Mindy Lovell, pictured with OTTB Angel, has started a fundraising campaign to keep her 43 rescue horses fed this winter. Horses pictured in these photos have found new homes.All but Lady Limbo,pictured last, were slaughter bound when she rescued them.
Mindy Lovell, the Ontario woman who rescued top-earning racehorse and broodmare Press Exclusive, a Thoroughbred who was as good as dead in a kill pen when she intervened, and who has saved scores of other discarded racehorses, teeters on the precipice of financial ruin.
Earlier this week, Lovell issued a plea for donations to help support the herd of 43 discarded ex-racehorses, most rescued from the slaughter pipeline.
Citing a decline in donations and an uptick in the number of horses she has rescued—at one point she was single-handedly caring for 90 rescued Thoroughbreds—Lovell announced on Facebook that she needs help to keep the horses properly fed with good hay and grain through the coming hard winter.
“I could not have predicted the number of horses finding themselves headed to slaughter through no fault of their own,” states Lovell, of Transitions Thoroughbreds in her announcement.
Lovell poses with Laila’s Dream
Given the close proximity of Lovell’s farm to the slaughterhouse, and the weight on her psyche that she is the only chance for horses destined to die horribly in that nearby plant, Lovell states that though she has “no regrets” in taking in the enormous herd, and the sun-up-to-sundown care she willingly provides to the sick and injured, this last year has brought her to a crisis point.
And she has to ask for help.
Earlier this week, she launched Transitions Thoroughbreds Fall 2013 Fundraiser, that has already brought in approximately $1,700 toward the $10,000 overall cost needed to take her through winter.
Funds will be used for hay and grain as she re-doubles her ongoing effort to re-home her horses and aggressively seeks to thin the herd.
Her horses have subsisted on the generosity of donors through the years, most notably from Texas horseman John Murrell and Marlene Murray of R.A.C.E. Fund, Inc., and the addition of approximately 10 other individuals who donate consistently.
Press Exclusive earned $400,000 on the track and foaled 9 babies before she was a “downer horse” on slaughter truck
Lovell admits that she has too many horses and is working as hard as she can to re-home her herd.
“I had approximately 90 horses come through these doors. I currently have 43 horses in this program. That means that around 47 horses have moved on,” she states. “I’ve accomplished that in one year.”
Although the majority of the horses who come to her are not immediate candidates for new homes because of their physical and mental condition, she believes passionately that after years giving of themselves, they do not deserve to die in a slaughterhouse.
Press Exclusive, winner of more than $400,000 in purse money, and mother of nine consecutive foals, was rescued by Lovell in December 2012 at a holding pen, mere minutes from the slaughter house. (Please read an earlier story about Press Exclusive in Off-TrackThoroughbreds.com).
Now restored to health, Press Exclusive is welcomed to the Equine Advocates sanctuary for permanent retirement
What that mare suffered on the truck ride to slaughter, after she fell on the crowded truck and thrashed in panic beneath the hooves of other slaughter-bound horses, was devastating, Lovell says.
Against the advice of a veterinarian, who wanted to euthanize the badly injured animal, Lovell took the mare, nursed her back to health, and re-homed her to a retirement facility of Equine Advocates in New York.
“That horse has become the poster child of slaughter,” Lovell says.
In an earlier interview, Lovell swallows tears and tries to compose herself before she describes that very special mare.
“She made $436,000 on the track and produced nine foals, one after the other, as soon as she retired. The last foal that was weaned off her just ran through the Select Yearling Sale at Woodbine and sold for $16,000!” Lovell says. “With a horse like that, with high earnings and nine foals, Jesus, God, that’s not what she deserves at the end of the day.”
Mindy rides Lady Limbo, readying her for a new career
Lovell’s concern now is in keeping her current herd fat and healthy through the winter. Admitting she is in no position to accept future rescues, she says she will hope and pray her new fundraiser is successful to get the herd through the winter, and that better times lie ahead.
“I have made many attempts to help bring in funding to help support these horses until new homes are found; I’ve contacted many people to ask for help to re-home these horses, and/or to follow through on offers made. The response has pretty much been silence,” she says, noting, “2012 and 2013 have been extremely difficult years … and (though) there were many, many offers to help, from offers to adopt horses from me, or to help with costs to support them … sadly, most of these offers never came through.”
Yes, I have a TB that was no longer good on the track. She has taught me so much! Why is the law regarding breeding not more strict? Only certainly individuals are allowed to breed. It should be maniditory to have to apply for a licence in order to breed. All these problems would be avoided if we take away the ability to breed. If anyone is caught, have them thrown in gaol and fined heavily. I know this sounds “nazi-like”, but this is the only way.
I would like to weigh in here, somewhat in response to some of CM’s statements. I HAVE been to a horse slaughter facility and I have also seen the entire slaughter pipeline from start to finish, I have seen the treatment of these horses, the injuries, the downers – they are not few and far between. There is a lot that goes on in this slaughter pipeline that is not exactly public knowledge. What I do know as well is that when those videos taken at Bouvry and Richelieu first came out, even the kill buyers were shocked – THEY did not realize it was THAT bad and that is just the end of the line. I can only speak of what I have personally seen on well more than one occasion – that is my reality and my truth. It is not just what transpires at a slaughter plant, it is the entire pipeline – from start to finish.
What I also know is that there are no horse to slaughter policies at numerous racetracks and they are there for a reason. There are also numerous major and smaller breeders who have these established policies as well and many others that are opposed to horses connected to them heading to slaughter. And this is what I also know, it IS about greed. It is about the person at the end of the line that will go to any lengths possible to get a horse off the books regardless of how much money that horse may or may not have made for them. They are not willing to put another cent into it to give it time to find another home. These are people that know who to call to make that horse disappear in such a way that they avoid the repercussions of no kill policy racetracks. It is greed when horses are obtained under false pretenses with the only intention of sending them with a one way ticket to slaughter. There is an underground slaughter pipeline to make these horses disappear. CM is very open about how he/she culls their horses, it is not illegal to send a horse to slaughter BUT when it is done against the policy of the track at which these people choose to run horses, then there is a problem in my mind. Perhaps they should move to a track that does not have such policies in place but they do not. They are certainly not open about what they are doing. Why is that? They do not want to get caught and suffer the potential repercussions. This pipeline is about lies, threats, blackmail, fraud and corruption – from start to finish and I could also go into detail about that from personal experience.
