GOOD NEWS FRIDAY sponsored by Liberation Farm: FREE TO A GOOD HOME
By Ray Paulick
Antony Beck saw the writing on the wall just before the 2008 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Overstocked breeders were trying to sell mares they no longer wanted or planned to breed, and an economic calamity was reducing demand for their product. Beck worried what might become of so many of the horses entered in the sale that would not find new homes.
So the president of Gainesway Farm in Lexington brought a proposal to Blood-Horse Publications, where he is a member of the board of trustees, to create a free online adoption service that brings existing Thoroughbred owners and potential new owners together. The idea was embraced by Kimberly Brown, editor of The Horse magazine, a Blood-Horse Publications owned, all-breeds horse health monthly with a popular website. The bulletin board service was launched at www.thehorse.com in November 2008. Cost of development was underwritten by Gainesway Farm as sponsor (click here to see the list of Thoroughbreds available). Earlier this year, a second section sponsored by the United States Trotting Association was added for Standardbred horses (click here to see the list of those horses).
“I started getting very concerned about the RNAs (reserve not attained) that might end up being butchered,” Beck told the Paulick Report. “I can’t persuade myself to believe that slaughter is the best way to reduce the horse population. Emotionally, it’s an offense to me to have a horse slaughtered.”
“I understand completely that many breeders are in a terrible financial situation right now,” he said. “No one wants to abandon a horse, but I’m afraid that’s the plight many of them face.”
The horse adoption listings are not just for retired or pensioned broodmares. Many are geldings that have been used in various disciplines who may have owners that can no longer afford them. The listings include the name, age, sex, color and location of the horse, along with a brief description of its background, characteristics or physical condition. The lists can be sorted by several categories, including location. Interested parties can contact the horse owners directly.
To date, 229 Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds have been adopted out as a result of the service. (Click here for “success stories.”)
Beck said one of the challenges is getting people from outside the Thoroughbred community to learn about the adoption service and the number of horses that are available.
“I’ve been told by many people that other disciplines really like Thoroughbreds, and this service gives those horsemen and women a chance to adopt a Thoroughbred at little or no cost,” he said.
Responsible horse owners need to be vigilant about who may be adopting their horse and whether they have any ulterior motives, such as bringing the new adoptees to a sale where horses are sold for slaughter. The Horse website has several articles that offer guidance on how to avoid that type of situation.
“I haven’t heard of anyone (being scammed),” Beck said, “but people do need to be aware. So far, we’ve had over 200 horses saved and in the hands of new owners. I’m very happy about that, but I hope we can do much more. It really is a matter of making people outside of the Thoroughbred world aware that these horses are available.”
ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Publishing is a very competitive business, and few publications like to acknowledge the existence of their competitors, much less drive traffic to their websites. Though the adoption service is hosted at The Horse magazine’s website, it shouldn’t stop popular all-breeds magazines like Equus, Horse Illustrated, Horse and Rider and Western Horseman from publicizing its existence. Those magazines and websites reach hundreds of thousands of horse owners who should be made aware of these free adoptions.
It is a service to the animal that is responsible for our livelihoods—the horse.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Antony Beck, blood-horse publications, Equus, gainesway farm, Good News Friday, Horse and Rider, Horse Illustrated, Kimberly Brown, liberation farm, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, Standardbred, The Horse, thoroughbred, Western Horseman
November 20th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I understand the emotional side of the horse slaughter debate, but I truly believe it is necessary. There should be well regulated, humane plants in this country to deal with the thousands of unwanted (even for free in many cases…) horses that have accumulated and are causing this glut.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Great needed endeavor, Thanks, may there be many more!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
TM,
Even USDA vets stated that the captive bolt gun isn’t suitable for stunning horses, they have to be hit sometimes five or more times, breaking the 1951 Humane Slaughter Law which states that the animal be stunned in one blow. When the US foreign owned horse slaughterhouses were in operation they aquired thousands of violations of abuse either at slaughter or in transport in double decker cattle/pig trails, here’s the link to one of the best and most informant website’s on horse slaughter for elite foreign human consumption; kaufmanzoning.net
Please do yourself a favor and visit, as I used to feel like you that it was an necessary evil then I discovered the real truth, that’s it’s a predatory business and operates only because of greed.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
TM,
Slaughter is not humane. Profit-driven killing will never be humane. It’s not financially realistic.
