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USTA Donates $40,000 To Establish New Funding Mechanism For STA

The U.S. Trotting Association announced on May 24 that the organization will donate $40,000 and establish a new funding mechanism to assist the Standardbred Transition Alliance. The $40,000 will come from the USTA's Support Our Standardbreds budget.

In their May 13 meeting, the USTA's Executive Committee voted to make the contribution and establish a new, opt-in option for USTA members to donate to the STA, which will be included on all new and renewal membership applications.

“The $40,000 and the opportunity for our members to make voluntary donations through their membership applications reaffirms the USTA's commitment to the Standardbred Transition Alliance,” said USTA Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Tanner, who initially proposed the establishment of the STA at the annual Board of Directors Meeting in March 2018.

“The STA accreditation process ensures that their approved horse rescue organizations are operated with a professional structure and are accountable for their treatment of the horses, which provides assurance to donors that their contributions will be used responsibly,” added Tanner.

“The more money that can be raised, the more of our retired racehorses can receive the type of aftercare they deserve when they are retired. But besides the donation, there are many other ways that the USTA can promote and support the STA; and we're committed to doing that.”

The STA operates under the guidance of its Board of Directors and is completely independent of the USTA, who previously donated $75,000 in initial funding for the creation of the organization. David Reid serves as president and Jennifer Daniels is the STA administrator.

“The STA deeply appreciates the support of the USTA's directors, staff and membership, particularly in developing this opportunity for members to easily and securely transmit their aftercare contributions as they're submitting other USTA transactions,” said Daniels.

According to its website, “The mission of the Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA) is to inspect, accredit and award grants to approved organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and re-home Standardbred horses, using industry-wide funding. The STA is approved as a 501(c)(3) Internal Revenue approved charity and is also registered with the Ohio Secretary of State and Attorney General. IRS application for 501(c)(3) designation was filed in October of 2018 and approved in April of 2019.

“The existing groups are at or beyond capacity. There is a wide disparity in numbers of horses served, services provided, staffing, budgets and other resources. Horse adoption programs generally operate with no oversight and no way for donors to ensure their money is being used wisely. We need additional groups to help Standardbreds across the country.

“It is expected that the accreditation process will elevate the level of both business and equine care practices and identify groups whose work is sustainable and exemplary.”

Donations can be made by sending a check to the STA office at: Standardbred Transition Alliance, P.O. Box 377, Laurelville, OH 43135 or by clicking here.

Indiana Grand Donates Funding, Materials To Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding

Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Inc., located in Zionsville, Ind., provides an essential service to many children and adults with disabilities in Central Indiana. Equine-assisted therapy gives these individuals the opportunity to participate in activities that complement daily routines and standard therapeutic services. Indiana Grand Racing & Casino began a three-year partnership with the organization in 2020 and recently provided a $10,000 donation along with 20 tons of materials and a new drag for the indoor riding arena.

“While doing a site visit to Morning Dove in 2020, we noticed the indoor arena had some dips and was in need of additional footing for the riding classes,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing at Indiana Grand. “We specialize in dirt appropriate for riding services, and it was an easy fix for us to donate 20 tons of material utilized on our racing surface so Morning Dove can earmark the funding directly to the individuals who participate in their therapeutic riding services.”

A team of three Indiana Grand individuals, Dillon Simpson, Justin Gabbard, and Austin Johns from the Track and Backstretch Maintenance crew, spent the day at Morning Dove to prepare and spread the indoor riding arena with the additional materials. The end product will provide more cushioning for the horses, riders, and assistants that walk alongside the horses during therapeutic sessions. In addition, Indiana Grand donated an arena drag to help keep the surface smooth for future classes in the enclosure.

Like a lot of organizations, Morning Dove was affected by COVID-19 restrictions last year. However, they worked diligently to get the services back to their clients last June and, with additional security and safety protocols, have continued their work.

“Ninety percent of what we do is outside, so being able to provide this to our clients and their families was crucial,” said Brad Schleppi, Executive Director at Morning Dove. “This is their outlet, and approximately 15 percent of our kids are immune-compromised, so we took extra precautions for the safety of everyone to ensure they were back enjoying their equine therapy.”

Sessions for clients come at a price tag of $150 per hour, which includes the assistants, horse care, equipment maintenance, and facility upkeep. However, due to donations, clients are only charged $45 per session thanks to support such as the $10,000 contribution from Indiana Grand.

“We are very appreciative for the continued partnership and support by Indiana Grand, because it gets kiddos on horseback,” added Schleppi. “For many, this is their social and physical interactions for the week, and thanks to organizations like Indiana Grand, we are able to continue these services to those who depend on Morning Dove for a major part of their routines.”

In addition to the funding from Indiana Grand, Harrah's Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind. has also committed to a three-year agreement with Morning Dove for $10,000 annually.

For more information or to assist Morning Dove, go to their Website at www.morningdovetrc.org.

The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is now in progress and continues through Monday, Nov. 8. Live racing will be conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. In addition, six all-Quarter Horse racing dates are set on select Saturdays starting June 5 at 10 a.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, beginning at noon. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.caesars.com/indiana-grand.

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Shelbyville Animal Shelter Recieves $2,500 Donation from Indiana Grand

Indiana Grand Racing & Casino recently made a $2,500 donation to the Shelbyville-Shelby County Animal Shelter, dedicated to assisting cats and dogs in the area.

“Animal shelters in the area were hit hard in 2020 due to the pandemic and their numbers have continued to increase as a result, which has put a great strain on a lot of the facilities in the area,” said Mike Rich, Senior Vice President and General Manager. “We recognized these hardships and wanted to step in to provide some monetary relief for several shelters in the area, including the facility in Shelbyville. We are proud to continue our partnership with an organization that is so committed to their mission of assisting unwanted animals.”

The Shelby County Animal Shelter receive strays, getting them off the streets and send them through a spay/neuter program before setting them up for adoption into new homes. The shelter is equipped with an outdoor walking trail, in addition to a waterfall. The area provides a play area for the canine residents, ideal for interaction with potential adoption families and volunteers.

“We will use this money for much needed dog beds and cat towers,” said Chris Browder, administrative assistant of the facility. “We will also use some of the funds for the exterior of our property. Spring always presents us with projects to fix. We want to beautify our facility and make it as inviting as possible, and we always welcome people in to adopt or to volunteer.”

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‘By Showing Compassion For One Life, We Can Mend Many More’: Merck Research Horses Find A New Job

Merck Animal Health's equine division periodically conducts research on their product's efficacy. But what happens to the study horses when the research is complete? Click below to find out how Merck made sure the horses used in an EPM study had a soft place to land—specifically one where they would still be helping.

Watch below to see where they ended up.

The post ‘By Showing Compassion For One Life, We Can Mend Many More’: Merck Research Horses Find A New Job appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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