Let’s also bear in mind that you can bet your bottom dollar that these horses are NOT eligible for slaughter in the first place due to the extensive and long term drug usage. Canada does business with the EU on slaughter horses, the EU have regulations and most medications have withdrawal periods, some very commonly used medications do not – there are life time bans on these medications to ever be used on any horse intended for slaughter for human consumption – very, very commonly used medications such as bute and furacin to name a couple. When these horses head to slaughter with a kill sheet indicating that they have not been on these medications and certainly not within the past 6 months when they most definitely have been, that is a falsely signed document. I could also bet that I do not have one horse on the property that is technically eligible for slaughter and yet many were headed down that road regardless. Race day meds alone are often a matter of public knowledge and it is not difficult to find that information. There are reasons that Cactus Cafe and Canuki were released from Richelieu slaughter plant, one being that they were not eligible for slaughter. There is a reason that the subsequent ban on tbs at that facility was adopted. I know what that proposal contained, I wrote it. I also know the extent that people will go to to make this happen regardless, the horses killed despite it being proven they were not eligible, the horses that tested positive and yet were accepted with a “clean” kill sheet – killed for nothing after having been purchased to get them safe. Much is hidden, much is covered up so no, these people are not being open and honest about what they are doing. There is much to hide. I have those horses – the ones handed off to go directly to kill – not eligible and make sure nobody finds out they are not dead, I have the horses with the altered tattoos in an attempt to hide their identity, the horses headed to kill well within any 6 month period of being drug free. Let’s ask ourselves why all of this is done if it is not illegal to send a horse to slaughter – all the lies, the secrecy, etc.
All this being said, it would seem that much goes on behind the scenes – paperwork is falsified to indicate that horses are drug free when they are not, horses “disappear” from no kill policy racetracks and nobody is willing to talk. CM is open about what they do with their horses – I would hope they are also forthcoming with the drug histories as well. This situation with these particular horses is entirely different.
Beautifully written Mindy. Just in our rescue alone, we have saved and re homed hundreds of horses. Some are pasture friends, but most are doing something . The thoroughbred is coming back to the show ring doing everything under the sun. Lava Man is our mascot! I’m sure it won’t be long before these wonderful animals all have a 2nd career !
That is awesome Laurie!! I actually come from a show horse background, showed almost my entire life on ottbs so I am very much aware of what these horses are capable of. Many of these horses that have been adopted out are currently competing in a number of different disciplines – from dressage to hunters to eventing to jumpers, some are enjoyed as pleasure horses in the same disciplines by non-competitive riders, some are teaching young children how to ride and some are enjoying a retirement that they deserved. Of this current group of horses, I have none that are not ridable, very few that would be best to do flatwork only, the majority are wide open to any second career that they might be best suited for. In my years around horses, I have had the opportunity to ride many different breeds of horses – there are none I feel safer on that an ottb. They are in general very people oriented horses regardless of their history, have a tremendous work ethic, huge heart, are incredibly intelligent, learn very quickly, are very kind, loving horses with loads of personality and most of all very forgiving. They are simply the best!! 🙂
LantzM. We seem to be in agreement. It’s about 500.00 to 600.00 to euthanize and remove a horse. Some vets will try to help out sometimes. Caught between a rock and a hard spot.
Laurie
As a Canadian, what is it about horses coming here that makes matters worse in your mind? Not to be argumentative, just asking?
There is no question that planned euthanasia is the kindest and most considerate means of help horses that are in pain or have limitations that will cause them to fail in secondary life. I’ve had people inform me that in Ontario to have a horse put to rest by a vet costs in the range of $350. Many regions do not permit burial, avoiding the leaching of barbiturates into the soil. Dead stock removal in my region is $285 for a large animal. Boy, those costs could become large fast, this case of 43 horses could have been over $25,000.
I wish there was a more advanced way to funnel theses horses through a testing/assessment process prior to the track, saving injuries, breakdowns and unintended consequences, but that not how the racing World works. the race horses could go on, the good sport horse directed to a market, pleasure mounts another and so on, prior to man made limitations. A cull market for the TB industry will be and always has been a very sad circumstance, by the nature of the sport, virtue of a horse being a disposable assets and the fact that the racing industry only retains, reveres the Champions that do not falter . But, the track is the acid test, Sale price or winnings the tool for measurement.
Simply because the trip to Canada can be hard on some of these horses. Shipping is hard enough on them. The shippers tend to transport with little concern for their animals. Horses that are consumed for food tend to fare better. Like I said, it’s a shame we don’t have a market in the US. That was taken away. Would you want 10 of your favorite old brood mares that have out lived their use, have to take a rough ride to Los Angeles California , not able to drink water until they arrive. Then deal with what was a very unhappy week of cattle pens, auctions . I’ve been to the El Monte horse and mule auction . You can’t save all the animals. Cats, dogs, on and on. I just wish people were kinder when possible.
LantzM, You’re absolutely right. The rescue I work with doesn’t want us to house horses forever. In fact, rescues who have too many cripples may loose their funding . The problem is that when we voted to stop slaughter, people didn’t realize that the horses would go to Mexico or Canada . It made matters worse. Now they can’t be regulated. I didn’t vote for that. Having been in the horse industry for 50 years, I too am a realist. I tend to think that if you have an unwanted horse have it put down kindly. Unfortunately this is so so expensive. But it’s the right thing to do for a horse that really is at risk of having a terrible fate.
Well I hope they pay the checkoffs on both of them before they’re let out of the stockyard!!!
[…] And she has to ask for help. more… […]
If ZENYATTA is EVER found at an auction enroute to a kill buyer or renderer please let me know. I will come and get her. BLACK CAVIAR as well.
I’m really not wanting to be the bad guy here, but there does need to be some good critical thinking during these processes. For instance, at my facility $10,000 will not feed and care for 43 horses. It would help to cover less than half the hay bill, that’s all.
