Mareworthy Charities, which derives its name from beloved sanctuary resident Worthy of Wings, is
dedicated to safeguarding every Thoroughbred broodmare. Our mission is to navigate the intricate
landscape of Thoroughbred broodmare retirement by providing sanctuary space, facilitating
adoptions, offering placement assistance, extending safety net services, and delivering ongoing
education for horse owners.
I [Kyle] founded the organization along with Sean Smith [my husband] after Worthy of Wings arrived at our farm in Ohio.
Worthy is an inspiring Thoroughbred mare who raced an astonishing 138 times before retiring at the
age of 13, thanks to the efforts of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare. Her resilience and journey
from Puerto Rico to the farm sparked a profound realization, highlighting the pressing need to
champion hard-campaigning warhorse mares like her, often misunderstood and overlooked in their
retirement.
In the summer of 2019, I coined the term "Mareworthy" as a tribute to Worthy and all mares sharing
her spirit. What began as a simple homage soon evolved into a formal mission to support retired
broodmares in need. In 2020, a pivotal moment arrived when Sean and I sent our first homebred,
Lady Dyanaformer, for race training in Kentucky. Over the next two years, my weekly visits to see
Dyana underscored the importance of Kentucky as the epicenter of Thoroughbred racing and care.
This realization prompted us to relocate to Kentucky and establish Mareworthy as a 501c3 nonprofit
organization. In June 2022, Mareworthy Charities embarked on its next chapter, setting up a new
farm in Georgetown. Initial funding from Lady Dyanaformer's winnings allowed Mareworthy to get
started right away, adding three mares to the farm in 2022, including their first kill pen rescue,
Grisham, a 23-year-old broodmare who ultimately found her forever home as a nanny on a small
farm in Versailles. (Read Grisham’s full story on the Mareworthy Reflections page at
www.mareworthy.com/reflections.)
In March 2023, Mareworthy received its 501c3 approval, marking a significant milestone. In its
inaugural year, Mareworthy made remarkable progress, rescuing 10 mares from kill pens and
successfully re-homing 11 mares into long-term homes. Looking ahead, Mareworthy remains
steadfast in its commitment to build a robust infrastructure of foster farms. The organization also
focuses on networking, data analytics, and community engagement to fulfill its mission of protecting
every Thoroughbred mare.
I am the president of Mareworthy Charities as well as a co-founder. I was initially introduced to
Thoroughbreds in 1998 when I worked for a bloodstock agent on his farm in Pennsylvania. I fell in
love with Thoroughbreds during that time, so it was only natural that after taking a 12-year hiatus
from horses I would seek out a Thoroughbred to get me back into the equine community. That
Thoroughbred was Lady Macjazz, a mare I found on Dreamhorse who became my partner for the
2015 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover and future dam for our first homebred and
racehorse, Lady Dyanaformer. I went on to participate in four more RRP Thoroughbred Makeovers
and was honored with the RRP Ambassador award in 2017.
In addition to managing Mareworthy with Sean, I also work in learning and development for Mission
Veterinary Partners.
The philosophy driving Mareworthy Charities is centered on the fundamental belief that every
Thoroughbred mare deserves a dignified and fulfilling life, both during and after her racing and
breeding careers. We are committed to actively addressing the challenges encountered by retired
broodmares by seeking comprehensive solutions. Whether it's facilitating adoptions into loving
homes, providing sanctuary space, fostering collaborations with other organizations, or crafting
educational programs for horse owners, we are dedicated to making a meaningful and enduring
difference in the lives of Thoroughbred mares. Our overarching goal is to honor their invaluable
contributions to the racing industry and ensure they receive the care and respect they deserve long
after their competitive days have ended.
We do not have any staff yet, as we are fully volunteer based with the daily responsibilities of all
horse care and business management being completed by me and Sean.
Despite both of us also having full-time jobs, we enjoy the daily interactions with the mares and all
the other animals at our farm. Our days are never boring caring for 12 mares (four of them our
personal mares), three donkeys, three pot-bellied pigs, two goats, 10 cats, seven chickens, and three
dogs. We also have four pregnant mares right now, so that makes for interesting sleep schedules as
we wait for foals to arrive.
The most interesting part of our days are the interactions with each mare’s unique personalities.
They always keep us on our toes, and we especially love our daily routine of giving all the mares
their cookies when we do night check – they all LOVE their Mrs. Pasture’s horse cookies.
Every day is day is different, and that certainly keeps it interesting, but we wouldn’t have it any other
way because we truly love and enjoy being able to impact the lives of all the animals in our care.
We are deeply honored to be part of the Central Kentucky community, which has shown incredible
support for Thoroughbreds. The warmth and generosity we've experienced here are truly inspiring,
and we're immensely grateful for the embrace of the equine community. With such strong
partnerships, we are confident that together, we can bring about meaningful change in the lives of
Thoroughbred broodmares.
As we forge ahead, let's continue to collaborate, innovate, and lift each other up, knowing that our
collective efforts can create a brighter future for Thoroughbred mares everywhere. We extend our
heartfelt gratitude to each member of the Mareworthy family for their unwavering commitment to
equine welfare. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.
Your support is essential in fulfilling our mission. If you're considering retiring a broodmare, we urge
you to contact us to explore available options. Safeguarding mares from unfavorable situations
begins with thorough research about a new home, a strong contract and entails continuous
monitoring to gather updates from their new caretakers.
We currently have two pregnant Mareworthy residents, so there will be lots of fun foal updates in
the future. Spanish Flower and Vee both came from the kill pen last summer with surprise babies on
board. We think Vee should have her baby sometime soon and Spanish Flower is likely not due until
June, but both babies will be surprises since we don’t have full information about their past.
