Horseback riding in Chiang Mai wasn’t originally something we had planned for our time in Thailand. In fact, we found Second Wind Ranch & Rescue completely by chance, through one of the friendships our kids made at the Project World School Family Summit.
What started as a simple playdate turned into one of those unexpected travel experiences that stays with you.
We met rescued racehorses, learned their stories, watched Cosimo and Emma build enough trust to climb onto horses much taller than they were expecting, and discovered just how much work goes into giving an animal a second chance. And, as often happens with worldschooling, what looked like a fun afternoon of horseback riding became something much bigger.
How Did We Find Second Wind Ranch & Rescue?
During our visit to Chiang Mai in 2018, we attended the Project World School Family Summit. While the adults were slowly getting to know each other, the kids didn’t waste any time. After the first day, they all had new friends!
One of Cosimo’s new friends happened to be living in Chiang Mai. His family had just opened a horse rescue called Second Wind Ranch & Rescue. Of course, the kids wanted to have a playdate, so we all went together to visit the ranch.
Sometimes the best travel experiences are the ones you never planned.
As soon as we walked onto the property, we met King. He had arrived only a few weeks earlier. What fascinated me was how gentle and peaceful he was. Liam, one of the owners, was caressing him, and King looked like he was about to fall asleep. It was such a touching and authentic connection to witness.
The feeling I got right from the beginning was that these animals were in a safe and caring environment.
What Is Second Wind Ranch & Rescue?
When we visited in 2018, Second Wind Ranch & Rescue was a very new organization with a mission to rescue ex-racehorses and other neglected equines, rehabilitate them and, when possible, eventually find them new homes. But behind the rescue were people who had decided to make these horses a huge part of their lives.
Jennifer was the equine manager. She took care of the horses and poured her heart and soul into helping them heal and find a new way of life. You could see how connected the horses were to her and how much she loved being with them.
Then there was the whole family: Ina, Liam, Alekos and Lucian. They had left their previous life behind to begin this new adventure in Chiang Mai and were completely involved in trying to grow the ranch so they could continue helping more horses.
Together, they had created a beautiful team with one main purpose: giving these animals a second chance.
Looking back now, it’s pretty special to realize that we met them right at the beginning of this journey.
Meeting the Rescue Horses
When I asked about the horses living at the ranch, what I loved most was the way the team described them.
They didn’t just tell me what had happened to each horse. They told me about their personalities. Who was sweet. Who was stubborn. Who loved people. Who was confident. Who was a little naughty.
It showed me how well they knew each individual animal. When we visited in 2018, these were the horses we met and the stories the team shared with us.
Damon
Damon was the first horse Jennifer rescued and had also become her best friend.
According to the team, he had been a successful racehorse in Chiang Mai during 2016 and 2017, winning more than 20 races. Unfortunately, he was pushed too hard and eventually injured his leg.
Jennifer rescued him before he was going to be sent to the butcher. Damon was only 10 years old. They described him as sweet, handsome, calm, loving and a very good listener. Sadly, by the time we visited the ranch, Damon had passed away. But his second chance had shown Jennifer how important it was to continue this mission and give other horses the opportunity to have a better life.
Teddy
Teddy was 10 years old when we visited. He was sweet, gentle, attentive and loved humans.
We were told that his previous owners brought him to the ranch because he was very lame and they could no longer afford to keep him. His rehabilitation was difficult. The team told us he had become dependent on painkillers and initially couldn’t walk without them. At first, they weren’t sure they would be able to save him. But Teddy pulled through and became their companion horse.
Hunter
Hunter was eight years old and was described as gentle, funny, easy-going and innocent. Apparently, he was never very interested in racing. They joked that he only won when he felt like it! The team told us that drugs had been used to try to make him perform better, but it didn’t work. Jennifer put down a deposit on Hunter on the day of his final race. And that day, he won.
I loved thinking that maybe he was running toward his second chance at a better life.
Leo
Leo was seven years old and had a very different personality. He was confident, dominant, headstrong and intelligent, and he hadn’t trusted humans very much when he first arrived.
According to the team, Leo hadn’t been fast enough as a racehorse and his owner wanted to sell him because he needed the stall for a faster horse. His rehabilitation wasn’t easy, but Jennifer and Rin didn’t give up on him. By the time we met him, they told us he was the healthiest and strongest horse at the ranch. And Leo would soon become quite important to Cosimo and Emma!
King
King was also seven years old and had arrived only a few weeks before us. He was sweet, calm, gentle and incredibly relaxed, which we had already witnessed when we first walked into the ranch.
The team told us King had been a champion racehorse and had won some of Thailand’s major racing cups, but that he had continued racing despite injuries. Donations helped the ranch rescue him shortly before our visit.
Standing there watching him almost fall asleep while being caressed, it was hard to imagine the life he had lived before. He seemed to finally feel safe.
Frodo
And then there was Frodo! Frodo was only about a year and a half old.
We were told he had been found with three other ponies in a parking lot near a school. His face was covered in scars, and for a while they nicknamed him “Al Capony.”
He had been malnourished and in poor condition, but he was incredibly sweet and allowed the team to clean his wounds and treat him. They took all four ponies in. Two were eventually rehomed, one unfortunately died, and Frodo remained at the ranch.
Although I have to say, he acted a little like our toddler at the time. A bit naughty! It made me realize just how much personality horses have.
There Was Much More Than Horseback Riding
The ranch wasn’t only about getting onto a horse.
The kids explored everywhere. There were bunnies, although I’m pretty sure Luca terrorized them a little without even realizing it! There was also Lulu the pig, who you could follow around whenever she actually decided to move. She was pretty lazy. But one of my favorite parts was simply watching the kids play.