30 pounds of hay consumed per day x $0.10 per pound x 43 horses x 200 days =$25,800.00 in hay cost. And for a TB, that’s a highly conservative calculation. My TB would fail on that diet without his stall, blankets and his 2 times daily ration of 3 pounds, 14% feed.
I think the chance to give able, valued, needed, wonderful, loving horses an opportunity to have a second, third or tenth life is a fantastic thing, I’m in. But it can’t be done at the cost of the horse or on the belief that charity will always save the day.
I have not suggested that this is a bad occurrence to save some of these horses. What I have said is that doing so without the resources in place, or a sound action plan, prior to assuming the stress and demands of the care puts pressure on those who you seek to tax. And if there is a failure to raise the needed support, it then can potentially unfairly can tax the horses.
I know my view is unpopular. I know logic seldom trumps emotion. I know that passion and compassion of human spirit is strong, but what if? That’s when this great horsewoman could become the focus of attention that was totally unintended, but very real.
LantzM
Lantz – I am not sure where you are getting 200 days from as where I live, there are certainly not 200 days of winter and it is also a portion of the winter months that are being discussed here. I do a fundraiser in the fall to help compensate for the winter months when placing horses tends to slow down considerably – no doubt due to weather, holidays, etc. I cannot also expect you to be aware of the history of this situation as it was not discussed here. If you would like more information on that, I would be happy to share.
Dear CM,
When you sell a horse at public auction there is NO check-off. The sheep producers pay 1 & a half percent to the sheep organization. Why is it so hard for horse breeders to do the same? Every cow ect sold at auction …a certain percentage goes to the association for the betterment of raising cattle ect….so why are horse breeders so cheap that they cannot see there way to providing something for the animals that have allowed them to make a living from them? Can you imagine if there was 1 & a half percentage paid to the thoroughbred or sport horse association ect every time a horse went to auction at places like Olex. There is enough money in the system but it is not allotted properly….there is no excuse for the amount of horses slaughtered & auctioned with NO one but the rescues stepping up to the plate. As a breeder I would think that you could manage 1 & a half per cent every time you sold a horse. The broke -ass sheep farmer down the road does it every time he sells a sheep & thinks it is a good idea. Shame on all breeders.
Right on with the check-off!!!! As a sheep producer I have to pay that money, as a cattle producer the same, I’m guessing there’s a pork check-off too, why not a horse check-off.
I should not be commenting…but the utter STUPIDITY of your comment needs to be clarified. Beef and pork checkoffs, as well as dairy promotion ENTIRELY GO TOWARDS PROMOTION OF EATING THESE PRODUCTS-NOT-REPEAT-NOT TOWARDS CARING FOR ANIMALS!!! To put this in effect would be the same as advertising “horsemeat-the other red meat”, “horsemeat-it is what is for dinner”, or “got horsemeat?” I do think that the horsemeat market should expand and start advertising, so ,to be honest, I do think it is a good idea to have a checkoff TO PURELY PROMOTE THE IDEA OF EATING AND CONSUMING HORSEMEAT….but NEVER-under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE-to pay for ANYONE to outbid a meat buyer just because they do not like the idea of horses being processed into a healthy, nutritious, and delicious food, and they lack the responsibility of paying for their personal opinions and childishly expect others to pay their bills and expenses.
I dont know whether many of the commenters here are children-but the complete lack of common sense and studying ALL sides to a situation is appauling. You may not agree with someone, but it does NOT mean you have to force your personal beliefs onto them…VERY few things are black and white…time to grow up and acknowledge differences without bashing.
Boy somebody gets miffed real easy, lighten up.
I know exactly where check-off money goes….and it certainly does go towards the betterment of animals…drug research…genetics…improving humane farming methods ect…the list is far more extensive than your list. I am certainly not saying that money go to promoting horse meat…if you breed it put some money aside into a association that will HOME horses picked up at auction….people like Mindy. If you brought a life in to the world why is it so hard to give towards its existence…Going to slaughter is NOT an option for me…that is why I have never SOLD A HORSE…hoping that somebody like Mindy will be there to pick it up if misfortune befalls it. I still say ….shame on breeders for not wanting to contribute to the general welfare of an animals they supposedly love.
CM Its appalling, not appauling. If you are going to comment like a pro-slaughter minded breeder of horsemeat, than at least learn to spell correctly.
CM. I never name called. Nor would I name call. I asked some fair questions that you never answered . Maybe your horses are well bred, but I should never think that a well bred horse or a ” cheep” horse doesn’t deserve the same kindness if they have to be slaughtered. So, I’m curious if you’ve ever been to the slaughter house where your horses go.?
You are not worthy of a response-but I am posting this for any others who may be reading. You did NOT ask questions-you made accusations and negative assumptions of me in your last comment. While it is NO ONES business, nearly ALL of my horses are sold privately and I have been fortunate to have a waiting list of buyers. The VERY few horses I have taken to a sale were sold without paperwork because of low price. When ANY of my horses are sold, they are the property of the new buyer-and I completely relinquish ANY right to tell them what to do with the horse, who and how to train it, and who they may or may not sell it to should they wish to sell it. I personally know livestock brokers that purchase horses in addition to other species-and I know that ANY horse they purchase for meat IS humanely shipped and slaughtered-and that these people are GREATLY attacked and bereated by anti-slaughter people who spew FALSE outright LIES about them-and even send death threats to them and their families. Although I do not think the few horses I sold publicly were purchased firsthand for meat-I am EXTREMELY confident that they would have been just as humanely-actually MORE humanely-processed than cattle or other species…
Now, addressing the money part. The pathetic attitude of many is that it is somehow “greedy” to sell a horse for meat-yet not for any other purpose. Well, money does NOT grow on trees, and nearly everything we do in life now a days costs money. Horses are EXTREMELY expensive. So, the day veterinarians stop charging money for their services; the day farmers, feed suppliers and feed related industries stop charging money for feed; the day petroleum companies stop charging for fuel; the auto industry stops charging for trucks; the electric company stops charging for electricity; ect, ect,-THAT will be the day that I stop expecting money for horses. The ENTIRE hypocrasy of the whole “money deal” is that the “money deal” is what this article IS about !!!! Somehow, it is OK for some to plead for money because of their decisions but just because another person makes a financial decision that makes them money they are labeled greedy and evil… Like someone stated above-horses were not asked to be born-but neither were people. Whether someone likes it or not-the reality is what it is-it takes money to live in this world..and financial decisions are up to the individual, and sometimes the wisest decisions are made without emotional baggage. NO ONE should judge others because of this-NOR should they expect others to pay for a different perspective such as “horse retirement” when sellers are fine with the prospect of their horse ending up as meat-while making a few dollars from it.