We’d love to have readers visit our website at www.mareworthy.com and follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/mareworthy.
dedicated to safeguarding every Thoroughbred broodmare. Our mission is to navigate the intricate
landscape of Thoroughbred broodmare retirement by providing sanctuary space, facilitating
adoptions, offering placement assistance, extending safety net services, and delivering ongoing
education for horse owners.
I [Kyle] founded the organization along with Sean Smith [my husband] after Worthy of Wings arrived at our farm in Ohio.
Worthy is an inspiring Thoroughbred mare who raced an astonishing 138 times before retiring at the
age of 13, thanks to the efforts of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare. Her resilience and journey
from Puerto Rico to the farm sparked a profound realization, highlighting the pressing need to
champion hard-campaigning warhorse mares like her, often misunderstood and overlooked in their
retirement.
In the summer of 2019, I coined the term "Mareworthy" as a tribute to Worthy and all mares sharing
her spirit. What began as a simple homage soon evolved into a formal mission to support retired
broodmares in need. In 2020, a pivotal moment arrived when Sean and I sent our first homebred,
Lady Dyanaformer, for race training in Kentucky. Over the next two years, my weekly visits to see
Dyana underscored the importance of Kentucky as the epicenter of Thoroughbred racing and care.
This realization prompted us to relocate to Kentucky and establish Mareworthy as a 501c3 nonprofit
organization. In June 2022, Mareworthy Charities embarked on its next chapter, setting up a new
farm in Georgetown. Initial funding from Lady Dyanaformer's winnings allowed Mareworthy to get
started right away, adding three mares to the farm in 2022, including their first kill pen rescue,
Grisham, a 23-year-old broodmare who ultimately found her forever home as a nanny on a small
farm in Versailles. (Read Grisham’s full story on the Mareworthy Reflections page at
www.mareworthy.com/reflections.)
In March 2023, Mareworthy received its 501c3 approval, marking a significant milestone. In its
inaugural year, Mareworthy made remarkable progress, rescuing 10 mares from kill pens and
successfully re-homing 11 mares into long-term homes. Looking ahead, Mareworthy remains
steadfast in its commitment to build a robust infrastructure of foster farms. The organization also
focuses on networking, data analytics, and community engagement to fulfill its mission of protecting
every Thoroughbred mare.
I am the president of Mareworthy Charities as well as a co-founder. I was initially introduced to
Thoroughbreds in 1998 when I worked for a bloodstock agent on his farm in Pennsylvania. I fell in
love with Thoroughbreds during that time, so it was only natural that after taking a 12-year hiatus
from horses I would seek out a Thoroughbred to get me back into the equine community. That
Thoroughbred was Lady Macjazz, a mare I found on Dreamhorse who became my partner for the
2015 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover and future dam for our first homebred and
racehorse, Lady Dyanaformer. I went on to participate in four more RRP Thoroughbred Makeovers
and was honored with the RRP Ambassador award in 2017.
In addition to managing Mareworthy with Sean, I also work in learning and development for Mission
Veterinary Partners.
The philosophy driving Mareworthy Charities is centered on the fundamental belief that every
Thoroughbred mare deserves a dignified and fulfilling life, both during and after her racing and
breeding careers. We are committed to actively addressing the challenges encountered by retired
broodmares by seeking comprehensive solutions. Whether it's facilitating adoptions into loving
homes, providing sanctuary space, fostering collaborations with other organizations, or crafting
educational programs for horse owners, we are dedicated to making a meaningful and enduring
difference in the lives of Thoroughbred mares. Our overarching goal is to honor their invaluable
contributions to the racing industry and ensure they receive the care and respect they deserve long
after their competitive days have ended.
We do not have any staff yet, as we are fully volunteer based with the daily responsibilities of all
horse care and business management being completed by me and Sean.
Despite both of us also having full-time jobs, we enjoy the daily interactions with the mares and all
the other animals at our farm. Our days are never boring caring for 12 mares (four of them our
personal mares), three donkeys, three pot-bellied pigs, two goats, 10 cats, seven chickens, and three
dogs. We also have four pregnant mares right now, so that makes for interesting sleep schedules as
we wait for foals to arrive.
The most interesting part of our days are the interactions with each mare’s unique personalities.
They always keep us on our toes, and we especially love our daily routine of giving all the mares
their cookies when we do night check – they all LOVE their Mrs. Pasture’s horse cookies.
Every day is day is different, and that certainly keeps it interesting, but we wouldn’t have it any other
way because we truly love and enjoy being able to impact the lives of all the animals in our care.
We are deeply honored to be part of the Central Kentucky community, which has shown incredible
support for Thoroughbreds. The warmth and generosity we've experienced here are truly inspiring,
and we're immensely grateful for the embrace of the equine community. With such strong
partnerships, we are confident that together, we can bring about meaningful change in the lives of
Thoroughbred broodmares.
As we forge ahead, let's continue to collaborate, innovate, and lift each other up, knowing that our
collective efforts can create a brighter future for Thoroughbred mares everywhere. We extend our
heartfelt gratitude to each member of the Mareworthy family for their unwavering commitment to
equine welfare. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.
Your support is essential in fulfilling our mission. If you're considering retiring a broodmare, we urge
you to contact us to explore available options. Safeguarding mares from unfavorable situations
begins with thorough research about a new home, a strong contract and entails continuous
monitoring to gather updates from their new caretakers.
We currently have two pregnant Mareworthy residents, so there will be lots of fun foal updates in
the future. Spanish Flower and Vee both came from the kill pen last summer with surprise babies on
board. We think Vee should have her baby sometime soon and Spanish Flower is likely not due until
June, but both babies will be surprises since we don’t have full information about their past.
We’d love to have readers visit our website at www.mareworthy.com and follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/mareworthy.