AGE: March 16, 2012

BREEDING: Tiz Wonderful - Fleas Louise by Storm Cat

RACING STATS: 42 Starts: 4 First, 6 Seconds, 5 Thirds. Won $246,861

SEX: Gelding

HEIGHT: 16 hh

ABOUT: Tiz a Chance came to Akindale in 2020 through the Take the Lead program after retiring sound from his racing career. Although he had no physical limitations, he arrived as a rather nervous horse who needed some time to decompress and adjust to his new surroundings. We decided to give him the winter off to settle in before beginning his retraining in the spring of 2021.

When we started working with Tiz, it quickly became clear that he was a horse who needed more than just training, he needed a relationship with someone he could trust. We took things slowly, spending plenty of time on groundwork and building his confidence before asking too much of him under saddle. Once we earned his trust, he was absolutely wonderful. He developed into a lovely horse who truly wanted to please, as long as he felt comfortable with the person working with him.

In the fall of 2021, Tiz was adopted into what we hoped would be his forever home. Unfortunately, the transition from a professional training program to an amateur rider proved difficult for him. His nervousness began to resurface under saddle, and ultimately, he was returned to Akindale.

We continued working with Tiz for some time, hoping we might find a professional who would appreciate his talent and be willing to develop the relationship he needed. After all, we knew firsthand just how wonderful he could be. However, it became increasingly clear that Tiz was a horse who thrived on consistency and a strong one-on-one connection. With unfamiliar people, his anxiety would return, making it difficult for him to feel confident.

Rather than continue asking him to adapt to new riders and environments, we made the decision to retire him permanently to our sanctuary.

Tiz is one of those horses who will always hold a very special place in my heart. We spent so much time earning his trust and watching him blossom into the horse we knew he could be. While his story didn't end with a successful second career under saddle, that doesn't make it any less of a success.

Today, Tiz gets to enjoy life in the sanctuary, surrounded by friends and without the pressure of having to prove himself to anyone. Sometimes the greatest thing we can do for a horse is recognize what makes them happy and give them exactly that.