SYKESVILLE, Md. — A Sykesville horse farm is giving second chances — to retired racehorses and incarcerated men alike.
Many retired racehorses past their prime go to facilities like Second Chances Farm to live out their golden years. Caring for the animals is demanding work, and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has teamed up with the organization to put that work to use.
Retired racehorses and second chances at a Sykesville farm
Incarcerated men care for the horses while learning job skills, responsibility, patience, and communication — skills they need to re-enter the workforce.
Carlos Harvey, from Park Heights, hopes to take those skills to Pimlico Racetrack when it reopens.
"It's therapeutic. Like, uh, working with the animals will give you a chance to, uh, really sit and think about, uh, you know, you can reflect on the things that you did to get in these situations and how you can better yourself and do better things with your life," Harvey said.
The program has been running since 2009 and has graduated more than 60 men.
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