GOOD NEWS FRIDAY sponsored by Liberation Farm: HORSE AID LIVE!
By Ray Paulick
The plight of retired Thoroughbreds and other unwanted horses has really been in the spotlight this past week. The two-day Welfare and Safety Summit of the Racehorse devoted a public panel and private discussions sharing ideas and solutions to the problem. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation announced the hiring of Larry Taylor as chief executive officer to manage what is the oldest and largest Thoroughbred retirement operation in the world, a move that allows longtime TRF executive Diana Pikulski the chance to devote full-time to critical funding issues. Thoroughbred Charities of America announced distribution of $860,672 in grants to various equine industry causes, with more than half of the funding going to horse rescue, retirement and adoption agencies. And the Unwanted Horse Coalition, a collaborative effort of many organizations across the spectrum of the horse industry, elected a new chairman in veterinarian Doug Corey and expanded its goals and commitment to working toward a solution to the growing problem of the unwanted or neglected horse.
There is one common theme at every meeting of every organization dealing with the issue of horse rescue and retirement: money.
Cyndi Greathouse, who has served as development director for the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, recognizes the problem and has stepped forward with something she thinks will help lead to a solution: a unique concept called Horse Live Aid, a pass-through funding organization created to benefit horses of all breeds throughout the United States.
Based on the concept of Farm Aid, established 25 years ago by musicians Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young to assist American farmers facing foreclosure on their properties, Horse Live Aid plans to stage at least one major benefit concert every year as well as other musical events at smaller venues around the country. Click here to learn more about Horse Live Aid.
Greathouse has the support of a diverse group of individuals serving as directors and advisors, led by Katy North Lamonica of Darley America, who is the organization’s president. Rick Dees, the well-known disc jockey and host of the No. 1 syndicated radio show, “The Weekly Top 40 Countdown” (and owner of a large Kentucky farm) is among those on the advisory board. Actor D.W. Moffett of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” is also advising the group. “Horses are an American icon and a part of our country’s rich history,” he said in a statement.
Greathouse said Horse Aid Live is working toward a 2011 major spring concert in Kentucky, the details for which are still being worked out. “We don’t want this to be just one concert a year,” she said. “We’ll have large concerts and smaller events in more intimate settings, but we are more into creating awareness for the charity and making sure that every breed is involved and represented. We do need funding for the artists that will provide the entertainment and the concert venues won’t be free. But there are many people stepping up to help and advise us on the best way to get this done.”
The goal of Horse Aid Live will be to have funds available for distribution by the end of 2011. Grant applications will be available on the Horse Aid Live website.
“Right now we are just looking for an awareness that this organization has started and is trying to build support throughout every facet of the horse industry. We want everybody involved, and it will be totally inclusive and non-political.” Greathouse anticipates getting support from many non-traditional sources and individuals who are not part of the horse industry but who believe the horse is an important part of America’s heritage.
“Horse Aid Live will be a celebration of the horse.”
Copyright © 2010, Blenheim Publishing , LLC
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Tags: Cyndi Greathouse, D. W. Moffett, diana pikulski, Doug Corey, Friday Night Lights, Horse Aid Live, John Mellencamp, kentucky equine humane center, Rick Dees, thoroughbred retirement foundation, unwanted horse coalition, Welfare and Safety Summit, Willie Nelson
July 2nd, 2010 at 11:52 am
Horse Aid Live is a absolutely brilliant idea that can also help to make the public more aware of the challenges facing the horse welfare community. I don’t believe the Unwanted Horse Coalition belongs on the same page with TCA, TRF and Kentucky Equine Humane Center. To date they have demonstrated a pro-slaughter position, which is the anthesis of what these other organizations are seeking to accomplish.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:19 pm
This is a far-sighted idea that will help put more strength in the movement to find homes and proper treatment for retired racehorses. There is no point in saying that retirement and lifelong management are important goals in Thoroughbred racing without a mechanism to fund them.
This is the spring that can make it all work.
Bravo!
