Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project

Updated Horse List

2012-02-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

Revenge Tea- 6yr old 14.3h Chestnut Mare
Tea is an adorable, wonderful little mare who wants a job. This mare is fast and cat like but has amazing ground manners and has started her retraining. She would make a great little barrel or game horse! Tea is currently barefoot and sound, she passed all her flexions and is ready to go! Adoption Fee $700
Located in Chaska

Valise - 2005 16.2h Bay Gelding
Last raced Sept 2011, Valise has some effusion in his fetlocks and has mild arthritis in them which may prevent him from being a higher level athlete, but would be well suited for low level dressage or trail riding.Valise has not been ridden since his last race in Sept so will need to be restarted.
Located in Randolph, MN Price $400

Just One Spot "Spot"
2004 (8yr old) 16.1h Chestnut Gelding Last race was in 2007
Barefoot and sound enough for dressage and jumping. Had chip removed in RF knee a few years ago but is completely healed and ready to go. Spot hasn't been ridden since last race, so will need to be restarted. This boy really wants a job and will try very hard to please his new owner. Price TBD Located in Randolph, MN

Hopscotch Ali “Ali”
2005 (7yr old) approx. 16h Dk Bay Mare
Last raced in 2009
Ali has an amazing, huge trot with great suspension. She’s a spunky, forward mare who will excel in any discipline – dressage, eventing, jumpers. Ali hasn't been ridden since last race, so will need to be restarted.
Located in Randolph, MN Price TBD

My Friend Gracie “Gracie”
2005 (7yr old) 15.3h Bay Mare
Last raced 2009
Gracie is 100% sound and ready for a new career. Compact build and could go any direction – English or western, jumping or barrels! She’s also an easy keeper. Gracie hasn't been ridden since last race, so will need to be restarted.
Located in Randolph, MN
Price TBD

She’s Jasmine “Jasmine”
2007 (5yr old) approx. 15.3h Bay Mare
Jasmine is an absolutely lovely mover. She was in training to race but never made it to the starting gate. After recovering from mild sesamoiditis, she is now 100% sound and ready for a new career. She will be VERY fancy! She is currently in front shoes. She does crib but it is well-controlled with a strap. Jasmine is also a very easy keeper – a bonus for an OTTB! Jasmine hasn't been ridden since she was 2yrs old, so will need to be restarted.
Located in Randolph, MN Price TBD

One Smart Alec “Alec”
2008 (4yr old) approx. 16.3h Chestnut Gelding
Alec is sound and ready to move on to a new career. This big, leggy gelding will do best with some consistent groundwork but could go any direction under saddle – we could see him doing well in jumpers or eventing! Alec hasn't been ridden since last year so will need to be restarted.
Located in Randolph, MN Price TBD

We're Still Here!!

2012-02-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project has started 2012 with some interesting changes and big plans. In January, former director Annie Ringwelski decided to step down from MNRRP’s board to focus more on her own rescue efforts of horses of all breeds. Annie has a long history of helping horses in need and made the personal decision to leave the group so she can freely help all types of equines. We thank her for her immense support, time and financial contributions to the group over the last two and a half years and wish her the best of luck in her new endeavors. She has agreed to stay on as a foster home if needed, and I don’t think anyone will be able to keep her away from Canterbury Park in the summer!

Annie’s departure has given me the opportunity to step up as MNRRP’s new director. Thankfully, I have an excellent support team lined up: Founding MNRRP member Kate Jensen is our Vice President, Colleen Foley has returned to the group to serve as our treasurer, and Julie Michener is our new secretary. These women are all very passionate about our objective and mission and I’m very excited to have them on board! I also want to specifically thank a couple of our other supporters: Ted Grevelis, a racehorse owner and Daily Racing Form journalist, as well as Minnesota Thoroughbred Association President Scott Rake, MTA Executive Director Kay King and the management of Canterbury Park.

This year is looking to be a big one! Keep checking our Facebook page, Web site and this blog for information on upcoming events. We are hoping to host several fundraiser clinics this spring, summer and fall; a fundraiser trail ride; a golf tournament; and a fall Fun Show. We’ll also be applying for several grants. Also, be sure to check out the programs when you head to Canterbury to watch the races – we are planning on featuring adoptable horses as well as success stories each week!

