We love horse racing.
Many Iowa racehorses spend their vacation time here before returning to the track.
Did you know that racehorses get vacations? Yep! Many Iowa racehorses have spent weeks or months here for a little time in the sun. Every athlete deserves a little rest, and the pastures here provide the space to stretch out and be a horse. The owners and trainers that board here are a truly spectacular bunch. One trainer visits every single day, blizzards and holidays included. We find that racetrack folks offer us a different view of daily horsemanship with an integrity that is appreciated by recreational and amateur riders alike.
Petrichor Farm owns and supports racehorses and retired racehorses.
Petrichor Farm has owned a total of 10 racehorses since 2018, including 7 winners at Prairie Meadows, Parx, and Penn National. Horses have also raced at Oaklawn, Churchill Downs, and Remington Park.
More than 130 current or former racehorses owned by others have come through Petrichor Farm since opening in July 2018.
The owner of Petrichor Farm and one of her horses are 2018 Retired Racehorse Project graduates, and she participated without competing in RRP 2022 with one of her own racehorses!
Petrichor Farm was formerly Willowin Farm, owned by Jim and Linda Leech. They bred and foaled racehorses on the farm. Racing runs richly through the grass here.
We support racehorse aftercare.
Petrichor Farm believes that second careers are of concern to every racing industry professional and that retired thoroughbreds make excellent partners for the trails and the show ring. We know a lot of great track folks who deeply care about horses’ retirement futures, and many amateur and professional riders who purchase, sell, or retrain OTTBs for second careers and companionship.
We’d love to connect you to:
Our friends at the track to find a retiring horse
Our friends at Hope After Racing Thoroughbreds (HART) to find an adoptable horse
Our friends who regularly have OTTBs for sale that have been vetted and conscientiously restarted by professionals
Our friends who teach lessons on-site and away who are specifically knowledgable in riding and retraining OTTBs
* Petrichor Farm vocally opposes HISA legislation and the owner is currently registered as a Covered Person as required by law. While we support national uniformity in racing and expanding out-of-competition and race-day testing, we feel that HISA’s poor implementation and unqualified oversight is leading to an increase in safety risks at racetracks for both horses and equine professionals. We feel that HISA is punitive rather than remedial, lacks basis in evidence-based best practices, and offers no assistance to horsemen or retiring thoroughbreds. We support whole-horse, whole-life welfare for the horses we love and the people who care deeply for them, and this is why we oppose the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act.