MANDATE STALLION LICENSING! Take the money from the mandate to fund the 501 rescues.
Mindy. I want to donate, but it seems to be hard to see a way to get to the site you suggest. Is it possible to get an easy secure link to go to. Thank you
Laurie – you can click on the last sentence in the article and it will bring up the link to the fundraising page. If that does not work, send me an e-mail and I will give you the info for other options. Thank you so much for considering a donation!!
Our rescue is THOROUGHBRED REHAB CENTER.
I wrote a grant to the TCA. They were really strict about being about to locate all the horses that had been adopted. Also they needed a thorough bio on the trainers and the facility . Many of the horses need vet support and have nutrition and digestive issues. I plan on donating and not talking about how awful this is.
First of all, as a horse breeder, I have NO problem with people purchasing horses at private or public sales and doing whatever with them-as long as they are not purposly abused or starved. What I DO have a problem with is the outright arrogance and holier-than-thou art belief that breeders and owners have an obligation to “save” these horses from the meat market when the owner/breeder is unable to keep the horse for whatever reason. As a breeder, ALL my horses are bred to better the breed and keep the breed perpetuated…AND to be utilized as meat should they be unfit/unwanted to perform as breeders or performance horses. NO ONE has a right to tell me to stop breeding or to pay into some kind of “retirement account” just because they do not like the idea of horsemeat. If breeders VOLUNTARILY want to do this-fine-…but do NOT automatically assume that ALL breeders-no matter the quality of horse produced-feel that their horses are above the meat market and are only for performance. MANY of us accept and embrace the horsemeat market as a valuable customer and are perfectlly fine with horses we have bred entering the food chain as nutritious, delicious, and safe protein source for human or animal consumption. And, by the way…my horses are top-notch,and anyone degrading my breeding knows NOTHING about me or my horses, and therefore can only spew lies about me. Aside from that-horse slaughter is absolutely NO less humane than ANY other specie-in fact, horses are MUCH more regulated and humanely shipped than ANY other specie-and anyone stating different has NEVER been to slaughterhouses and are only spewing lies floating around the internet. Bottom line: dont like horse slaughter-simply do NOT send YOUR horse to slaughter-but do NOT force your belief onto others…and…if you want to see “retirement funds” for horses-simply pay for them YOURSELF-or a COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY FUND…do NOT force others to pay for something they do NOT believe in or expect from being in the horse industry.
I am not against people eating horsemeat if they want to, but again, the facts (and not just Internet-propaganda-type “facts”) are that the way horses are slaughtered is NOT humane because the system is not designed to handle them. You may have points in much of what you say but I am afraid you are completely, completely incorrect about the slaughter system. Horse slaughter is NOT done more humanely than other species’ slaughter and they are NOT shipped humanely and it is NOT regulated more tightly. To say otherwise indicates one is wearing blinkers so as not to face reality.
Ok-Christina…please respond with the following :
1)When have you physically been to a horse slaughter plant and witnessed the actual slaughter of atleast 30 horses.
2)When have you physically been to other slaughterhouses that process other species and witnessed atleast the same amount of those species slaughtered.
3)The complete names, addresses, and phone numbers of these slaughter facilities (ALL of them).
4)Your complete name and everyone else who accompanied you to these slaughter facilities.
5)The complete name of the person employed by the slaughter facilities who accompanied you around the facility.
6)WHAT YOU personally witnessed at ALL slaughterhouses of ALL species and just why you believe that horse slaughter is less humane than the other species-based solely on what you witnessed at these slaughterhouses.
We will get EVERYONES side and we will ALL be able to see who REALLY wears blinkers-and the REAL reality of this issue. I expect a prompt response so I can verify your facts and allow the employees of all the slaughter facilities you have been to to put their perspective in. I also respectfully request that the administrator of this site allow these employees to post their comments regarding this-it is time to put the truth out from ALL sides and stop posting propaganda spewed on the internet.
My final comment…Christina has not replied so that we can rationally discuss slaughter markets, and I have much better things to do than wait around. Just a few points: licensed veterinarian inspectors are required for ALL slaughter plants to oversee humane handling of ALL species-but horses have regulations above those of other species such as: heavy pregnant mares are not allowed to be slaughtered, yet cows ROUTINELY are slaughtered when in heavy calf; aggressive horses need to be separated when hauled, yet not other species-and, yes, Bulls are aggressive as well as many cows, not to mention hogs-and fighting amongst them is routine-although haulers are careful and do intervene when they can to stop it..; lame cattle and hogs routinely are slaughtered-no one worries about them being in pain; despite the best protocols, cattle, hogs, poultry and all other species also go down during hauling, yet no one dwells on those VERY isolated cases and tries to make complete exaggerations of it, like the very few horses that go down during hauling; ….There isnt enough room here to put all the facts-but suffice it to say that NO slaughter is pretty-it involves killing an animal…but it is all regulated to be as humane as possible-INCLUDING horse slaughter. The anti-slaughter people have spewed propaganda all over the internet with extremely deceptive footage and completely biased statements and, sadly, most people fall for their crap instead of getting ALL sides of the story to get to the truth.
But..that is not why I commented here to begin with. I did NOT come here to start an arguement, even though I highly question “rehabilitating” many track horses and advertising them as rehomeable to new owners or children-I have witnessed “trainwrecks” that ended in serious injury and even death of the new owner because of the fractiousness of the horses-but I came here because I am fed up with us breeders as being accused of being greedy and the concept of forcing us to pay into a “retirement” account just because some people personally do not like the horsemeat market. So , to be clear: while I can not speak on all breeders behalf, many of us know-even before breeding a mare-that the resulting foal may likely be slaughtered for meat at one point in its life-and we fully accept that and count on the meat market as a customer. If people want to outbid the meat market-that is fine-but do NOT go around saying that you are somehow “cleaning-up” after breeders-you very simply outbid one of our valued customers. If you cannot afford to keep the horse, you should NOT have purchased it-PERIOD. You have NO right to expect us to somehow pay for you to keep the horse-especially when NO ONE forced it on you. It is high time to stop the “breeder bashing”.