As always, we welcome contributions of any kind. If you are able to donate or are interested in one of our horses, please contact us at mnretiredracehorses@yahoo.com. *Please note this is a NEW e-mail – please delete any other MNRRP-associated e-mails you have.* We should have our new Paypal account up and running within the next week or two. You can mail any checks (payable to MNRRP) to me: Jennifer Selvig, DVM, 6921 Egan Dr., Savage, MN 55387.

Goodbye Hot Sax...

2011-12-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

HOT SAX

May 20, 2003 - December 9, 2011

Sax came to us in September after being rescued from a feedlot. She last raced on August 18, 2011 and throughout her lifetime she had accomplished 67 starts. Sax had 8 firsts, 11 seconds, and 7 thirds, earning her owners $98,337. A Maryland bred mare, she raced at tracks including Delaware Park, Suffolk Downs, Laurel Park, Philadelphia Park, Penn National, Charles Town, Lincoln Fair, Fonner, and Canterbury.

Dr Selvig and I with Hot Sax at the clinic

Sax was a sweet mare, always wanting attention. She was easy to handle and very classy. Upon her rescue, we had hoped she would at least be pasture sound, and be able to live the remainder of her life as a companion horse. Unfortunately, xrays showed quite a bit of debris in both of her enlarged ankles, along with an older cannon fracture. She was extremely uncomfortable and was already showing signs of arthritis. Dr. Selvig and I decided the most humane thing to do was to put her down. A decision that should have been made by her owners instead of having her shipped to a feedlot and sold off by the pound.

We paid $300 to save her life, fed her for over 3 months, took films of her legs and ankles, and gave her bute to try to make her more comfortable. We probably have over $1000 into her, which some would say is a waste of money. Truth be told, we are extremely limited on funds - but every horse in our program matters. We did what we could for her. Thanks to Dr Selvig and Cleary Lake Vet Clinic, her last journey will be teaching vet students and techs, practicing ultrasounds, xrays and different procedures. Finally, they will all learn from her as she is humanely euthanized.

Good bye Hot Sax - I'm honored to have known you and I'm blessed you have touched my life, even for a short time.

Scotty, 85 ex-racers, and a little Faith...

2011-11-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Scotty - Dec 2008

The chestnut gelding shivered in the pasture, his eyes dark and lifeless, head hanging low. I could see every bone in his 16 hand body, fungus had caused his hair to fall out in patches, leaving his skin exposed to the harsh December winter. As I entered the pasture, I watched him take a few painful steps toward me. He still wore a racing shoe, which twisted and dug sharply into his hoof. I had been told the night before about a skinny Thoroughbred gelding needing help, and having a soft spot for the breed, I found myself immediately interested. I had no idea at that time what I was getting myself into, but after seeing him I knew I couldnt walk away. He had fallen through the cracks after his racing career ended just four months prior. Sporting knee chips, atrophy in his hindquarters from a botched nerve block and pinfiring on both front legs, he was no longer productive as a racehorse. Through no fault of his own, he bounced around from owner to owner until he finally became unclaimed and ultimately, unwanted. I immediately named him after my dear friend Scotty Marion, who disappeared over the Swiss Alps while paragliding. Scotty had such a passion for life, and could light up a room with his infectious smile the moment he walked in. He loved horses and I had hoped that by naming this horse after him, it would give him a will to live. We lifted the weak gelding into the trailer and brought him home. After a couple days the life returned to his eyes and I promised him I would never give up on him. That was December, 2008.

Scotty - Nov 2011

Today Scotty happily munches hay in my pasture, the spokes-horse for Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project and the reason the program exists. Officially founded in 2009 by myself and Dr. Jennifer Selvig, the program has since placed, or facilited the placement of, over 85 horses. A rather large accomplishment given our extremely limited budget. Most of the horses accepted into MNRRP's program during our busy season are donated by trainers or owners. Once the track closes and the rush to place horses is over, we make rounds to the local auctions and feedlots in an attempt to find retired racehorses that may have fallen through the cracks. Always a relief not to find any tattooed horses, it's equally as sad to see the hundreds of others being sold by the pound. I've gotten used to the saying "you cant save them all", as for nearly 12 years I've rescued, rehabilitated, and placed countless horses of all breeds. There are times; however, when you simply cannot walk away no matter what the breed. Thus was the case with a little chestnut mare I found on a recent trip to the feedlot.