Euthanasia is humane, by definition.
________
The latter is a couple hundred dollars’ expense, the former is a couple hundred dollars’ return.
________
All that cruelty, trauma, terror and disrespect for the horse, over a couple hundred dollars.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
The average cost to maintain a horse (properly) per month is +/- $250… the average cost of humane euthanasia and disposal/rendering is approximately the same. Humane euthanasia is part of the cost of doing business for large horse operations, and the right thing to do for all horse owners.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Thanks to the Paulick Report for publicizing this service to the horse, to Antony Beck for conceiving of it, to the industry sponsors for supporting it… and thanks to Tuck Miller for the laugh.
Naughty naughty horses - producing themselves, accumulating, and causing an
inconvenient “glut”. Let’s kill them.
Tuck - they ARE being killed, promise. Unfortunately, since the horse slaughter industry does not in fact exist to provide a convenient disposal service for the horse industry’s excess fourleggeds - but rather to supply nice filets in exactly the right volume to satisfy the demand from foreign diners - it won’t just happen to conveniently kill the number of them that those such as yourself wringing their hands about the “glut” would prefer.
You’re just going to have to seek alternative solutions for your glut.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
I guess this is good news but I had nothing but bad news when trying to find my off -track TB a home. The fact of the matter is, there simply aren’t enough homes for all the horses that are no longer economically feasible to race or maintain. Free horses are a dime a dozen in Central Kentucky (and elsewhere likely). There seems to me to be a mathematical problem with breeding so many — horses don’t run for very long, but they sure do live a long time. Three times the length of your average pet dog for example. They’re bred, born, raced, and then….live for another 20-25+ years.
I thank, and support, the many organizations out there providing retirement options. Will be supporting the KY Equine Humane Center this evening: http://www.kyehc.org/index.html. Please consider supporting the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, as they are now supporting the horse I could no longer afford to keep, but who has many good years left ahead of him.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Good feature and I especially appreciate the focus on knowing to whom you are giving that horse.
Others have covered the obvious flaws of good old TM’s rationalizing…horse slaughter is necessary pile of manure.
For all the revenue that these horses generate over their life span, the owner of an unwanted horse neither has the cash or guts to humanely euthanize that animal? Please.
Also, it should be noted that since US Equines are not raised as a food animal for humans, their drug exposure, lack of production records and risk to human health is more than just a little problem. Seems those small details are of little concern to the humans advocating paid to sell human consumption horse slaughter, much less the final hell those horses go through throughout the slaughter process. You’d think that would be enough to stop it.
Thanks Blood-Horse, The Horse and all connections. Thanks Ray.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Humane euthanasia via bullet properly placed(very inexpensive) or sodium pentobarbitol is most definitely preferable if all other humane options are unavailable. It is inexcusable cruelty to allow any but the most vile of creatures to endure the suffering many horses have been subjected to at slaughterhouses or at the hands of some kill buyers. I have never made a penny off of any horse and have spent money for many years caring for them. I have saved a horse from slaughter and had my 33 year old mare euthanized when she injured herself and could not get up. After a horse has been humanely euthanized the body can be rendered if burial or cremation is not feasible. The number of horses dying each year is much smaller than the number of people but they always find room for human remains and funerals cost more than disposal of horse remains. I do hope to make some money from horses someday and would use a lot of it to care for horses. People owe a debt to horses that have served them and in many cases made money for them. They should have or should be putting money aside for their horses future care every time that horse helps them works for them or makes money for them. It can cost a lot less than $250 per month to care for a horse. Humane euthanasia for my old mare was $140. Horse slaughter is not the only cruel slaughter. I am a vegetarian because of cruelty to other animals.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Good for Antony Beck and all involved in saving these horses.
