or resorting to unnecessary slaughter.

Offer educational and support services to horse owners/donors and adopters (transportation, foster homes, training, follow up, guidance with problems, lessons and clinics for adopters). 

Offer adopters training services (lessons, clinics, training of their adopted horses, continued follow-up to insure continued success with their adoption horse, and organized trips to regional, state and national horse events that can be both educational and fun).

SECONDARY MISSION 

SUPPORT SERVICES

Basic And Transitional Job Training For Horses

Lay-Up, Rehabilitation From Injury

ESMT, Farrier, Dental, Grooming & Clipping (At Swap HQ)

Referrals for Equine Appraisals For Donors

Spend A Week, Pick Your Horse Program

Cinderella Program (extreme make overs for horses and  their riders/handlers)

Over Night Boarding And Housing For Donors/Adopters And Their Horses

Estate Planning (Preparing Your Animals For Your Death)

Short Term Boarding

Horse Transportation referrals

Description of the Adoption Program  

Second Wind is an all breed equine adoption program sponsored by Crossed Sabers Stable, in which the stable works with owners and horse associations/registries to find homes for horses no longer cared for or wanted by their current owner. The stable finds good homes for these animals so that the horse may have a second chance at a healthy, productive and good life. It also gives horse owners a more humane way to dispose of animals than sending a young, healthy or sound horse to needless slaughter by way of auctions, selling to just anyone, or donating to organizations that only protect the horse for two years. Horses come to the program from all over the United States and Canada and from all types of situations. Private individuals and families, breeders, trainers & owners from every facet of the horse industry. They are all ages from weanling on up, at all training levels, all breeds, both sexes, to include nice breeding stallions. We can guarantee to the owner donating the horse, that the horse will always have a good home and will never go to slaughter. The biggest restriction for adopters is that they cannot sell or transfer the horse. If they decide they don’t want the horse, it comes back into the program and is placed again. This also guarantees to the adopter that they will not be stuck with a horse that they don’t want or is not a good fit for them. Honesty is critical for the program to survive and to best place each horse. The Donor gives extensive information about the horse, which in turn is used to place the horse into the best situation for both the horse and the adopter. All information about the horse is passed on to the adopter.

More Tidbits on Our Horses, Donors and Adopters

We’ve placed gaited horses and the south’s finest saddle horses into homes, numerous Grand Prix Show Jumpers (even one Nations Cup Winner) and Grand Prix level Dressage horses. We placed into a home horses that were trained & ridden by 2 people that won an Olympic Silver Medal in show jumping and one horse that was trained & ridden by a person that won a Gold Medal in dressage, several horses have been placed that were trained by Olympic level riders, even horses that were owned by Breeders Cup Winners in the racing world. We are proud to mention that we have both donors and adopters who have been recognized by AHSA as Horsemen of the Year and even adopters who are Olympic level riders.  We’ve also placed horses from nationally ranked steeple chasers, fox hunting horses from various hunt clubs, including one huntsman’s horse. Our horses come from the following professions or situations:

·        Dressage 30%

·        Racing 25%

·        Hunter/Jumper 15%

·        Family or pleasure mounts 10%

·        Low level showing or competing 6%

·        Rescue (abandoned, abused, neglected, taken by authorities) 5%

·        Breeding and Training facilities 4%

·        Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding 2%

·        Steeple Chase 2% 

·        Rodeo, Cutting and Working horses 1%

We’ve had the progeny of great sires in the TB world find stable, happy homes through our program: Secretariat, Man O’ War, Alysheba, Alydar, Buckley Boy, Blushing John, Chiefs Crown & Mr. Prospector and the progeny of great sires in the Harness Racing world: such as Albatross, Niatross, Abercrombie, On the Road Again, Jaguar Spur, Meadow Skipper, Super Bowl & Bret Hanover 

Second Wind rescued 112 horses that had been abused/abandoned/neglected by their original owner, including one grandson of Secretariat. We have also placed 147 dogs and cats into homes, most of which were pulled out of shelters the day before kill day.

Second Wind is a national program supporting the entire continental US and Canada. Our adopters come from every profession, both blue and white-collar workers including professionals throughout the horse industry, family situations and individuals, with annual incomes ranging as high as 1.3 million per year, but averaging around 75k per household.

Second Wind has a total of 3.5 million to 5 million visitors from 113 different countries and every continent to the website each month (www.crossedsabers.com)

Agencies we work with 

American Horse Council, West Virginia Horse Council, Hooved Animal Humane Society, American Horse Protection Association, American Humane Association, Humane Organization For Retired Standardbred Equines (HORSE), Humane Society Of The Unites States, Int’l Society For The Protection Of Mustangs And Burros, US Trotting Association, The Jockey Club And The American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (ASPCA), Standardbred Pleasure Horse Owners Association (SPHO), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Best Friends, the American Horse Shows Association (USA Equestrian), the US Equestrian Team and all other breed registries.

