Fair Weather Stan now resides with Lisa Molloy at Re-Run, Inc.
Multiple graded stakes winner Fair Weather Stan, a “fighter on the track” who earned nearly $300,000 in 39 starts, and is said to be the spitting image of his famous grandsire, Mister Baileys of Great Britain, was donated to ReRun, Inc. this month in such poor condition that a veterinarian rated his body score a 2 out of 10.
He wobbled so badly when first offloaded from the trailer that Lisa Molloy feared he might not survive the night.
Molloy and Sue Swart, both representatives of ReRun, Inc., feared for his survival.
“We got him in about midnight and he scared the (hell) out of me when he walked off the truck—he was really wobbly,” she says. “He had pressure sores where’d he’d probably been down and unable to get back up.
“I put blankets on him and doubled his bedding so he couldn’t get anymore pressure sores … and I half expected him to die in the night.”
Molloy, a longtime horseman who retrains ex-racehorse Thoroughbreds for ReRun, Inc., and Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue, and previously worked for Race name: Fair Weather Stan
Sire: Tiger Ridge, by Mister Baileys
Dam: J’s Toy
Foal: May 13, 2004
Earnings: $269,706 New Vocations Racehorse Adoption, noted that in her decades of experience, Stan was the “worst I’ve ever seen.”
But, he did make it through the night, and for nearly two weeks, proceeded to do nothing but eat and eat and eat.
“When he first came, he wouldn’t lift his head” from his food. “Then he realized meals were coming in a sufficient amount, and at the same time, so now he’ll lift his head up and he’ll watch me.”
To rebuild his weight safely, Molloy feeds him a fat supplement along with Probiotics to help regulate his gut and help prevent illnesses that can result from over-feeding a malnourished horse too quickly.
Along with 18 pounds of Purina Equine Senior a day, a blend that is easier for him to digest, he is also dining on prime-grade Pennsylvania Orchard Grass, Molloy says, noting that she tried feeding him a less expensive cut recently, but he did not like it.
Once Stan regains sufficient weight to withstand sedation, he will be tranquilized to accommodate a visit from the equine dentist, Molloy says.
Stan, right, makes friends with Lock the Door
And although his feet needed trimming, the farrier reports that with regular care, and little fuss, they should be fine.
His lungs and heart have been found to be strong, and he is also sound, she adds.
“He’s a little horse, only about 15.3, but I think he’s a fighter,” Molloy says. “I think that’s how he was able to do so well on the track, and then survive this.”
To honor his valiant efforts both on and off the track, Molloy plans to enter him in the War Horse Class at a June Thoroughbred show.
“My plan is for Stan to go to the horse show in peak condition so he can be restored to his former glory,” she says. “He deserves the War Horse title after all he went through.”
He was a horse who fit perfectly with the mission of ReRun, adds Swart, a chapter director for the organization.
“He truly fit the mission that he is a racehorse who deserves a second chance,” she says. “It doesn’t matter now what his history was. When they come to us, we wipe the slate clean.
“He’s in good hands, and he has a great future.”
Great job Lisa, taking in this guy 🙂 I’ve seen the pics of your son with him and they make quite a team! Another great story Susan, keep ’em coming!
What I don’t understand when reading these stories about former racehorses that end up in such bad shape is where have they been, who has allowed this to happen and where is the SPCA in all of this? It would help paint a clearer picture of the atrocity if the story provided some background the downward path taken by these poor animals. Name names!
Naming names has been the demise of many of the thoroughbreds as we have seen already.. and do you think the SPCA can take in the 14,000 plus horses that go to slaughter each year? Change is needed but it needs to begin with the industry protecting it’s own first. Sure there are times when you have to call out some of them but for the most part, this has proven not to help the situation that thoroughbreds face each day.
Mary- I agree with you, and if any of you are friends with Lisa on Facebook you will have noticed that she did not get into the backstory of Stan for a reason. If you assume, slander, and target all TB breeders and owners as negligent, cruel, or abusive, we will have quite the climb ahead of us to rework the racing and aftercare system into a more functional program! Many of those who think that they are helping just by stating slanderous things don’t realize how detrimental those words can be in paving the road of trust and understanding between breeders and owners, and those of us will to rehome, rehab, and compete these horses.
Can’t agree more!
Again please note that this horse was donated.. when people want to go after the person responsible for his condition, this is many times why horses like Stand end up dead instead of being donated to be helped. WAKE UP PEOPLE!
Lisa should be sainted. Thanks to her, Stan will make it and prove what heart OTTB’s have. Once again, you’ve got my all teary-eyed Sue. As one reader said, there’s no excuse for letting a horse get into this kind of condition if you fall on hard times. There are people/organizations out there to help. How can one stand around and watch this kind of suffering? I only wish I could do what Lisa does for these horses. If I owned my own facility, I probably would. Way to go Lisa, ReRun, and Sue.
We have a HUGE problem in the horse racing industry that is NOT being addressed at all. I see horses going to slaughter on a weekly basis in SECRET because trainers and owners are constantly targeted. It is NOT the answer for the horses. One way or the other they WILL GET rid of the horses when they need to. Horse advocates at times have hurt horses more than helped them by attacking those within the industry on a constant basis. The horses pay the price for our mistakes.
The racing industry needs to find out why the rescues and organizations that get the biggest money each year to help horses when racing is over are simply NOT helping the horses that are MOST in need. It is easy to take a horse from the track that is sound and healthy but it is a hard decision to take a horse from a track that more than likely will need to be euthanized. These are the horses that us horse advocates see on a weekly basis on their way to slaughter. There is NO HELP for them. IN fact, many rescues out there will flat out refuse to help horses from certain tracks… And another fact.. some rescues out there will say they are unable to save a horse from death but turn around and take in a horse from a big time racing owner that they will get top dollar for.
Lisa has proven time and time again to be the best and I am sure will do so again in the future. We need more like her but unfortunately we do not have enough like her out there. Horse like Stan are sent to slaughter daily while the millions of dollars sent to the MANY rescues to help them are not helping the ones like him or even worse.
Mary Adkins-whateveryour name is. What a load of self-promoting crap you spout. It is so easy to sit back and criticise, itsn’t it? Yet I don’t see you providing suggestions for solving the problem.
Tell me why you believe that? I have helped horses a great deal and I am not alone on my feelings on this matter at all. I just provided a suggestion and that is to the people in the industry to start asking the rescues that each and every year are given a great deal of money as to why many horses are ignored.
Also…there is a great deal more to this story than what is said here.. just so you know 🙂
I cannot imagine falling on personal hardship so bad that I would allow a horse or any animal to suffer like Stan did. Whether a champion on the track or not, no animal deserves this kind of torture. It’s cruelty at its ultimate and I agree, whomever is responsible for this deplorable act should be made an example out of.
Way to go, Lisa, Sue and ReRun.
War Horse, indeed. He’s already got that title in my book.
While I admire them for starting with a clean slate, I also feel that those responsible for neglect should be held fully accountable as there is just no excuse for it. Even if an owner suffers from their own personal problems, there are always other adults around who could step in. So glad that Stan lucked out, and it sounds like, just in the nick of time. Big thumbs up to Lisa Molloy, she does so much in so many ways for horses and those who love them.
Dear Stan is indeed in the best of hands, what a wonderful story Sue – thank goodness for organizations like ReRun who truly CARE… More than a little teary-eyed,mostly with joy, readin your story — with hope that more can be rescued like dear Stan. <3