Richards said. “They call references and check with farriers and veterinarians. Photos of property must be submitted, along with any horses you already have. It’s a strict process due to the fact that these horses have already lived a bad life. They want to make sure the right horse is placed with the right owner.”

 

Richards, who already owned two horses - Rusty and Paint -  knew Macaroni was the right horse for her from the first time she saw her.

 

“There was just something about her. My husband and I fell in love with her – her whole composition,” Richards said. “She was absolutely 

stunning.”

 

Macaroni was among horses seized in Virginia and had already been rehabbed and trained when Richards first saw her in pictures and videos posted by Heart of Phoenix and Horse Racing Nation Web sites. 

 

“They showcase the horses and adopt them out that way. You can bid on them, but you have to be Heart of Phoenix approved,” Richards said. ““Macaroni had never been fostered, but I saw her (online) in a trainer faceoff last year.”

 

But Macaroni didn’t end up competing. She was pulled when it appeared she became ill.

 

Richards kept track of Macaroni, who went on to be fostered by a woman in Illinois. She eventually bought her after a year-long, thorough adoption process.

 

Richards met Macaroni in Lafayette, Indiana, after the horse had already traveled several hours from Illinois.

 

The horse certainly met Richards’ expectations.

 

“She’s really quirky. She’s sassy but also respectable at the same time,” she said.

 

Upon arriving at Deegan Lake Stables, where Richards keeps her horses, Macaroni was quarantined with the other horses so they could get to know each other before being released together.