Chestnut mare - Oct 15

She wasnt anything special, nothing about her stood out. A plain chestnut mare, no taller than 14.2 hands, blaze skewed to the side at her nose. She had a red halter on, unlike the majority of the 200+ horses at the feedlot which had collected there, having come from various auctions. She seemed friendly, and allowed my daughter and her friend to pet her. For whatever reason I took quite a few photos of her on our first visit, October 15. She was in good weight, and they wanted $300 for her. Judging from her teeth she was older, probably mid teens. She had what appeared to be an ambilical hernia, but I was told she had been a broodmare and it had something to do with her milk after weaning her colt. Weather this was true or not I have no idea. Maybe it was her facial resemblence that reminded me of Scotty that drew me to her. At any rate, we continued our journey through the feeldot, looking for Thoroughbreds. None were to be found that day.

I had posted photos online of a few horses, in hopes of finding homes before they were to be shipped south. Since I had some interest I decided to return a few days later, October 18. Again, I found the mare with the red halter. It was colder that day, misty rain and a chilly wind. I remember seeing her shaking. I asked more questions about her and the gal jumped up on her to see if she was broke. I didnt have my camera this time, but took a couple photos with my phone. For some reason I kept thinking about her. Again, I walked away.

Chestnut mare - Nov 18

Fast forward exactly one month later. I again returned to the feedlot in hopes of finding, or not finding, ex-racehorses. As my friend and I walked the 200 acres of hilly pastures searching through the horses, we took pictures and made mental notes. We ducked under an old barbed wire fence, seperating two of the fields leading us to the bottom of the back pasture. In the distance I saw an extremely skinny chestnut laying down. I used my camera to zoom in and couldnt believe my eyes. It was the same mare with the red halter, only this time, she was only a shell of a horse. Every bone stuck out and even from a distance I could tell she was severly emaciated. It was evident to me she had given up. As we approached, we could see her halter had twisted sideways over her head, making her appearance even more disturbing. I fixed her halter and with a little coaxing we managed to get her up. The temperature was supposed to drop drastically that night, and there was no way I was leaving her there. If she was going to die, she was going to die in a nice, warm, bedded stall with people around her who cared and a mountain of grass hay in front of her. She would not die all alone in the back of a pasture at night in the cold.

That evening we managed to get her home and make her comfortable. I named her Faith. She enjoyed being brushed and pampered and had a great appetite. The following few days she perked up and the life again returned to her eyes. Although she has only been with me for 5 days so far she has continued to make improvements.She is not out of the woods quite yet but I have faith she will make a full recovery. No, she's not an ex-racehorse and yes, I will be taking her on as a personal rescue, but I did feel her story was worthy of this blog. Many of you have asked how to donate to Faith's rehabilitaiton. Since she is a personal rescue, donations are not tax deductable. If you are ok with that and still wish to donate, checks can be sent to the following address: (and of course if you wish to donate to the retired racehorses you can do that as well - please specify)

Faith - safe at home, 3 days after being rescued

MNRRP

3850 182nd St E

Prior Lake, MN 55379

Thank You

We are also accepting bags of Purina Equine Senior feed,

More Topper....

2011-11-18T07:16:00.000-08:00

I know many of you enjoy the updates on Topper and love to see photos. These were taken earlier this week. Topper also went to a clinic at Cleary Lake, where he was supposed to be the model "lame" horse. To our surprise, he was sound. I will be monitoring him for another month before we'll be ready to let him got to an adoptive home. If interested please contact me at retiredracehroses@yahoo.com . If you would like to donate in honor of Topper, please mail checks to

MNRRP 3850 182nd St E, Prior Lake, MN 55372.

Many of you know his rehab and recovery was expensive and even the smallest of donations are greatly appreciated.

Topper, in front, with Scotty and Noelle

Topper jumping bushes

(left to right)
Topper, Zanzi the rescue arab, Scotty, Noelle, and Moses (retired racehorses) and Titan the TB feeldot rescue. If you look closely you can see them chasing the resident farm dog, Dixie.

