Meet The Trainer

Samantha Jane Hale

Samantha grew up England and her passion for horses started at 4 years old when she was allowed to ride her neighbor's pony, Titus.
That passion never ceased and her life has had horses in it ever since.
 
She went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was a Pre Vet Major, Equine Science Minor, and is a Licensed Veterinary Technician. 

During collage (and after) she volunteered for CANTER California. This is where her passion for OTTBs really blossomed and she saw how amazing these Thoroughbreds are. At this point she purchased her heart horse Maverick (JC: Captain Jade) off of Golden Gate Fields and will have him for the rest of his life. He went on to have a very successful showing career in Eventing, Western Dressage, Show Jumping, and is a true all rounder!

After college she went on to work at the SF SPCA, the Hayward Animal Control, and numerous veterinary clinics. She then went on to be the head trainer for a rescue and while she loved being a trainer, she saw the huge need for rescuing horses from auctions that lacked training to be successful and keep them out of these situations in the future. At that point she created Second Sunrise Rescue. 

After re-homing 210 horses it was time for her to step into a new chapter and focus her energy on Second Sunrise Horsemanship. Starting the rescue was always about her deep love for training and the joy of seeing horses thrive. That mission remains the same—it’s just evolving into a new form. The rescue has been an incredible platform to meet and work with so many amazing people, and she hopes those connections will continue to grow through Second Sunrise Horsemanship.

As of 2025 Samantha have been accepted into the class of the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover trainers. She will train an OTTB and compete at the Makeover at the Kentucky Horse park in October! 

Second Sunrise Graduates