Our Story

With the increasing number of racehorses being exported for slaughter, we’ve made it our mission to save them from this fate. The founder of Pas de Cheval, Erin Calhoun, became aware of this issue as a young rider.

One of Erin’s first horses was an ex-racehorse who had been retrained in dressage. Her registered Jockey Club name was “Freeze th’ Rent,” but her barn name was “Greta.” When Greta was just three years old, she was declared too slow to race and was thrown away. But after rehabilitation and retraining, Greta and her rider eventually earned the title of Junior Grand Champion for dressage in New Mexico.

Greta’s story is not unique. But many ex-racehorses like her do not get the opportunity to rehabilitated and instead may find themselves being sent off to slaughter. Pas de Cheval Horse Rescue is currently the only rescue dedicated to ex-racehorses in the State of New Mexico.

At age 10, Erin decided that she would one day start an OTTB rescue program in New Mexico.

In addition to studying and competing in dressage, Erin was simultaneously training in classical ballet. When she was accepted to the prestigious School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet, her path to professional ballet began. She left New Mexico for New York City, where she trained throughout high school, and then proceeded to dance professionally for more than a decade.

The lifestyle of a professional ballet dancer is not unlike that of a racehorse. The training is rigorous and starts at a young age, and the mental stress is intense. Dancers and racehorses have short careers; sometimes very short, if injury occurs. After living such an intense—yet narrow—lifestyle, retirement for dancers and racehorses can be a difficult transition.

When Erin retired from ballet in 2015, she moved back to New Mexico and began Pas de Cheval Horse Rescue. “Pas de Cheval” is a french term for a ballet move that translates to “step of the horse.” Starting with two off-the-track geldings, Erin began taking her first steps toward a new life and career along with the horses. In many ways, she and the horses rehabilitated each other.

Since then, more than 50 horses have been rehabilitated and retrained through Pas de Cheval Horse Rescue, which became a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 2017.

Erin Calhoun is a certified Centered Riding Instructor who also offers training support to horses and riders of any discipline.

Thank you for visiting our website. Please help us help these horses take their next steps toward new careers and long, happy lives.