And good for Caroline Betts - she really skewered Tuck Miller, who apparently can’t reason from A to B if he thinks the horses somehow managed to “cause” the “glut.” Industry horses don’t live like alley cats. They’ve caused nothing.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
As the owner of an OTTB, I am absolutely in love with the breed. I was a 48 year old re-rider who thought she could handle a horse right off the track….wrong! I got help and wer’e doing fine. My horsie is teaching me to ride, something I’m not sure would happen with any other breed.
This is a great program. I keep checking and hopefully one of these days I’ll find a nice horse in Illinois for hubby.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Tuck Miller writes……horses that have accumulated and are causing this glut.
Now when are horses runing loose breeding on there own. The glut can be controlled by making the very industry that is profiting promoting breeding for papers. The Industry should be held responsible. The industry such as the AQHA ,APHA, AHA and other over breeder associations should be setting fees for all breeders these fees can go to rescues which are NON profit and are NOT getting rich as these problem makers are like wall street investors. Rescues are the frontline of protection for horses.
For example if you have a car and find out you need new tires you go to BFG or Firestone and buy four new tires do you keep your old tire’s or turn them over for discharged. Most of the time many will turn them over to the business to discard them. Then the business charges you a discard fee of $ 3.00 per tire. In return these business will re-sell them to a used tire business for a few more dollars making a profit. Then the used tire business re-sells you used tires for a cheap price. Then the last trip for tires are reused again in other ways. Never burned or dump in landfills.
The advantage for horses is there are Rescues that are here to help. Lets help our rescues by supporting them. Lets make these big organizations such as the Over Breeder association responsible Lets start charging these breeders Fees since there so irresponsible to own a horse.
Finally lets fine and jail criminals that support these crimes on animals NOT REWARD them for being irresponsible. To see the profits these irresponsible people make Over breeding visit. http://www.SaveDaHorses.org want to see who profits abusing and neglecting horses visit. http://www.Sharkonline.org
November 21st, 2009 at 11:51 am
Perhaps more horses could be saved/rehabilitated if TRF improved it’s criteria or the decision-makers..
A veterinarian, with whom I am acquainted, was asked by grooms at the Thoroughbred Center to find a home for a nice horse. It had been injured, could not race again and scheduled for euthanasia. The grooms literally loved this horse. They did not want it put down. The vet tried to help by contacting TRF.
It was hard to believe anyone could be given such a run-around. There was this, that and the other reason why they were reluctant to take the horse. As inducement, the vet offered to donate professional services to TRF for several hours a week. Still got nowhere.
D-Day for the horse arrived. The vet asked me to give the horse a temporary home while a search for suitable retirement place continued. That was more than two years ago.
The horse is still here. I have several of my homebreds retired here. I don’t need to take on outsiders. But, what else could I do?
Thanks for your humane attitude toward all horse — TRF. !!!
November 21st, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Are you serious Garrett Redmond? You expect one 501c3 to have the resources to operate as a common city pound, accepting all animals as they come, but yet while NOT acting as a common city pound, supporting them, keeping them alive, rehabilitating them, and adopting them all out?
Where is your hundreds of million-dollars donation that would be necessary to make this happen so as to justify such criticism? What obligates any 501c3 to clean up racing’s messes once they’re not profitable, other than their own ethical inability to refuse to stand by and watch suffering, an ethic so sadly absent from the people who are truly responsible to these animals - their owners?
November 21st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
The basis of the problem stems from over-breeding, plain & simple. Too many horses & not enough homes for them.
Nearly 40,000 T-breds foaled every year? Stunningly foolish.