For those of you following Topper's story.....

2011-11-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

Here are photos of him in the pasture yesterday.

Nice horses still needing homes for winter

2011-11-08T04:56:00.000-08:00

We still have horses looking for homes this winter -

Twister - Weanling TB colt - have JC papers ready to go. Sweet, quiet, easy to handle. Good 4H project. Won't get too tall. Slightly toed out in front but will not effect recreational or low level performance career. Adoption fee waived with small donation of hay, grain, beet pulp etc.

Topper - Miracle horse. Recovering from severe abscesses, he is still sore. Has reverse shoes now and getting correctivly trimmed. Super sweet horse with loads of potential. You can lead him around with a rope. Quiet and friendly - will make a great youth horse once re-trained. Aprox 15.3h. 4yr gelding. Adoption fee waived with small donation of hay, grain, beet pulp etc.

Noelle - Standardbred mare. Anyone can ride her in the arena. Safe, quiet and forgiving. She was a pacer and has a smooth gait. 21 yrs - Does well with routine, needs grain 2x daily and good hay. She is boss mare. Good trail horse, you'd never know she's older. Really a nice mare and fun to ride. Adoption fee waived with small donation of hay, grain, beet pulp, etc. Aprox 15.2h

Rigalo - 10 yr grey TB gelding. This guy needs a job! He's been sitting around bored in the pasture for a couple years. Was raced as a youngster and has been used for lessons for a few years. Has also been on trail rides. I could see this guy as a barrel racer! 100% sound. Will need someone with experience to remind him of his job. Sweet personality, easy to handle, easy keeper - just an all around nice horse. Cribs but it's controlled with a collar. $600

Westley - Awesome TB gelding just being restarted under saddle. Sound, healthy, athletic, everything you'd want in a horse. Easy going, hacks out nice on the trails. Has been free jumped and shows a lot of potential as a jumper. Could really go just about any direction at this point. Willing and brave. 16h. 6yrs. $1500

Free horses!!!

2011-10-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

MNRRP is waiving the adoption fee on the following wonderful horses. Each is available FREE to approved homes with a contract- the catch being we are asking a small donation to the program in return. This could be monetary, or bags of feed, beet pulp or bales of hay. Whatever you feel can be donated.

"Hidden Character" City is a 2005 16.1h, TB gelding who won nearly $60K on the track. He was retired this past fall and would benefit from the winter off. He has arthritis in his front right knee but will be suitable for recreational riding. City has an awesome personality, is easy to handle and gets along well in a herd. He will be easy to re-train and has a laid back attitude. Give him some time off and watch him blossom!

"Twister" Weanling Tb colt. Papers are in order for registration. Sire is Late Edition out of an Irish bred mare. Twister was born with a crooked front leg - in just the short time I've had him, combined with corrective trimming, he's straightened out considerably. He will always toe out slightly on the front, but it will not effect his ability to be a riding or performance horse. He has a sweet personality and is easy to handle. He's halter broke and he leads well. He's been out in the pasture with the boys enjoying his childhood. He's so laid back I can see him being a kid's 4H project.

"My Topper" 2007 TB gelding - If you have read our previous blog, Topper is the miracle horse. He's been fighting abscesses and now is on the mend. I'm hoping to find someone with a kind heart who will want to take Topper in and continue his rehab process. He doesn't need much - a pasture during the day, and a stall at night, and a watchful eye on his feet, along with correct hoof care. He has a lot to offer and is a very special horse. This guy needs a chance - with the winter off, he could be riding by spring. Eventually I think he's going to make a phenomenal kids horse. Topper won over $23K on the track and retired this fall.

"Hot Sax" 2003 TB mare - Sax was a recent feedlot rescue. Over the years she's won nearly $100K for her owners. Unfortunately, she has had a few leg issues along the way. We took films on her and she shows an old cannon splint and some ankle chips along with arthritis. Sax is a sweet mare, and would be ok living in someone's pasture as a companion horse. As of now we are planning on having her euthanized unless we can find a home for her.

ADOPTION FEES REDUCED FOR WINTER!

