TRF Board Member Maggie Wolfendale-Morley:
“The reason we get up … is for the love of the horse”
We are honored to feature a powerful conversation with Maggie Wolfendale-Morley, TRF board member, NYRA paddock analyst, and lifelong horsewoman, as she reflects on why aftercare matters, how the TRF is changing lives, and what the future holds for the horses and people we serve.
“Not only is the TRF saving people, they’re also changing lives.”
Maggie’s commitment to Thoroughbred aftercare comes from a personal, deep place. In her interview with Light Up Racing, she shared stories of sanctuary, second chances, and the quiet dignity of horses’ later years. We are incredibly grateful to Light Up Racing for highlighting this crucial conversation and for giving the TRF’s mission greater reach. Thank you, Maggie, for your passion, advocacy, and unwavering heart for these horses.
TRF’s Promise of Sanctuary
When the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation began in 1983, its mission was clear: rescue horses from risk of neglect, abuse, or slaughter, and provide them with forever sanctuary. Maggie underscores that the TRF doesn’t just shelter horses, it makes them family the day they arrive. If adopted, they always have a place to return.
Today, the TRF cares for nearly 400 retired Thoroughbred racehorses supported by staff, farm managers, and volunteers. Their care is 24/7, driven by one guiding principle: “the love of the horse.”
Second Chances for Horses and People
One of the most transformative programs the TRF operates is the TRF Second Chances program, a collaboration with correctional facilities in eight states. Inmates care for the horses, forging healing connections and learning empathy, patience, and gentleness.
Maggie shared,
“When you put them together in a beautiful setting, everybody just learns to relax. The connection they establish… brings them so much peace.”
The change is profound: the horse reflects what you project, and many incarcerated individuals discover new purpose through that reflection.
The Heart Behind the Work
It gets personal. Maggie paused, voice slightly catching, when she said:
“I wouldn’t have my life, my career, or my family … if it weren’t for these horses.”
Each morning, she tends to her own horse. That relationship is therapeutic, grounding, and deeply human. And to her, the notion that any horse could be considered a “disposable product” is “utterly crushing to my soul.” That conviction powers her every step as a board member and advocate for the TRF.
About Maggie Wolfendale-Morley
Maggie comes from deep racing roots: a third‐generation horsewoman who serves as a paddock analyst with NYRA while also contributing to her husband’s training operation. Her broadcasting insight, love for OTTBs, and advocacy in aftercare make her voice a uniquely powerful one in the industry.
Watch the full interview HERE.