To CM. I’m wondering if you live in canada or Mexico. Because that’s where they are slaughtered. One of the saddest problems is the transporting of these horses. That is where a large part of the abuse takes place. If they are injured they have to stand on that bad leg for many hours. You can’t give these poor animals anything for the pain. It sounds like you found a great way to keep costs down so you breed and breed and slaughter those that don’t quite fit you demands. I’m not against horse meat. But you really pissed me off. I wonder if you even bother to re home, or are you happier that you get a few hundred dollars on a horse you brought into this world to try to make money on only to kill it when it can’t perform. You say you have well bred horses . I bet you only go to the cheep tracks. Claimers. You wouldn’t have that attitude if these were well bred.
AAHHH-so here we go…name call and belittle someones horses just because they think different than you do. No different than a schoolyard bully…but I have very thick skin, and will not stoop to your pathetic level.
A farmer I know asked me….Why is there no check-off for horses ….It is in place for cattle, sheep, pigs ect. Why should horses be exempt? Especially if they are to be slaughtered for food like the rest of the livestock. Most farmers are not happy with all the controls on ALL other livestock, but horse producers get a free pass.
Mary,
That is a very good idea about giving the money directly to the rescue of your choice. All a person has to do is look up all the information about the rescue a donor is interested in and go from there. If its possible make a trip to their rescue to take a look around and see the horses they have. You can’t always tell what a farm looks like from photos. Is the place clean or does it look like a junkyard, what does the feed and hay look like, what does the barn look like, are the stalls clean, do the stalls have clean bedding etc? If a person likes what they see that one would be on your list as a rescue to help. Doing it that way would insure the donation got to the rescue/rescues of your choice. I have read to many stories of donations going to large organizations and the donations never made it to the people in need.
exactly… for example.. the TCA takes in about a million each year. I would love to know which rescues get money and not a couple of them but a list of each and every one of them. Breeders, Owners and Trainers give money to these organizations each year but yet we see horses in this situation time and time again. Does the industry even care where the money is going? And yes people should research a rescue before making a donation if they want their hard earned money truly helping a horse in need.
The recent news that Tranquility Farms is also forced to downsize due to lack of support is yet another reason why someone needs to look into why the money that the industry is donating seems not to be making it to the horses MOST in need. We have the TRF, TAA, TCA etc etc etc where the industry filters many donations each year to help OTTBS but yet we have so many good rescues out there complaining that there is a LACK of grants and donations. Where are the millions of dollars going to each year? I wish the places where the money is going to would be more transparent and list each dollar give to each rescue to the penny. The people in the industry should be much more concerned at where the money has ended up at since they are the ones that are constantly being told to step up. Perhaps they should just give the money to each rescue themselves and cut the middle man out!
I get choked up thinking of the horrible death my boy would have had, if that fateful day he hadn’t looked at me days before he was heading to OLEX. He picked me, and I am forever grateful. He is my equine soul mate, our partnership is going on 12 years. I have loved every single whinny, greeting, and nuzzle. Rescue on everyone…rescue on!!!!
Caroline,
Thank you. I feel you speak for many… these formerly ‘worthless’ horses have so much value, and we are millionaires having them in our lives.
Stanley
I would very strongly suggest that you go to this website and view for yourself what you call humane horse slaughter. Don’t eat dinner before you sit through this film. I think after you see it you will change your mind about how humane horse slaughter actually is that is peddled by the horse associations such as the racing industry, quarter horse industry and all of the others that over breed because they can.
http://defendhorsescanada.org/investigations/chamber-of-carnage and click on the Boury links as you scroll down. Stanley, Bouvry is one of the largest horse slaughter plants in Canada. This man is making millions slaughtering these horses most of which didn’t ask to be born in the first place.
I think these videos pretty much prove people only see what they want to see. The video of the Bouvry plant in Canada first announces the horses are terrified to enter the stun box. Yet, the video in actuality shows a horse calmly looking around, standing in the box, even nibbling at the wall relaxedly. The whites of its eyes are not showing. Its neck is not tense. Its facial expression is not afraid. As far as its reflex action, after it is bolted, and goes down — well, I saw a horse die (of a heart attack) in a polo match once. It stood up and flipped itself over three times, but the vet said it was dead from the first time it hit the ground. Horses in war had their guts blown completely out by land mines and yet galloped on for 24 or 36 strides — clinically dead. The point is, there is a tremendous amount of reflex action concomitant with any sudden death. It’s not pretty — but it’s not necessarily cruel!! Just because a horse’s legs are thrashing does not mean it is suffering. In fact, with the brain severed from the spinal cord, how could it possibly be? If the horse were suffering, it would be screaming and moaning — like I have heard racehorses do, on the backside of the racetracks, after their pain meds wear off, after having been run on inflamed joints. And guess what? They get to do it over, and over, and over again. . . Yes, there’s the real torture, you PETA fools — not the humane slaughter that may come later on down the road. Not the humane slaughter that ends certain neglect and possibly alternative starvation.
Nancy, I second you on your slaughter house comment, that it is NOT quick, humane or efficient.s and certainly not humane euthanasia. I am confused about the comment Stanley made with reference to ” saving marriages and starving-horses “. I do believe it runs a little deeper than that, social, economics, ethics and morals.
Horses are intelligent animals that are highly sensitive and acutely aware of their environment. They react on the sent of blood, the sounds of other horses being slaughtered and react violently to death when they see the instrument or “stun gun” aimed at their heads, which drives a four-inch spike into their skulls, or a stun gun being chased around at their the fear they see, or maybe a few chances of seconds more to their life as they are shot at with a rifle.
The horse makes desperate attempts to flee, exhibiting typical equine “fight or flight” behavior and extreme panic and fear. . That inevitably results in the instrument hitting the horse and wounding it and not rendering it unconscious, but rather resulting in repeated blows. I strongly suggest you that “You Tube” the videos of the length of time and the dis-stress horses face in the line of becoming a meat product.