"Almost Dangerous" Don't let the name scare you - Addie is as sweet as they come. She is 5yrs old and just doesn't want to race anymore. She bowed her RF tendon at 2, rehabbed and raced sound for 3 years. It's a low bow and doesn't effect her at all. She will be sound for any discipline - and we could see her excelling in Dressage or as a Hunter/Jumper. Addie is aprox 16.1h with excellent conformation and great breeding. She is by Prime Timber out of Private Pouf. Addie is available through MNRRP for $500 and located in Shakopee.

Proxy Fight" - This guy is absolutely stunning and amazingly athletic! Rigalo, as he's know around the barn, is a 10 yr grey TB gelding who was retired at 3 from racing. He has been re-trained and used in lessons for the past 5 years. He was also used as a trail horse for one season; however, he prefers to be in the arena. He has been free jumped and shows a lot of potential and talent. This horse can go in any direction. He does need a knowledgeable rider as we were told he does know his stuff. He has an extended trot to DIE for!!! Rigalo is a bit out of shape at the moment, but could be in the show ring by the fall. He's had only the best care and his owner donated him to MNRRP to ensure he found a wonderful home. Rigalo is aprox 15.3h and has substantial bone. He is an easy keeper and kept out on pasture. He is super easy to be around and his only vice is that he cribs on the fences. Rigalo is available for $600 and is located in Shakopee

Another wonderful horse available for adoption.....

2011-10-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

AVAILABLE!!!
Slow Down Sones is a 16h, 6yr old Thoroughbred gelding who retired from racing in September - "Westley" as he's known around the barn, has been re-started under saddle and has a solid walk, trot, and canter both directions. He is soft in the mouth and responsive and willing to learn. He has jumped cross rails under saddle and he also shows a lot of potential free jumping as well. Westley has been on many trail rides and is not spooky or reactive. He'll just hack right down the trail or road. This horse is full of personality and really wants to show off, but is sweet and easy to handle. First day he went out and jumped a 3ft branch in the middle of the pasture, just for fun! He has great ground manners and can really excel in any direction. He has been evaluated sound and healthy. Westley's adoption fee is $1500.
Watch Westley's video .

Special thanks to Dark Horse Farm for fostering and working with this wonderful horse!!!

Do you believe in miracles?

2011-10-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

This last week was proof miracles do exist.

Topper leading his last race - June, 2011

At just 4 years old, retired racehorse, My Topper had his entire life in front of him. He retired relatively sound and spent a couple weeks relaxing in the pasture upon his arrival here in late June. Shortly after, he became extremely sore and was unable to walk. Abscesses can be common in recently retired racehorses, as their feet and bodies adjust to barefoot, outside living and I thought nothing more of it. In early July, Topper went on stall rest and I began soaking his foot with epsom salt. His pain seemed centered in his front left foot; however, some days he exhibited pain on his front right. I alternated soaking and started wrapping with magna paste and animalintex, trying to draw out whatever infection that might have been in there. This process went on for a couple months and finally Dr Selvig was able to spot, and open an extremely deep abscess in his toe. This abscess went all the way down to his sensitive tissue, no wonder why he was so sore.

Topper with Daria

Typically, after an abscess is drained, the horse will begin to feel a lot better. This was not the case with Topper. He had his good days and he had his bad days. His good days consisted of being able to step out of his stall and stand in the isle, in the foundered position, shaking. His bad days he seemed to spend more time laying down than standing up and because of this he developed bed sores on his hocks. Dr Selvig monitored his progress and we noticed his white line was extremely en flamed and red. Although is left front was still bothering him, his right front seemed worse now. After numerous farrier visits and consultations, nothing was found in the foot. I kept boots on to try to keep him comfortable but nothing seemed to help. Topper's bad days seemed to out number his good and soon, all he was having was bad days. It was painful to watch and I didn't think I could take much more of it. We had been buting him daily for such a long time and it just didn't seem to be helping at all. It was not looking good for Topper.

