Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008
This story was corrected on Aug. 15, 2008, from its print version.
Regina Salta grew up with a passion for horses which has stayed with her in her adult life. This passion has prompted her and husband Joe to rescue horses and give them a second chance.
Since 2006, the Saltas, who own and manage Hideaway Horse Center in Brandywine, have rescued and retrained six racehorses and 12 horses that were abused or on their way to slaughterhouses. They acquire the horses because people give them away, they are no longer needed or Regina learns from others that the horses will be sold at the meat market.
"They know when they've gotten a second chance," Regina Salta said. "They just know."
Freckles, a rescued horse, came from an auction to Hideaway in 2005 as a 19 or 20-year-old with heaves, the horse version of asthma, Regina Salta said. She also had grown out, neglected feet and was underweight by 200 pounds. In 2005, Freckles weighed between 700 and 800 pounds. Today, she weighs about 1,000 pounds.
"She was a sad, pathetic case," Regina Salta said. "Now, she's flying over jumps and is the first horse kids want at shows. She's a diamond in the rough."
In addition to the rescued horses, Hideaway has 20 lesson horses with various abilities and personalities and two ponies. It also has 43 stalls, 10 private paddocks and four private turnouts and 180 acres of maintained trails, Regina Salta said. Regina Salta is one of four Hideaway instructors.
From 2000 to 2006 Hideaway only boarded horses, Regina Salta said, but she wanted Hideaway to offer more. In 2006 they began offering lessons to riders in addition to boarding horses.
"It's just not in my heart [to only board]," Regina Salta said. "This is my passion. This is a place for opportunity that you just don't find anywhere else."
The Saltas have an open door policy for the riders who come to Hideaway and believe children can learn and that horses are great teachers.
"There are few places willing to take inexperienced young people and let them ride," Joe Salta said. "[Horses] allow children to think about something other than themselves. You have to be aware, for example, when leading a horse."
Liability concerns and a lack of patience affect the willingness of some instructors to teach children.
"It takes a different type of patience," Regina Salta said. "They don't feel the importance of giving young children the chance. It's about giving children the opportunity they wouldn't have had otherwise."
Since 2005, Hideaway has partnered with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and offered introduction to horsemanship riding classes to the public, said Charles Brown, regional manager for the southern area for M-NCPPC. Hideaway is currently the only center partnered with the county.
Regina Salta teaches the six-week introduction to horsemanship class, where riders learn about horses.
"First, they lead the horse; they don't just ride," said Regina Salta. "They learn from the ground up; to be able to ride you have to know how to care for horses, stalls, bathing, all it takes."
Hideaway has a competition team that eight 10- to 15-year-olds participate on, she said. It competes at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro.
Shelby Cross, 13, of Dunkirk has been at Hideaway for two years but this is her first year attending horse shows.
"It's a nice way to spend my free time," Cross said. "I haven't seen other barns the way they run it here. Each rider isn't treated the same; the trainers do what fits each rider's needs."
Nikki Manteen, 14, of Bowie has been riding at Hideaway for three years and did not want to leave Hideaway for another barn because of the atmosphere.
"It's fun," Manteen said. "My friends are here. My favorite part about horses is that they connect with you. They are a non-human best friend."
E-mail Liz Skalski at eskalski@gazette.net.
