It's important that you read his blog prior to mine as it sets up the second chapter of this twisted story which I will be telling here shortly. It's also important to know that I will not be naming names on this blog. It's been suggested that I should "out" the individuals involved, however this really does no good for the horses in the long run. That said, I will be working hard to make some changes in the backside operations, I promise you that. For those of you who are upset by what we did, NEWS FLASH - MNRRP is not going anywhere.
Rewind to last Tuesday (a readers digest version of Ted's blog & short education).
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| Emaciated pony rescued from the auction |
MNRRP and friends had attended a local auction where we were able to outbid the kill buyer for a 9yr old OTTB gelding. My nearly 13 yr old daughter, a veteran auction goer, spent her own money to rescue an elderly, emaciated pony mare as well. It was a successful night. Browsing the loose horse pen, a 16+h paint - saddlebred cross caught our eyes and stole our hearts. We watched as he was sold by the pound to the kill buyer. Being I have frequented this venue for nearly 12 years, rescuing countless horses of all breeds, I am familiar with the operations. It is not the first time I've recovered a horse that has haunted me after an auction and I am well aware you need to act fast. Little did I know this paint horse would lead us to much bigger things.
For those who aren't familiar with auctions, the loose horses bought by the dealers, are typically sent to one of two local feedlots where they await a truck that will take them on their final journey south. They sometimes stop along the way, usually in Oklahoma, and perhaps will run through another auction - again loose and sold by the pound. The horses then continue the trip across the border into Mexico where they arrive at a slaughterhouse, await a captive bolt to the head, rendering, and shipment overseas for human consumption. It's the sad reality of overbreeding and irresponsible horse ownership. This does not just occur in the racing industry, but is all encompassing.
Knowing my time was limited, Wednesday afternoon I went back for the paint. What I found bothered me so much it has taken me nearly a week to regain composure and compile my thoughts. A lot of 5 young Thoroughbreds had just been dropped off. This was my greatest nightmare and very much a valid concern being Canterbury's live racing season had wrapped up the previous Sunday. Just the night before I was ecstatic not encountering any recent retirees at the auction, now I was faced with the reality that someone had bypassed the auction altogether and dumped them directly at the feedlot.
Luckily Thoroughbreds are easily traced by tattoos on the inside of their upper lips and it didn't take very long to find out who these horses were and who had them last. In the small pen, there were three chestnut mares, a smaller bay gelding, and a tall black gelding. In addition to those we discovered another tattooed TB in the back lot who we found to be an unraced Kansas bred. The five in the pen still had their racing shoes on and research showed a couple had raced closing day. Four had not amounted to much as racehorses, but one mare had started 67 starts and won over $98K for her owners. She had big ankles and a swagger to her walk - clearly lame.
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| 3 yr old bay gelding at the feedlot |
One of the geldings, a 3 year old, looked very familiar to me and after his tattoo confirmed his name, I realized the trainer had asked me to take the horse into the program a few days earlier. I had been out to the barn, taken photos of the horse, and marketed him in various locations. Just the day prior, I sent the trainer a message asking if he could drop the horse off at my barn that Thursday. The reply I received was that he was sold to someone looking for a "good riding horse". Interestingly enough, the conversation that took place while I was photographing the horse was a warning not to sell the horse to a certain individual who peruses the backside and offers a couple hundred dollars per horse.
The "dealer", along with a little cash, offers the promise of finding the horse a good home. Sometimes it's someone who is looking for a riding horse, sometimes it's a polo operation, and sometimes it's a hunter jumper home. Unfortunately his idea of a good home is dropping them off at the feedlot for quick cash. Why not? It's fast, it's easy, it pays, and nobody is the wiser. The owner or trainer doesn't have to pay for the horse anymore, and everyone sleeps well at night. Ignorance is bliss, right? One of the five horses was confirmed to have been given to him, again, with the promise of a polo home in another state. He even went so far as to ensure he got the Jockey Club papers (which were not given to the feedlot). He then loaded this horse on his trailer (along with the bay gelding and 3 others he'd collected) and hauled 30 minutes south to the feedlot where he cashed in an easy $200. By my estimate, this gentleman probably scored close to $800-$900 at the feedlot , if not more. This is fraud, anyway you look at it. It's one thing if he was honest as to where they were going, another if he deliberately misled them. Which appears to have been the case in multiple incidences.
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| The rescued Paint gelding |
Fast forward a few hours - the paint gelding was home and I was using the power of social media to try to save the Thoroughbreds. I knew I only had enough money to cover the bail for one horse, saving any more would be financially irresponsible, given our lack of donations. I headed back to the feedlot, knowing the slaughter truck was arriving any time. I met a friend and fellow MNRRP supporter out there only to find the slaughter truck backed up to the building, already half full. We rushed inside to find horses being weighed and loaded. On the scale was one of the chestnut TB mares. In line to be loaded was another. Just at that moment my phone rang and I got the call that would change the lives of these horses forever. It was a longtime supporter of MNRRP, and President of the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association, giving me the go ahead to save as many as $1000 would cover. At $300 per head, and MNRRP covering the remainder, we were able to save four. The two chestnut mares were unloaded and put in a separate pen with another chestnut mare and the bay gelding.
Playing God is not easy. I struggle with it each time I see multiple horses and can only save one or two. Which one's life is more valuable than the other? Do you save the crippled older mare who raced 67 times? Is winning $98,000 enough to secure a retirement, or are her big ankles and limp a death sentence? Do you save the young flashy gelding who you know has a much better chance at being adopted and bringing in a nice adoption fee for the program? How do you choose? It's difficult and believe me, I lose sleep over it each time I am forced to do it.
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| The three chestnut mares enjoying their second chance at life |
In this case we were able to save the three chestnut mares, including the lame one, and the bay gelding that was promised to the program earlier in the week. Although the fate is uncertain for the Kansas bred and the black gelding, the reality is we cannot save them all. It does, however matter to the ones we did save... and that keeps us moving forward. This experience was trying for me. These are horses I know, I've watched them race, I know the trainers. It saddens me knowing the breeders, pleading for them to take the horse back to avoid having it's young life ended in a slaughter house, only to be met with and excuse of not having enough room or money or time. Trust me, I have none of these... yet when push comes to shove I make it work. Whatever the excuse, it's not good enough for me! Take responsibility! Do what you can for these horses - even if it means skipping your Caribou coffee for a week - send $25. That's 6 bales of hay!!! It's easy to turn the other cheek and let someone else clean up the mess. It's easy to pass the blame onto others. Don't do what's easy, do what's right.
If you feel compelled to donate, the address to do so is
MNRRP
3850 182nd St E
Prior Lake, MN 55372
Your donations are tax deductible and no donation is too small.
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