Adoption 

Many of the adopted horses have a working background, racing with Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, Quarter Horses and Arabs or showing/competing in all disciplines and with all breeds. The restrictions we place on the horse are around the owners wishes, the owner can restrict the horse from racing, breeding, competing or from any type of work at all, including riding. Horses are available for adoption to anyone who can prove that they have the desire, employment, financial backing, knowledge about horses or plans to learn, ability to give proper care, time available for the animal, other horses owned and facilities for a horse. A simple written test is given to insure proper care and a visit to the adopters stable is done when possible. An agreement must be signed by the adopter governing the care and restrictions on how the horse can be used. SWAP protects the horse for the rest of its life. It is the owner’s decision as to whether they release the horse’s registration but it is recommended by the program to release it for showing/breeding purposes. At the least, horse facilities should be a 3 sided shed with the predominant winds blocked for winter, an acre of grazing land per horse, daily turn out and cover available for the horse to get out of the weather at any time. Preference is given to anyone who has individual stalls for each horse in a barn situation and 2 to 3 acres of pastureland per horse. Minimum care is worming and farrier care every other month, at least 20 gallons of fresh water per day and at least 1 lb. of feed (hay/grain) for every 100 lbs. of horse. Though the basic requirements are clearly defined, we treat each horse as an individual and look for the same basic living standards and environment that the horse has become accustomed to, variation is also considered in the adopters climates, predominant weather, individual facilities, size of farm, when placing the horse. Adoption fees range from free to a good home up to 40% of the appraised value of the more expensive horses. But most are placed at or below $1000. All money earned by or donated to SWAP is applied to helping the horses in the adoption program.

Dedication

The Second Wind Adoption Program is dedicated to Evelyn Duhr who owned Second Wind Farm in Accokeek, Maryland. Evelyn ran the Standardbred Adoption Program for Maryland, from which Crossed Sabers adopted it’s first horses, thus beginning our great appreciation for adoption programs. She quickly became a good friend and mentor to our stable and allowed the SWAP executor to adopt when many of the other programs had turned her away, you see even though our executor had a Masters degree in Equine Management, she had never owned a horse, even afer a career as a helicopter test pilot and military officer, she had never been able to live her childhood dream of having a horse. She had always rescued horses and adopted her animals so to her adoption was the only way to go. Evelyn was the only one that would give her a chance and took the time with her to make sure the horses were cared for, she took the time to work with the adopter, our Executor. Evelyn died of cancer the summer of 1997 but she will always be remembered as a generous, caring woman who had the tenacity of a bulldog, especially when it came to her Standardbreds. She was always more concerned for the horses in her program than anything else, including herself. Evelyn was able to find loving homes for hundreds of Standardbreds just coming off the race track, many that required huge veterinary and therapy bills, all she gladly paid. Our executor saw her as the only person that would give her a chance to adopt and the only one that really took the time with her to teach her 'everything they don't teach in a classroom'. These horses went on to have productive happy lives as family pets, pleasure and show horses in every discipline, plus excellent breeding stock. Evelyn Duhr was literally, a horses “Second Wind”, for us . . . She always will be.  Today, SWAP does not turn away first time owners who have no experience but yet looks for someone who has a good plan to learn. Everyone must start their horse experience somewhere and we understand that. We are very pro-education and will always assist every adopter to learn more because the more the adopter knows, the better and more enjoyable their horse experience will be. Evelyn taught us that first hand.

Some of the Reasons Horses come to The Second Wind Adoption Program

-The horse is no longer racing, showing, competing, eventing, fox hunting, steeplechase, or doing endurance, polo or any other type of sport where they horse can not longer compete at that level, hold up physically, or make money doing it.

-The horse is finishing one career and ready for another, retired police horse, race horse, show horse but can still go and have another career, can't physically hold up to the rigors of its current profession, not winning enough to pay the bills or the horse hates its current job or is not suited for it.

-The horse no longer has a career as a broodmare or breeding stallion, not producing or the farm is changing focus of breeding goals and objectives

-The owner has too many horses and its causing hardship or affecting the general care given to the horse, owner is no longer breeding, showing, giving lessons or racing.

-The horse has training issues or capabilities beyond owners riding or handling abilities, owner is advancing beyond the capabilities of the horse.

-The horse needs to be the center of someone's world instead of just another horse in the barn

-The horse had a racing or competition accident and owner wants to save the horse from the anguish of going back.

-There is personal hardship or change in personal life. Family is moving and can't take the horse, divorce, health problems, loss of job, death in family, retiring, down-sizing the herd or farm, loss of the family farm, lack of time for the horse or for riding, owner is going off to school and can't afford both, change in personal situation including pregnancy, deteriorating health, getting married, etc

-The horse needs someone more advanced to handle or ride horse, owner has advanced beyond the capabilities of the horse, and child has grown out of the horse/pony

-The horse is not going to make a race or show horse, doesn't have the desire to race or show, and doesn’t have the physical conformation or size for racing or showing.

-The horse has special needs, needs to get out of the sun or heat of the south or needs warmer climate, needs to ridden more, needs to be ridden less

-There is a change in equine business climate. . Raised taxes, drought and the lack of hay, raising costs of grain, costs of keeping horses, drought winters, seasonal fires, etc.

-The owner loves the horse, appreciates the loyalty the horse has had and their relationship is more than an owner/horse but more like a parent and child and they could not imagine selling or seeing money as being more important than their child.

-The owner because of either excessive income or capital gains needs a write off, which is given to the donor up to the appraised value of the horse when donated. Additionally professional horse people use horse donations on the years when they have to show a profit. 

-The one thing all owners and trainers that put horses into our program have in common is that they all could sell the horse, some for large sums of money but they care more for the horse than the money and want to know that the horse is guaranteed a good home for life. 

-Though the Second Wind Adoption Program is not a Rescue operation we try not to turn down any horse in need. We have and will take horses that are considered rescue horses when the need arises. Defined as horses that have been taken by authorities for abuse/neglect or lack of care and abandoned horses.

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