Video evidence shows horses being beaten on their faces, necks, legs and backs; purposely blinded by bludgeoning their eyes out to get them under control,( not all but it does happen ) electric cattle prods inserted into their rectums to get them to move into the kill box, mares giving birth on the kill floors, and remaining alive and conscious when they were shackled and hoisted by a rear leg to have their throats cut. The horses stand in line sensing the terror and electrocuted or speared into the kill box where they shake violently, falling and unable to stand from fear ( at times ) but how many times is ok ?
The conclusion is clear – horse slaughter does not decrease abuse and neglect – it actually encourages
it.
Think before you breed !
I commend Mindy for her dedication. Getting supplies to her in Canada from the States is not easy. Like many I have all of the horses I can accommodate. I just adopted another OTTB bringing my total to 5. I wish her the best.
Breeding thousands to get one champion. The rest are just collateral damage & easily replaced by anybody with a little cash & stars in their eyes. Until the racing elite & those with the power to make a difference for these horses start to make changes to this so-called sport of kings, people like Mandy are an absolute necessity. The pucker-up Paulick report & the rest of racing’s elite never seem to talk about the AMOUNT of throwaways or the racing of babies that break down daily. The stock yards of full of them I own 5…a big shout out to you Mandy for doing other people’s jobs for them & taking on the responsibilities that others shirk.
Stanley, slaughter is not quick and humane. I suggest you take a close look at a slaughter house and then see if you can say those words.
Well Nancy I am a butchers daughter (but not of horses) Our slaughter house was a family owned and run so maybe it different in the bigger plants but I know that things were quick and humane, we had government rules and inspectors present on kill days. As sad as it is a horse who meets it end at a kill plant in my eyes is better off than any animal that has to starve to death. As for the treatment on the way to the plant is something that has to be addressed with the shippers. I don’t like to see any animal mistreated in anyway. I have some rescue horses and people can only do so much. The market is over the top with so many horses that the horse market has bottomed out and feed prices and hay are climbing every month. If the idea of shipping your horses may end up at a kill plant than do the next best thing put it down. Our land for hay is being gobbled up by large cash croppers for raising feed for other things. It is the whole cycle that is breaking down. When we are now taking our animal feed to product gas there is something wrong with this picture. I feel for everyone involved, I feel sick every time I hear or see animals suffering but we are only the little people in the bunch I thought that is what we are paying the big wages to the lawmakers to right the wrongs.
Stanley,
The horrifying depictions of horse slaughter are, sadly, true. They are a matter of public record. Please get educated about this issue to add value to the conversation. Unless one believes that routine conscious dismemberment, and gouging out the eyes of fractious horses in transit is humane, horse slaughter is a disaster and needs to be stopped.
Two more false statements: Equine abuse and neglect are higher where horse slaughter is close. Same for thefts, much higher.
As for saving marriages… that’s kind of funny. In my area, the opposite is true. Women would dump a man – or refuse to date him – if he slaughtered horses. It’s not only that he’d be clueless about, well, everything. It’s also about personal safety. Violence towards animals is a bridge crime to violence against people, as the violent crime stats, including rapes, near former US horse slaughter houses showed.
Hi Kim,
Luckily, this is not an either-or situation. Starve or slaughter. First, starving horses is against the law, and hoarders with fields of hungry horses are not slaughterers. Most of the horses winding up at slaughter are in decent body condition, and young. Dumped from race tracks, QH culls, broken rodeo horses, and so on. Please look up the USDA data.
Second, too many horses? Stop breeding so many! We’ve learned the $2 Billion US small animal euthanasia system does not work, stopping the cylce of over-breeding works. You can’t slaughter or euthanize your way out the cycle of over-breeding. Slaughter and euthanasia.. somebody’s making money.
I totally agree with your comments about land, thank you for adding that into the discussion. Ever since the corn-ethanol programs replaced acreage used for feed and hay, prices have gone through the roof. Between that, and the economy, and mortgage market…! A sane horse market would have stopped breeding too many horses.
But it’s not a sane market, as long as there is slaughter. Slaughter enables over-breeding. Stop slaughter, support the transition, and we’ll all be better off.
We can … we must … think smart and work together to do better for the horses. We can’t sit back and allow them to be tortured and dismembered while conscious in profit making plants, just so short term industries and back yard breeders can breed more. The bad behaviors that slaughter enables won’t change until slaughter stops. It’s the first step to a sound market.
Kim, I’m sure your slaughterhouse was humanely run–as I noted in above discussions, most modern slaughterhouses designed for cattle, sheep, swine do kill the animals swiftly and painlessly and even the approach to the facility has been redesigned so the animals don’t know what’s coming.
But that’s not true for horses. Slaughterhouses have not been designed in a way to mitigate their terror and the actual slaughtering process has not been designed to kill them painlessly and swiftly. Horses have been “secondary” to the slaughterhouse system and so these very flight-sensitive animals with a high sense of individual self-preservation are sort of shoehorned in to a slaughter system designed to handle vastly different species. THAT is why you hear so much talk of the kill pen and the suffering these animals go through. We don’t treat them with the consideration we do cattle.
(This is leaving aside any other issues people may have with eating animals, slaughterhouse lapses, etc.–just touching on the issue of horses in slaughterhouses in particular.)
Lantz – I am fairly certain that these particular horses were selectively bred and most definitely for a purpose. They are all also “trained” and can be ridden. I did not breed these horses nor have I ever bred a horse although I have raised babies bred by others. I am not opposed to responsible breeding and would like to see more of that. I also clearly remember when the value of horses was much higher than it is today as was meat price actually. I am not really sure what the intention of your post is actually as I am reading it two different ways. The goal of this particular program with these particular horses is to give them an opportunity at a second or third career (some being retired as broodmares after a race career). I would also like to add that the horses adopted out of this program have gone on quite successfully in new careers and a few have simply been given the wonderful opportunity of a permanent retirement home after having produced for many, many years. I would like to see this program continue to give many more this opportunity as well. 🙂
Lanz.
