It Takes One
by natalie voss
after months of talking about her,
Six-year-old Tommy The
already found her adopters in
Jitter was here.
Shark was abused, unraced, and
Terry and Suzanne Shewcraft.

unbelievably head-shy. We were
Warm yellow sunlight, green grass,
told that the rescue he came from
“They called us up one day
and a happily grazing horse can
had spent a year trying to rehabili-
and said, ‘You’re kinda his last
really get the mind working. I
tate him, but he was nervous to the
chance’...we just figured ok, well
began thinking about the concept
point of complete unpredictability;
we’ll give him a shot,” said Terry.
of six degrees of separation--that
when ridden he would often spook

seemingly improbable idea that
and become so unhinged that he
When Terry and Tommy met,
we’re each separated by from
was dangerous. We were informed
Tommy, who had a well-document-
everyone else on earth by only six
that if we couldn’t get through to
ed fear of men, lowered his head
friendships. I began to think that
him, Tommy would have to be put
and asked Terry to scratch his ears.
if Stanley Milgram had studied
down. At the suggestion of director
Within minutes, Terry was riding
horses, he would have found a sim-
Susanna Thomas, making Tommy
him easily around the arena, a feat
ilar principle applies. In the time I
adoptable became ‘my project’.
that had taken his trainers weeks.
spent at the Maker’s Mark Secre-

We knew he’d chosen ‘his people’.
tariat Center as adoptions coordi-
When we started working with

nator, I learned that the number
him, we concluded that he had
Today, Tommy is happily turned
of people separating a horse from
probably been ear-twitched on
out with Sue, and while still head-
a completely changed life is much
the left side, and was so sensi-
shy, allows Terry to play with his
smaller. In fact, it only takes one.
tive to pressure on his ears that
ears, and will gladly follow him
it was nearly impossible to take
around the field with no leadrope.
The Secretariat Center is an re-
a halter on and off. It was almost
Terry knows Tommy won’t make a
training, adoption and education
impossible to groom him, as he
show or trail horse, but is content
center for Thoroughbred ex-
was so sensitive that the smallest
that he is making progress.
racehorses, and takes horses both
unexpected movement would send

from its parent organization, the
him trembling to the other side
After my internship at the Center
Thoroughbred Retirement Founda-
of the stall. It took weeks of natu-
was complete, I was hired as adop-
tion, and other rescues across the
ral horsemanship, and unknown
tions coordinator and saw many
country. The idea is that outside
hours of careful grooming, towel-
more horses grow from confused,
rescues will send their sound-
rubbing and coaxing, but Susanna
scared ex-racehorses to promising
est, most adoptable horses to be
was determined that Tommy could
show-horse prospects. The Center
‘on display’ at the Center, which
be salvaged. By the end of my se-
became a true showcase, and while
is located in the Kentucky Horse
mester there, he was beginning to
we had some incredible Thorough-
Park and draws thousands of visi-
trust us, and I was able to ride him
breds come through in that time,
tors each year. Instead, the Center
walk-trot in the outdoor arena for
another sticks out in my mind.
initially became the destination for
my professor. The next challenge
‘problem horses’ that other rescues
was getting him adopted.
Anaturalbluff was nine years old
couldn’t move. As I began work-
and all of his 17 hands when he
ing there as an intern, I met one of
Tommy was turned out with a
stepped off the van at the Center.
them.
mare named Our Sweet Sue, who
From the minute the van driver
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