Growing up in Youngstown, a small village in upstate New York, Tanner Reisman spent more time among cows than horses. But he had a strong connection with his late grandmother, a Montana rancher, so there was ample opportunity for Reisman, who is now 23, to gain an appreciation for horses.
After graduating from the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, where he played soccer, Reisman wasn't sure of his next steps. But when he received a phone call from a family member with an intriguing proposition, he leaped at the chance to work at historic Claiborne Farm near Lexington.
Reisman's answers are edited for clarity and space.
BloodHorse: Where did your love for horses come from?
Tanner Reisman: My grandma who, unfortunately, is no longer with us. She grew up on a ranch in Montana and rode her ponies to school. She lived there for her whole childhood and was always into horses. That was her big thing.
We're lucky enough to have cars, but when you hop on the back of a horse you kinda realize that this (animal) is meant to be more than just what it's doing today.
BH: How did a career working with horses come into play?
TR: I really didn't know what I wanted to do (after graduation). I have a bachelor's degree in agriculture and business management, and an associate's degree in animal science. I knew I wanted to be in the (agriculture) world, but I didn't know specifically how I was going to portray myself and make myself stand out to catch the eye of others. I really hadn't spent a lot of time around the horses, either.
BH: So how did the opportunity to work in the Thoroughbred industry come about?
TR: Through my cousin, Jamie Kaczor, a veterinarian at Rood & Riddle (in Lexington). I was looking for an
internship as I was getting ready to graduate. I mentioned it to Jamie and I actually came down here to Kentucky and assisted her with some vet work for a couple weeks. And I was like, you know, I could really spend a significant amount of time (in Kentucky), and I would be absolutely happy with that.
After graduation, Jamie called me in the fall of 2023 and told me there's an internship open at Claiborne Farm if I was interested and wished to try my hand in the Thoroughbred industry. I said, "Let me think about it. Let me look into it a little bit." I opened the Claiborne website. I didn't grow up around Thoroughbreds, but I (knew about) Secretariat, and saw that Claiborne was "Doing the Usual, Unusually Well" for more than 100 years, and I was like, "Yep, I'm calling Jamie." Robby (Hertzel) at Claiborne called me a couple days later. I told him a little bit about myself. He said, "I think this would be a pretty good fit for you."
BH: What did you do during the internship?
TR: My internship began during the winter of 2024. I started on the broodmare side. My first day I was in the foaling barn. Bradley (Purcell), the farm manager, said, "Have you ever done this before?" I was like, "Not with a horse," and he said, "Well, today you're gonna learn." It was an awesome experience. I did the foaling barn for a few weeks. They put you in different places on the farm and teach you different things. After that, I got sent down to the nursery, and after that, I was in my own barn, looking after, grooming, and raising 12 mares and their foals.
BH: When did the internship turn into a salaried job for your current position as a yearling groom?
TR: I went full time May 16 last year. I worked with weanlings for a few weeks, and then I got thrown right into sales prep, which I loved. I've never worked with Thoroughbred yearlings before, so it was very new to me. Thoroughbreds are really one of a kind. Sure, they can be very spunky and have (challenging) attitudes, but they are cool. You let them out of the stall and they walk right next to you. It's an adrenaline rush working with them.
Three of the foals I previously worked with are actually in my yearling barn right now. So that is pretty, pretty dang cool. You know how they act, you know how they're raised. If they're going to act out, you know how to fix it immediately, because you saw them do it when they were minuscule.
BH: What's it like working the sales?
TR: I love the fast pace, always moving, always having the horse near you, with you, around you, showing people the horses, watching people just smile. Horses bring joy out of you. You look at these yearlings and can't help but think, "Hopefully, one day they cross the finish line in front at Churchill Downs; become a Kentucky Derby or Belmont Stakes winner; a graded stakes winner."
BH: Do you think you will remain in the Thoroughbred industry?
TR: I need horses in my life. I go away for a few days, and I feel like I miss (them and the work) so much. I've never worked on the backstretch; I'm in to (my current) experience of what goes into getting the horses to the racetrack. I think a lot of people don't see that side. Especially people who don't know about the Thoroughbred industry, outside of watching the Kentucky Derby. They don't know what goes into raising that animal, or how much care these horses receive and how much they are loved. I hear people talking about the negatives of the industry, and I say, "Heck, just come and spend the day at the farm." It would open people's eyes.