I do not agree with your perception of a rescue. I have rescued horses as well as dogs and cats. You are a breeder and therefore spend all your energies breeding, raising, training and then selling your stock. Good for you and I’m glad that you are able to do so. What is being asked for here, is help to take care of the horses that should never have been put in the position they were left in. I can understand that you feel , perhaps that she should not have rescued them if she could not feed or take care of them and that maybe she should have left very well alone and let them go to slaughter. Some of us just can’t do that if we have the space and time to do something about it. There are circumstances that happen in life that are just not expected. She had 90. Things changed financially. Now she is asking for some assistance in helping the remaining horses in her care. Do you think that you could find it in your heart to take one or two of them into your fold to assist her in her quest to find good homes for them? Perhaps if you stopped making more babies temporarily and took in some of these horses and put you energies into retraining for future homes for these unfortunate horses, your time would be better spent and so much more rewarding. I know first hand how wonderful it is to save a life worth saving and give it a new lease on life. How fabulous a feeling of accomplishment and how rewarding it is to have a horse give you a hug for saving its life. Please give it some thought Lantz and try and find it in your heart to lend a helping hand.
Very sincerely,…………Michele…………..
I don’t get it with the ‘horrifying, terrified and cruel’ descriptions of slaughter. It is quick, efficient and humane. Sure beats slow starvation! Also saves marriages and finances.
did you actually say slaughter is humane? really? what planet do you live on
Er, Stanley, I have a feeling you came on here just as a troll (I can’t imagine someone saying this on a board dedicated to rescues if they knew what HORSE slaughter was like), so I doubt you will see any replies. But if you *did* have a clue about slaughterhouses, and horses, you would know that unlike slaughterhouses designed for cattle, horse slaughterhouses have *not* been built to any sort of standards to take away fright and pain. Temple Grandin (again, if you’re not a troll, you’ll know who she is) would be a blessing for horses if she were to design a slaughterhouse for horses the way she did for cattle, thus saving that species a great deal of pain and suffering. She revolutionized the treatment of animals at these slaughterhouses.
Which is not to say I think slaughtering horses is dandy. But nor do I think shipping horses to Mexican abbatoirs is wonderful…Leaving that debate aside, Stanley, you ought to know that horses are not cattle and cannot be slaughtered using the same methods as cattle, and the substitute treatment they get in badly designed slaughterhouses is terrifying to witness and filled with pain and terror for the animal. It is not the humane end you think it is, not the swift flight from Earth that a cow in a slaughterhouse or even a dog or cat at a shelter gets.
The sales market for horses was already showing signs of decline in 2007 on the East Coast and here we are almost 7 years later with those who continued to breed at pre-2008 levels complaining that the glut of OTTB’s and homeless horses has adversely impacted their sales income. That is a huge simplification and I could list many other factors that are more to blame but the point of this post is to say that those who continued to breed over the years because of “fabulous ” bloodlines and who are now stuck with way too many horses have to own up to their ill advised decision to drop more hooves to the ground. I am not a fan of the racing industry and feel that those participating and benefiting from the sport should share in the costs of the aftermath. Until that happens, I donate to rescues who save these beautiful animals and encourage their adoption to riders.
Stephanie I think you are missing the point. Mindy took too many on and is in over her head. When ‘rescuing’ you cannot rely on hand outs take in only what you can afford to keep out of your own pocket. I have 35 plus horses and many are what you would call rescues but I do not ask people for money ever nor would I accept it. I rehab retrain and yes I do sell them. And yes I do buy from olex and many other places similar. Asking for handouts is wrong. Why should people support her business any more than they should support mine. Is she registered non profit if not do not ask people to support you.
I agree that people should only take in what they can afford to care for. I rescue as well, but I take in one at a time if that is all I can feed and house properly. Too many “rescues” are out there begging for money because they have bitten off more than they can chew. I am glad Mindy recognizes now that she has taken in too many horses. Hopefully this will be a lesson learn for both Mindy and others in the horse community that want to save every single horse from the kill pen. Due to over breeding it just cannot be done. For every horse purchased from the kill pen there is more money in the kill buyer’s pocket to acquire and ship more horses to slaughter. Reality is not always fair.
I do not believe Lantz’ criticism is for Mindy. Its for the horse industry as a whole. Breeders continue to breed, filling their pockets, with no concern for how many horses are actually out there with no homes and no where to go. The racing industry itself has been tossing away unwanted horses for a very long time. What happens to the ones that are too slow? what happens to the ones that earn a small fortune for their owners and then end up tossed aside. Its pathetic. Bless these people like Mindy who are giving them a second chance. The collapse of our racing industry is bringing this issue to the forefront now but its been many years in the making. The minute a horse no longer performs the entertainment its been providing, its dumped. with some exceptions, those that believe they have earned their keep.
Stephanie is absolutely right! I will ALWAYS RESCUE AND ONLY HAVE RESCUES!!!
Rescued horses are special, you can see it in their eyes, they are thankful, and grateful
for every kind word and pat, Thoroughbreds are brave, intelligent, amazing, athletic
horses who can do anything, they succeed in a number of different disciplines.
and its sad that McClaren claims so proudly to have “no rescues”. In my book that is NOTHING to boast about!!! Probably part of the problem let me guess u have registered horses and breed, breed breed for greed greed greed… yup you DON’T know what youre talking about and I am sure you call yourself a “responsible breeder”, I am sorry but while so many perfectly good horses die horrific deaths…there is no such thing!!! Congrats Stephanie on your rescue of Cali , Seren is my rescue from a Sunnyside WA killpen and she is truly amazing 😉
Rescue on and if I have anything extra I know who I’ll b supporting!!! ♡♥♡
I would suggest that people like Lantz who keep breeding horses that have no home to go to are the problem! STOP BREEDING !!
I wish that I had money to send, but sadly with the economy being down, affording the one horse I have is all I can do.
A remember reading a study published in the Journal of Animal Science in 2010, 100,000 unwanted horses are born per year, and approximately 21 percent of those horses are thoroughbreds. Another estimated 10,000 are thrown away by the racing industry when they fail to turn a wishful profit and are sent to slaughterhouses every year. Thousands more are abandoned, neglected, and abused.
