On Tuesday, July 23, 2020, ten retired racehorses from the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF)’s Second Chances herd boarded a Brook Ledge van at the Wallkill Correctional Facility to begin a journey to their new home at Pastures of Point Lookout (PPL) in Chadds Ford, Pa. Each horse has a unique story that led to his retirement with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, but today they all shared a similar stroke of good fortune thanks to an extraordinary gesture of kindness, love and generosity.
Tag: aftercare
Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: New Goals, New Relationships
Saintly Ballad (barn name: “Athena”) was rescued from a Louisiana kill pen approximately one year ago. Since she was recently raced, this qualified her to participate in the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover which then became a big goal for us. Due to COVID-19, the October 2020 competition has been rescheduled to next October and will be a “Mega” Thoroughbred Makeover with the 2020 and 2021 eligible horses participating in the opportunity to compete and showcase the versatility of the breed.
Bills Protecting OTTBs Move Forward In NY
Two bills are being discussed in New York that deal with the treatment of racehorses when they retire from the track. One bill in the Democratic-controlled Senate would ban the slaughter of retired racehorses. The other bill, in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, seeks a mechanism to track New York-bred racehorses when they retire, reports Blood-Horse.
Which bill, if either, is approved remains to be seen.
The bill in the Assembly would see the creation of a new, seven-member state commission that would oversee the whereabouts of retired Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses in New York. The bill does not ban the slaughter of retired racehorses.
The bill in the Senate explicitly bans the slaughter of racehorses and racehorse-breeding stock. If passed, the bill would make it illegal to kill retired racehorses “for a commercial purpose” in New York. Any money collected from civil penalties would be funneled into retired racehorse aftercare programs. It also allows New York residents to make voluntary donations to aftercare programs through state income tax filings. Additionally, the bill requires the microchipping of all racehorses so they can be more easily tracked.
Read more at Blood-Horse.
The post Bills Protecting OTTBs Move Forward In NY appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Aftercare Of Charles Town: Doing Right For More Than Just The Horses
Charles Town Races is home to an aftercare organization all its own: Aftercare of Charles Town (ACT). Founded in 2013, the purpose of the nonprofit organization is to rehome, repurpose and retire Thoroughbreds that have raced or trained at the West Virginia track. ACT operates with a volunteer board and no employees.
Georgiana Pardo is a general practice lawyer and the volunteer president of ACT, which assisted 43 horses in 2019. Georgiana explained to the Daily Racing Form how ACT works. To enter a horse in the ACT program, she says, a horseman must file paperwork showing that the horse has raced at Charles Town. Charles Town assesses a paddock fee per start; as much of the ACT funding comes from that fee and from the Charles Town Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, ACT's focus is on assisting horses that have raced specifically at that track.
The retiring horse must also come with vet records that allow ACT to determine what sort of second career may be most appropriate for the horse. Once accepted into the program, the horse will go to a placement partner where it is rehabilitated, retrained and adopted out. The placement partner receives a stipend and ACT pays for any vet care needed to get the horse comfortable for his second career. Placement partners are experienced nonprofit organizations that provide follow up on the horses that were under their care and will take the horse back should it be returned.
Georgiana notes every racehorse deserves a quality life after racing. She believes that track funding for aftercare is achievable, and that it assists more than just the horse: it helps the owners, trainers and the horse's adopters, as well. It's a situation in which everyone wins.
Read more at TDN.
More information on Aftercare Charles Town can be found here.
The post Aftercare Of Charles Town: Doing Right For More Than Just The Horses appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