And even more Quarter Horses than that? Insanity.
And every other breed spitting out horses as fast as they can?
And goofball backyard breeders trying to make a quick buck?
That’s the primary issue that has to be addressed & the big breeders & the various breed associations just do not want to hear that, let alone deal with it.
To address today’s homeless & potentially homeless horses, more sanctuaries & rescues have to be developed - & here’s another one nobody wants to hear - funded. Your government certainly isn’t gonna help - they throw money at wars & at the rich.
So maybe there needs to be a massive public awareness program. If Barack Obama can raise $100 million via small donations, it seems that the nation’s horses - America’s Herd - ought to be able to do the same.
Slaughter is the simple way. The easy way. The lazy way.
The hard way? The right way? Cut back on breeding & generate funding for living horses.
But this is America 2009, so it’ll probably be the easy way.
Too bad. Too bad for the horses & too bad for the nation’s moral fiber.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:00 pm
This is a refreshing forum as I think we can agree that #1 overbreeding in all registries is a source of misery, and that #2 something needs to be done to insure that horses leaving the racetrack have some resources. Regarding overbreeding I think it is the bottom line that will eventually solve this problem. If you remove slaughter from the equation and people need to take financial responsibility to clean up their own mess watch the numbers fall. Keep up the fight to stop the export of American horses for slaughter, and don’t wait for an epiphany in the horse industry.
Regarding #2, getting resources to non-profits that care for retired racehorses, the solution is stunningly simple. In most sports in the civilized world it would be considered unacceptable for the athletes to be killed and eaten. This may have something to do with the current public chilliness to horseracing.
To rectify this situation it would be a simple matter to require that owners post a bond in the racing office for each horse in his or her stable that would be used to pay a reasonable amount to a non profit able accept the horse should the owner wish to donate it at the conclusion of it’s racing career. This should be a requirement of doing the business of racing. There is no model to retire, rehabilitate and adopt horses at the present time that is truly working because the owners have so far been permitted to shirk their responsibilities.
November 21st, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Erin Whoeveryouare (14),
I certainly am serious and I don’t know what you are babbling on about 501c3 and common pounds.
Operations such as TRF are set up and claim their mission is to save horses. TRF specifically set up to save Thoroughbreds. When it appeals for donations that is their pitch. No admission that they go through positively weird gyrations to pick one horse over another. I accuse them of catering to “name” horses, ideally one that reached the heights and ended up as a $3,000 Claimer. That story can be milked for more donations.
I have a strong suspicion Erin may be employed by TRF. If so, as with all other paid employees, THEY are living off the plight of the horses. Like so many other not-for-profits, an examination of salaries paid the executives could shock the donors.
In conclusion: I do not run a common pound. I do not seek donations. I did step up and do what TRF is supposed to do.
Enough.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
The number of Thoroughbreds registered in one year has not been 40K since 1990. The numbers being bred are dropping. 2005 35,032. 2006 34,840. 2007 34,350, 2008 33,550., estimated 09 30K. Commercial breeders who do not care about soundness and in some cases have looked down their noses at sound horses and claimed they are not “commercial”arethe biggest culprits. They make up all kinds of excuses for their high priced stallions and their offspring. Fast horses can be sound horses and slow horses that ran unplaced have broken down and been euthanized. There are less people interested in pasture pals that are too unsound for anything else. Some people on another forum have said breeding is the only thing one can do with them which leads to more unsound horses. Breeding unsound Thoroughbreds has led to more people riding warmbloods instead of riding Thoroughbreds. Not only have some commercial breeders favored unsound horses there are those who prefer aggressive hard to handle horses that are also harder to place if they are not used for breeding. The Jockey Club is at least against horse slaughter. The Quarter horse registry seems to be the worst and some others are obviously not run by horse lovers but greedy people who only use horses for their own gain.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Correction estimated 2009 should read estimated 2010.