Letter from the President

….A Letter from the President, and thoughts for the New Year!

Preventive Intervention

It has been brought to my attention that a horse I met at the race track, (and was subsequently surrendered to a great Horse Rescue Facility), had to be humanely euthanized after months of extensive x-rays,  vet visits, supplements, and supportive care.

His history was that of a very well bred TB line, …selling at the Keeneland Premium Yearling Sale, which made his price go far further then the “average market”. He, as a yearling, was not to be a letdown.   Knowing this horse personally, I witnessed his spirit, and it far surpassed what the immature bones in his legs could produce. As a three year old, he only raced twice before his knee gave out. He was a fast grower, with growing pains for good reason!  His body said “I am not ready”… but his trainers and his brain said “Go”!  A slab fracture and a bone chip in his knee said “STOP”.  His trainer then said “no more”!  She did what was best, and asked that the Rescue see where he might fit in to rest and heal.  The Rescue spent more money, lots of time, and eventually decisions were made to patch him up and fix his growing pains. This three year old would have been an exceptional race horse, if only he had been given the extra time to mature.

So, instead of a race career, he enjoyed the farm, the special attention, and all the good things a horse may experience if given to a Rescue that has the knowledge, and know how, to see to it that rehabilitation would make life more comfortable.

During his final months, he lived like a horse should live!  He used his feet, stretched his legs and felt proud, if only for a moment, until the adrenaline wore out, and he was reminded of his aches and pains!    Surgery was an option, but it would do nothing more then put him in a state of recovery, whereby, the body would fill the open spaces with scar tissue, and with limited activity, the end result would be ongoing arthritis and pain. All things came to a stop when he was humanely euthanized, due to his severe arthritis taking over, and he was never comfortable or sound, even after being on all the supplements a horse can take.

Breeders/Owners/Trainers: ….what will it take to have you recognize the worth of your investments.  What will it take to ask you to wait 6 months, or one more year (preferred), to not use animals up and destroy them!  The case of this one horse, coming from the Race Industry, is the same as it is for the Show Industry Futurities. It’s just never exposed!  The Show Industry doesn’t display as much brutality as the race industry, but the desire for the trophy, and the almighty dollar, brings about the same sad results.  Reining, and Hunter Futurities, to name just a few, impose the same early pressure.

 A horse is not physically grown or fully mature by age 5!  Possibly, some mentally, not until they are 10!  Talk to the Spanish Riding School!  It is deplorable what we do to the exceptional athletes we have spent so much money breeding and trying to prove. They deserve so much more! They give all of their heart with effort, and we continue to throw them away to unknown spaces, and be heartless, when all along they were physically too young to be ready for such demanding careers.

Stop, and think about this for a while! It is such an old subject for futurity programs and maiden races!  What great horses we would all have if we ……..JUST LET THEM GROW UP!