Tag: Horse Care

When the Thoroughbreds make the leap from the racetrack to the eventing world, Chloe Duffy is with them for every step of their journey.

There is an unmistakable joyous tone in her voice when the Ontario-born and raised rider speaks of the horses who have closed one chapter of their careers and began a new one in a much different arena.

“When the Thoroughbreds are done racing, it's done, and that's fine,” stated Duffy. “But their career isn't over when they cross that finish life for the last time. They are so athletic and so willing to learn. If they find what they want to do, they will do it to the best of their ability.”

Duffy would certainly know.

An accomplished rider who has had success in various eventing competitions throughout North America over the past six years, Duffy has worked closely with several former racehorses in their transition to a different sporting life.

“I got into the sport of eventing in 2015,” said Duffy, who, at the time, was the only junior rider in Ontario accepted to compete in the discipline of eventing for the Retired Race Horse Project, hosted at Kentucky Horse Park.

“I went to Jessica Phoenix (a five-time Pan American medalist and Olympian) and she's been my coach ever since. I bought my first Thoroughbred, Oro Veradero, from one of Jessica's students, Jamie Kellock. “Oro” and I competed with the Canadian junior eventing team in 2017 and came back from the International Championship with Team Bronze and individual fifth in North America.”

Since then, she's welcomed other former racehorses, including through LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society.

Established in 1999, LongRun is the first industry-funded adoption program in Canada, earning status as one of the most respected horse retirement and adoption organizations. Over 50 retired racehorses currently reside at its sprawling 100-acre property in Hillsburgh, Ontario.

Working with LongRun has been a match made in horse heaven for Duffy.

Careless Cousin, a Long Run Graduate, was the first Thoroughbred that Duffy produced to compete at the Thoroughbred Makeover, a competition in 10 disciplines for recently retired Thoroughbreds in their first year of retraining for a career after racing.

“It was in 2016 when I adopted my first Thoroughbred from LongRun. That was Eddie, whose race name was Careless Cousin. I took him to Kentucky for the Thoroughbred Makeover that year and he evented up to Entry Level. Now he's with one of Jessica's students who came over from Switzerland to be a working student.

“In 2017, I adopted Moxie. Her race name was Are You Okay. She was a horse I also planned to take her to the Thoroughbred Makeover. That was my Team Canada year and I had to choose between her and Oro Veradero. I ended up taking “Oro” to Montana to compete for Canada rather than going to Kentucky with Moxie. She's now with a new family, loving life and doing so well.”

Duffy then adopted Crusher.

“He came to me in 2018 and was supposed to go to the Thoroughbred Makeover, but Covid hit, and they were unable to cross the border to the USA to compete. He showed up to the Training Level in dressage with me and now he's with one of my students and showing her the ropes. He's going to show with her this year. It's very exciting for me because he's been with me that whole time and now I get to see this journey start.”

Two years ago, Duffy welcomed another LongRun graduate.

Although the chestnut mare didn't notch a win on the racetrack – her best results were a trio of third-place finishes from 17 starts – the Ontario-bred daughter of Victor's Cry is flourishing in her new calling.

“Her racing name was Vesperanza, but now she's known as Queen,” offered Duffy. “She has trained up to training level in eventing and she has a full season planned this year. She'll start showing in June. She was bred by Vicki Pappas (LongRun chairperson and founding member). I have a great relationship with Vicki. She's a wonderful person and she truly cares about horses.”

Just as Duffy does.

Her connection to horses continues to grow stronger.

“My grandfather always had a horse for me. Never anything fancy, but a horse I could get on and ride all over the countryside if I wanted to.”

These days, Duffy is grateful to have the opportunity to put former racehorses on a path to success.

Helping each one reach their potential is a welcome challenge for Duffy.

“Each horse is different. Each horse has a different way of learning and I approach everyone in the way that is best for them. They all have incredible work ethics, and they all want to please their riders. They are very solid horses and I really enjoy working with them. They know when they've done well. You can see that they are proud of themselves.”

Duffy is unabashedly proud of them too.

Seeing them flourish after the finish line is a scene that never gets old.

“You want the horses to go somewhere where they will be happy, loved and understood. It makes my heart so warm. I love the Thoroughbreds, and I want what is best for every single one of them.”

The post Leap Of Faith: Eventer Chloe Duffy Loves That Thoroughbreds ‘Are So Athletic And So Willing To Learn’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Posts on social media can tug on the heartstrings of horse lovers across the country when it comes to trying to find homes for retired horses. Posts that claim they need to raise money “as soon as possible” for a bail-out for a horse potentially in a kill pen created a larger tug and an even bigger sense of urgency that thousands can be raised in mere hours for that one horse.

But is it legit?

In an attempt to alert uninformed, yet sympathetic, individuals to the risks involved in sourcing animals from these operations, the American Horse Council (AHC) released the following statement in 2022:

The American Horse Council and its members are encouraging horse owners, horse rescues and equine enthusiasts to be extremely cautious before engaging with organizations and individuals promoting time sensitive rescue offers (often referred to as “bail” or “ransom”). Some horse traders contracted to fill orders for Mexican and Canadian horse processing have developed a scam targeting equine rescue operations and an uninformed general public. These “bail-out” or “ransom” operations are run in conjunction with feedlot operators who buy animals at low market prices. These order brokers then post the animals on social media platforms with exaggerated price tags and an arbitrary deadline implying a day of shipment across an international border where the horses will be processed for human consumption.

