Horse lovers find it extremely fitting that the horse that played the renowned Seabiscuit in the movie and was last ridden by Tobey Maguire has arrived at the Tulsa Boys' Home where he will take on the role of therapy horse..
Rich in Dallas portrayed Seabiscuit in the 2003 movie about the depression-era race horse and will now start his new job as a therapy horse for the 64 boys now living at the facility.
The Tulsa Boys' Home, which was founded in 1918, is a nonprofit residential facility for boys ages 11 to 18 going through emotional and behavioral therapy. The facility's equine therapy program has about 20 horses on site.
As the boys go through the equine program they first learn to feed and care for the horses, then slowly work their way to riding.
As well as being a therapy horse, Rich in Dallas will serve as an ambassador for the Tulsa Boys' Home and will be present at the organization's annual fundraiser, Run for the Roses, on May 7.
Greg Conway, Executive Director of the facility, sees the parallels between the life of Seabiscuit and the boys. "Seabiscuit represents what Tulsa Boys' Home stands for: healing, overcoming adversity and instilling a sense of hope. That's what that horse did for the entire nation," Conway said. "His actor's namesake will continue that here."