We had absolutely no idea what they were doing most of the time. They followed Lucian around, went exploring and invented their own games. And we were perfectly happy to let them.
There is something so healthy about seeing kids outside, surrounded by nature, creatively making up their own adventures. It reminds us adults to slow down too. To stop organizing every minute. To simply enjoy what’s around us.
An Unexpected Worldschooling Lesson
What stayed with me most wasn’t simply that Cosimo and Emma got to ride a horse.
It was how much they listened. They wanted to know what had happened to the horses before they arrived at the ranch. They heard stories about animals that had been injured, neglected or were no longer considered useful. And afterward, they couldn’t stop talking about them.
But they also learned that those stories didn’t necessarily have to end there. There were people willing to step in, care for these animals and try to give them another chance.
This is one of the things I love most about worldschooling. Sometimes the lesson you remember most doesn’t happen because you planned it. It happens because your child makes a new friend, you say yes to a playdate, and suddenly you’re standing at a horse rescue in Chiang Mai learning about rehabilitation, compassion and second chances.
Our Horseback Riding Experience in Chiang Mai
Finally, it was time to ride!
But horseback riding at Second Wind wasn’t simply about climbing onto a horse. First, we learned about saddling the horse, walking with him and creating a connection.
There needed to be trust. Then came the riding.
Jennifer and Alekos helped Cosimo and Emma ride Leo.
Both kids were a little nervous when they first got on. And I understood why!
Former racehorses are really tall, and when you’re a kid looking down from up there, it can be pretty intimidating. But once they adjusted to the height, everything changed. Neither one wanted to get down!
Later, two women arrived for a lesson, which gave us a chance to watch Jennifer and Alekos working with other riders.
The whole atmosphere felt completely different from the riding schools we’d experienced before. There was no rush. Everything felt relaxed and peaceful.
And Then We Got to Wash the Horses!
After riding came what may have been one of the kids’ favorite parts of the entire day: washing the horses!
Riding had been amazing, but all of us washing the horses together afterward might have been even more fun. I’m pretty sure we washed certain spots more than once.
But somehow, I don’t think the horses minded all the attention!
What We Learned About Rescuing Racehorses
During our visit, the team explained some of the problems they had encountered with the former racehorses they rescued.
Some had arrived with injuries. We were told that some had been heavily medicated or drugged during their racing lives, which could make rehabilitation particularly difficult.
There was also the financial challenge. The team explained that rescuing a horse could require raising enough money to purchase the animal before it was sold elsewhere, followed by the ongoing cost of food, veterinary care and rehabilitation.
And rescuing the horse was only the beginning. Some needed time to heal physically. Others needed to learn to trust people again.
Hearing those stories while actually standing beside the horses made the issue much more real for all of us.
How Could People Help?
When we visited in 2018, riding lessons, trail rides and other programs helped support the ranch and its rescued horses.
They were also building a community around the ranch, a place where people could spend time outdoors, connect with horses and learn more about the realities these animals had experienced.
Donations played an important role too. In fact, when the ranch was trying to rescue King, they shared his story on social media and received enough donations to help with his rescue and rehabilitation, with additional funds going toward future rescues.
Of course, a lot can change in eight years, so I wouldn’t rely on the old contact numbers, donation links or program information from our original 2018 visit. If you’re interested in visiting or supporting Second Wind Ranch & Rescue, check their current information directly before making plans.
Second Wind Ranch & Rescue Today — 2026 Update
One of the best parts about updating our older travel stories is discovering what happened to the places and people we met along the way.
We visited Second Wind Ranch & Rescue in 2018, right at the beginning of their journey.
Eight years later, the ranch is still operating in Chiang Mai. Its activities have continued to revolve around horses, horsemanship and connecting people with animals and nature. Programs have evolved over the years, including riding experiences and outdoor programs for children.
Seeing that makes this old post even more special to me.
We weren’t visiting an established tourist attraction that we’d found online.
We went because Cosimo made a friend. That’s it. One friendship at the Project World School Family Summit led to a playdate. That playdate led us to a newly opened horse rescue. And that afternoon introduced our kids to people who were trying to give animals a second chance.
Looking Back at Our Day Horseback Riding in Chiang Mai
When we chose to travel full-time with our kids, experiences like this were exactly what we hoped would happen.
Not necessarily horseback riding. Not necessarily visiting a horse rescue.
But connection.
Meeting people. Hearing their stories. Learning about something we knew nothing about the day before.
Seeing our kids ask questions because they genuinely wanted to understand. And then going home with something new to think about.
Our day horseback riding in Chiang Mai started because Cosimo wanted to spend time with his new friend. It ended with all of us knowing the names and personalities of horses we’d never expected to meet.
That’s one of my favorite things about traveling slowly with kids. You never really know where one new friendship might take you.
For more information call at 06-4404-1037 (EN)/
If you are interested in donating for future rescues this is the link: PayPal.me/secondwindrnr.
If you are traveling in Thailand. Make sure to spend some time in Chiang Mai and plan a visit to this beautiful place. Come and see for yourself what an amazing job they are doing with these horses!
Check out the lovely hotel we stayed at Feel Nimman Boutique!!
Continue the journey with:
If you are planning a trip to Asia, these unique destinations should definitely be on your radar:
- Brunei: The Family Trip That Became a Girls’ Adventure
- 5 Days in Hong Kong: What We Did, What We Missed, and Why That’s Perfectly Okay
- A Family Journey Through India
- Discovering Cambodia: From Phnom Penh to the Magic of Siem Reap with Kids
- Visiting Bhutan with Kids: Inside the Magical Kingdom of Bhutan
I hope our experience helps you plan an unforgettable Asia adventure of your own!