Equine rescue groups simply can’t keep up with the number of horses who desperately need care, homes, re-training, the list goes on. Emergency rescue and retirement facilities do not have the capacity or resources to handle this crisis.
Sadly despite this, the racing industry continues to chuck out nearly 30,000 plus thoroughbred foals every year. In fact, many winning horses are removed from racing when they are 3 years old and are used for breeding.
Pet Over Population everyone knows about, yet we neglect to see the majestic horse right in front of us being over populated at the hands of people who discard them after there use. I have personal witness on numerous horse saving expeditions at sales barn herds of x-breed horses, along with the young Tb’s, off the track Tb’s and the ones that have been popping out babies for years.
As a barn that does equine rescue, the door of horses coming in is plentiful yet the door going to new homes is limited. The horse market is saturated with horses, from foals to the ones that work there hind end off their hold life. Many are Tb’s, solid, majestic, trained and sweet, but are slow to move to new homes.
Fault of those breeding, those racing, those back yard breeders, those that toss away a horse are at fault. If breeding in horses along with dogs and cats was illegal for just one year, suffering would be eased but only slightly in my humble opinion.
Question: I wonder how many people who have every owned a Tb or those backyard breeders have witnessed the travels to the kill pen, the journey towards death ?
Sherrie
DenMar Farms, Lafontaine, Ont.
https://www.facebook.com/DenMarFarms
Lantz, you haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about. I purchased my beautiful ottb unraced mare from Mindy in the summer, who rescued her from being slaughtered. Kali is the sweetest, level-headed mare and someone tossed her away like yesterday’s trash. She has no soundness issues and yet someone was too damn lazy to find her a new home. With the purchase, my sister and I added a donation. Mindy gives these beautiful creatures a second chance at a new life and new career and, I can definitely say that Mindy goes without so that these animals have a future. So you don’t have rescues and probably have very well bred horses that came from a breeder or from Europe or what not. Maybe if you bought some rescues, Mindy and other rescue organizations wouldn’t have to plead for donations because there would be less horses in need of the program. Perhaps horse owners need to be more responsible and ensure these animals go to homes that they deserve. You should be ashamed of yourself for judging someone that you do not know and assuming that they are spending their money on other things as opposed to putting every penny they have into trying to save, rehabilitate, and rehome these great horses. A little compassion as opposed to criticism could go a long way. If it wasn’t for Mindy, Kali would have ended up on someone’s plate in Europe. Maybe you should follow the old saying, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
Stephanie:
Thank you for a very well written reply to Lantz…I agree that over breeding and “backyard breeders” are adding to the problems of the horse industry but your reply was right on the money and I thank you for such a thoughtful and much needed reply..
I have 30 horses, is there anyone that would like to make donations to the care of the horses here?
All my horses are trained, can be rode, no rescues and very selectively bred with a market and purpose in mind. The landslide of displaced races horses that are free, or next too, along with the existing issue of a large population of horses that have no specific use coupled with ever shrinking resources and inflated prices, hay ground to corn and feed topping $20/20kg bag, has made the horses that fund our operations, life and care also near valueless. A nice Stock Horse foal, registered and from proven quality stock would have fetched between $2000 and $4000 just 6 or 8 years ago. They now sell for $200 or less through sale barns, killing the market.
There is a substantial need for an afterlife retraining, recovery, rejuvenation process funded by those who spend millions annually to be entertained. Face it, horse competition at any level is about testing ones self and providing entertainment. If 1% of all wagered income was placed in a program to provide afterlife support, retraining and incentive programs for all, some horses would not be so expendable. Regulating breeding with restrictions is a short term answer to a long term, it’s been coming over the past 15 years, issue. But, apply incentives for breeders to be selective, to buy into programs, to provide sterilization programs and incentives can also go a ways to ending unneeded reproduction.
At the end of the day, when horses where the Sport of Kings, access was limited, cost of possession was very high. Today, the purchase of a horse is the smallest expense of ownership and as good stewards of our herds, we best be aware of our investment and ability to be responsible. My issues based on overspending on my credit card are not for the public to resolve, nor are my horses.
I agree with you that overbreeding must be curtailed (at least I think that is one of the things you are saying) but I don’t “get” your seeming opposition to the rescue and placement of OTTBs. That sounds to me like urging people not to adopt dogs and cats from shelters but instead to go and buy purebred dogs and cats from breeders and let the shelter pets be gassed. (At least these shelter animals, if that is their sad fate, have less of a terrifying time of it than horses treated cruelly at a slaughterhouse not made to accommodate sensitive flight animals.)
A shelter or rescue has a “pass” to ask for donations in a way that your private business does not. You chose to raise horses for a living. This person has chosen to clean up after people who chose to raise/race horses for a living (or an addition to their lifestyle.)
Rescues save animals others have used and abandoned or throwaway. They deserve help. You don’t. You are breeding for your own commercial interest. Having 30 horses as a breeder is far too many. Shows you don’t have buyers but bring more horses into the world for your own greed.
Arleen. These are rescues. Mindy did not breed these. You need to read all the comments.
The owners have placed all their winnings in their pockets and run away laughing and are out purchasing a new horse to run run run ….leaving the animal to which they owe the winnings to die a merciless death in a kill box. Rinse and repeat rinse and repeat… It would be a good time to have the gov’t get involved by making it mandatory that their is a certain portion of the money made available …no matter what we call I t this time… For the rehab and placement of these horses.
does this prove once again the absolute requirement for the race track,s to step with a percentage of purse money to take care of these athletes who make it all happen? . where are the owners who benefited from these horses now ?
woodbine gives a percentage every year to LongRun
LongRun is a charitable organization. I spent a few dollars at a couple of their foster farms offering boarding. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. These women were being paid by Longrun to care for ottb but both had their own horses and landlords to pay. Niether place showed any welcoming kindness nor did they have proper farm help. Jennifer had time to prep for own horse shows though.Lynn enjoyed chain smoking. I wish track people would help out Transition Thoroughbreds.
I’m happy to send $50 Its better than what some owners have given their throwaway horses, that one way ticket.
So glad that Mike Mehak and girlfriend Megan took gelding Last Tribute back after his last run. Just in time.