Due to the time sensitivity of the offer, people feel compelled to “save” the horse advertised on social media and purchase it sight unseen and are encouraged to utilize the seller's contacts to inspect the horse, attend to the horse, and transport the horse — all of which is done at additional cost and without traditional proof. As reported on and published in industry media and numerous social media platforms, incidents have been shared regarding sellers fabricating how much money has or hasn't been raised for a bailed horse; the horse delivered was not the one presented in photos or videos; the horse was not in the same physical condition as when payment was made; and in some cases, the animals themselves were never at risk of being exported and processed for human consumption, instead they were marketed as such to increase the sense of urgency.

Legal action has been taken against several individuals at the forefront of these practices. Law enforcement and regulatory officials at both the state and the federal level have, and continue to, investigate the practices of industry participants and enforce existing laws that are being broken, specifically animal cruelty, document forging, veterinarian malpractice, illegal transport and taxation issues. While the methods of marketing these animals may not be illegal, the U.S. equine community should not encourage or support the actions of these individuals and should instead support the many professional equine rescue organizations that exist in communities across the country, many of which can be found at https://unitedhorsecoalition.org/memberorganizations/#uhc-non-profit-members

“We aren't being critical of people that have good intentions and try to help horses in these situations but nevertheless it's not the ideal way to go about saving the horse, as it just feeds the system,” cautions Julie Broadway, president of the AHC.

Instead of contributing to what can be a problematic practice, the AHC strongly encourages interested parties who are willing and able to re-home a horse to utilize the numerous programs listed through the United Horse Coalition's Equine Resource Database, found online at https://unitedhorsecoalition.org

The post American Horse Council Encourages Caution When It Comes To Kill Pen Bail-Outs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Equine neglect and abuse cases often have more complications than cases involving their small-animal counterparts. With decisions involving everything from whether to feed in place or remove the horses to who takes responsibility for them if they must leave their home, neglect cases involving horses can be difficult and time consuming for officials — and seem to take too long to address for people witnessing the situation.

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) will welcome Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Chief Livestock Agent Marcus Avery, Deputy Chief Livestock Agent Shane Mitchell and Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control Cruelty Investigator Jai Hamilton for a candid conversation about how equine neglect and abuse cases are handled in the Commonwealth.

This Dinner & Discussion will take place on Tuesday, July 11, at the Kentucky Horse Park Visitor Center, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. All equine enthusiasts are welcome.

Questions addressed will include:

• Who should be contacted when equine neglect or abuse is suspected?

• How long will it take to address the issue?

• What can be done for the horse(s) in the meantime?

• What training do animal control officers and other county officials receive?

• What can horse owners and enthusiasts do to advocate for horses in the Kentucky?

Audience questions are encouraged.

Questions? Email info@kentuckyhorse.org!

The post Kentucky Horse Council To Host Discussion Of How Equine Neglect Cases Are Handled appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation has awarded over $12,000 to Kentucky equine non-profit organizations though its new Seattle Slew Grant Program. The KEEP Foundation is committed to helping support educational programs, projects and other endeavors that help advance the future of the equine industry in Kentucky.

The KEEP Foundation's Seattle Slew grants are available to Kentucky non-profits providing equine educational programs, events and initiatives. The Seattle Slew Grant Program is part of the Foundation's efforts to support education and promote the importance of the equine industry to Kentucky's economy and culture.

“The KEEP Foundation is honored to support these exceptional organizations that are tirelessly working towards showcasing our industry to future equine enthusiasts,” said Katie LaMonica, KEEP Foundation Board Chair. “The KEEP Foundation congratulates the grant recipients and commends their exceptional dedication and passion for Kentucky's equine community.”

The Seattle Slew Grant Program is open to non-profit organizations, schools, and other groups that are involved in equine-related educational programs and projects. Recipients of the inaugural Seattle Slew Grant program are, The Ed Brown Society, Frankie's Corner Little Thoroughbred Crusade and the Paris Bourbon County YMCA.

“Growing up, my grandfather Francis C. Wilson Sr. was who I looked up to, to gain my horsemanship skills and knowledge. Today, I lead Frankie's Corner Little Thoroughbred Crusade (FCLTC) students in honor of my grandfather to prepare them for a bright future in the equine industry. We can not be what we do not see. So it is important to give the youth an opportunity to be the best version of themselves,” said Jermo Reese, President, Frankie's Corner Little Thoroughbred Crusade.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available, and new submissions are reviewed quarterly. For more information or to apply for a grant, please visit HERE.

The KEEP Foundation has expanded its programming in recent years. In addition to its annual scholarship program, monthly Equine Educational Luncheon Series and it's Workforce Initiatives, the Foundation also partners with Amplify Horse Racing, to host it's monthly Career with Horses Tour Series.

All of these programs and initiatives would not be possible without the support of Kentucky's equine industry and proceeds from the KEEP Foundation's Seattle Slew license plate. Proceeds from sales and renewals of the 2022 license plate topped nearly $60,000.

The KEEP Foundation's Seattle Slew specialty license plate would not have been possible without the gracious support of Karen and Mickey Taylor, the owners of Seattle Slew, and Bobby Shiflet, owner of the Tony Leonard Collection, who donated the photo of Seattle Slew that was used for the license plate.

If you would like to support the KEEP Foundation's education initiatives, donations can be made HERE.

ABOUT THE KEEP FOUNDATION

The mission of the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), established in 2014, is to support the economic success of Kentucky's signature industry by ensuring its continued economic viability, making the industry accessible for all who want to participate, introducing more young people to the industry and its opportunities, and educating the people of the Commonwealth about the importance of horses to the state, its economy, its heritage, and its people. www.thekeepfoundation.org

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