Frank
July 3rd, 2010 at 7:37 pm
This is a good start but there are still serious concerns: 1) Racing is a 50 billion dollar industry. This industry has plenty of money to inject and drug their horses and pay trainers and vets exorbitant prices but they cannot afford to repair their horses’ racing injuries BEFORE they give the horse to a rescue with a donation equal to one month of what they were paying their racing trainer and vet when the horse raced????????; 2) The new chairman, Doug Corey, disclosed his pro-slaughter stance previously and the unwanted horse coalition appears to continue on the same path as when Tom Lenz was chairman.
July 4th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
I really am disappointed to see yet more salaries paid for the allocation of funds. Unfortunately there are many organizations who are helping the Thoroughbreds and taking large steps to show the capabilities of these horses after their career. But these organizations are passed by on the funding and the funding stays with the large organizations. We have taken in over 100 ex racehorses in the past year and we have not received any funding or consideration from TOBA, TRF or Blue Horse.
It is very disappointing. We are an all volunteer organization and all funds are applied to the horses. We do not have salaries. It saddens me to see yet more salaries paid and less funds going to help the horses.
Jennifer Swanson
Pure Thoughts Inc. Horse Rescue
Florida Thoroughbreds Rehab & Placement
July 6th, 2010 at 10:56 am
“During his testimony in 2008 before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security for the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008, Corey said, “Because of the large population of unwanted horses in the U.S., the AAEP believes that the processing of unwanted horses is currently a necessary end-of-life option and provides a humane alternative to allowing a horse to continue a life of discomfort and pain or endure inadequate care or abandonment.”
To the AHC and UHC the word, “processing” is a benign mask for the horror of a horse’s final hours in a slaughter house.
Corey further insulted prospective horse owners by stating “many of the individuals that adopt horses are not financially secure enough to adopt and provide proper care and feeding for a horse.” Corey didn’t offer an explanation as to why owners and breeders that are financially secure choose to send their horses to slaughter rather than provide proper care.
Both Corey and Lenz are well aware of the labeling on horse medications; “not intended for use in food animals.” They are also well aware that animals given those medications cannot be slaughtered for human consumption and yet, they continue to support horse slaughter.
Our paper showed that American Thoroughbred race horses are given the banned drug phenylbutazone and sent to slaughter for human consumption. We followed 18 Thoroughbred horses in the US over a five year study period and all of them were given the banned drug phenylbutazone (bute) and sent to slaughter for human consumption. We also showed that all 16 rescued Thoroughbred horses were given the banned drug phenylbutazone. If equine rescues did not outbid kill buyers, more horse meat would be contaminated and consumed by humans. A recent article written by Alex Brown indicated that 99% of the race horses in California are given bute. Dr. Patty Hogan stated that 50% of the Thoroughbred foals born a year are sent to slaughter for human consumption. Bute is the most common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug given to horses with musculoskeletal injuries. Unfortunately, we didn’t have access to veterinary drug records to determine how many horses of other breeds were given bute and sent to slaughter for human consumption. However, based upon the sales of bute from one pharmaceultal company, we calculated that every horse in the United States is given one dose of bute and this does not include the bute one can purchase over the internet.
If you would like a copy of our paper published in the scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, please send me an email: amarini@usuhs.mil.
July 6th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Taken from the Equine Welfare Alliance website. To read this article in its entirety, go to http://www.ewa.org.
During his testimony on behalf of AAEP, Corey blithely claimed the closure of the US horse slaughter plants resulted in “increased equine cruelty in the form of abuse, neglect, and abandonment.”
That is a ludicrous statement. If there are increases in abuse, neglect and abandonment, it has nothing to do with the closure of the plants. Closing the plants did not stop or slow down the number of horses slaughtered. In fact, 2008, the year Corey testified, had the second highest number of horses slaughtered since 1995.
The same number of horses laden with FDA and European Union banned drugs are flowing across our borders to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico. All the while, Corey and Lenz still blame the closure of the plants instead of those that are causing the overpopulation of horses.
July 8th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Like all “charity” organizations, the cost of administration is a large question.
What is the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation CEO salary for Larry Taylor? That is a major question.
What will he do to earn/justify his salary which will be administration cost to the organization? He has never owned, broke, and/or cared for a retired thoroughbred. He does not own and/or ride pleasure horses. How many pensioned mares does he own and/or keep (i.e., mares that are no longer productive for breeding)? Again, what is his salary in this position.
We do not need another organization with friends and relatives collecting pay and delivery no service.