A couple of days ago, Dr Selvig came out to check on him and discuss our options. She noticed his coffin bone had started to possibly drop (without films it was impossible to know for sure though). He was having one of his bad days and was not able to even lift his feet at all. Once lifted he'd bend down, almost in a bowing position, just to relieve the pressure. He stood in the barn isle, shaking and hunched up, clearly in pain. Although I have seen this many times with him, almost on a daily basis, I was glad Dr Selvig and the others there that night were able to see the extent of it. He was diagnosed with acute laminitis, which could have been caused by compensating for the severe abscess on his front left, or he could have possibly been laminic prior and that could have caused the abscess. Either way, the decision was made to bring him to the clinic and have him euthanized the following day.

Daria riding Topper bareback before he became sore

I am not much of a crier. In fact, only a few days earlier we had adopted a wonderful, sound and healthy horse out to a great woman, only to have him die in her pasture 12 hours later. Colic was suspected, but without a necropsy there was no way to be sure. Such a sudden and sad death, my heart hurt, but I didn't cry. Now here I was with Topper, sobbing into his mane like a little child. I did not want to lose this horse. My daughter and I were there to cheer him on for his last race. We took him home and rode him all around. I spent countless hours doctoring him. I felt like such a failure but I had done everything possible for this horse. There was nothing more to do except help him on his next journey over the rainbow bridge.

I would miss his goofy personality. The funny faces he'd make in his stall before feeding time, the way he would pull his hay out of the top of his hay bunk so he could eat it off the floor instead. I would miss his daily greetings (he was very talkative) and I'd miss how he'd bury his head in my chest, almost hugging me. I have had to euthanize horses in the past - never has one been so difficult. Although I do not practice religion on a daily basis, what could it hurt to ask for help? Possibly a miracle?

The next afternoon I brushed him in his stall, gave him treats and hugged him. He stood like a statue, as he always did. I opened the trailer doors, got his last meal ready and proceeded to halter him with the best looking halter I could find in the barn. I cut a small lock of his tail off to keep as a reminder and opened the stall webbing to lead him out. What happened next was amazing, if not impossible. Topper pushed through the webbing, nearly knocking me down. As that happened I lost grip on the lead rope and it slid out of my hands as he trotted down the isle of the barn. He stopped a few steps later and looked back as if to say "I'm fine, see?". I stood there in awe thinking did that really just happen? I walked up to him, grabbed the lead and led him up and down the barn isle. He walked cautiously, but with a purpose. There was hardly a head bob. This was a horse that the previous night, could not stand up without shaking, hunching or stretching out. He had difficulty walking in his stall from the bucket to the feeder and now he just trotted down the isle and was walking normally? I have not seen this horse walk normal for nearly 4 months. Topper had just bought himself more time.

Topper enjoying pasture life again

It has only been a couple of days but Topper continues to walk normally and make progress. The following day, he was bucking and rearing in his stall. When I took him for his walk he was rearing and squeeling on the end of the lead. Yesterday he enjoyed the entire day in the pasture. I couldn't be happier. Although we cannot explain this amazing and drastic recovery, I'm not really looking for an explanation. I'll take what I can get - in this case, a miracle.

Topper's recovery took it's toll on our program, financially. If you feel compelled to donate in his honor, checks can be sent to MNRRP, 3850 182nd St E, Prior Lake, MN 55372

Donations are tax deductible.

The sad reality; An auction, a Paint, a feedlot, and some OTTB's

2011-09-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

If you have not yet read Ted Grevelis' blog about his adventures saving an OTTB with us at a recent auction, I'd like to direct you to that post first. You can find it here: http://grevelisracing.blogspot.com/2011/09/racehorses-responsibility-and-heroines.html

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Available horses - UPDATED

2011-09-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Although I really wanted to write about another topic today since the experience is fresh in my head, I thought I'd better get an updated list of available horses out there. We have some really nice horses available right now, many of them sound.

Money Train - 9 yr old TB gelding that has been retired from racing for a while. He is slightly foot sore from not having shoes, but is otherwise sound. Cash has been used for endurance riding and has logged hundreds of miles on the competitive trail circuit. He stands aprox 16h with a nice build. He's easy to handle and gets along well in a herd. Through no fault of his own, Cash ended up at an auction where we found him and outbid the kill buyer. He's a nice horse and will make someone really happy. He's very well trained, is responsive and has a light mouth. Cash is located in Prior Lake and he is available for $700

Revenge Tea - ADOPTED!! 5 yr old chestnut mare who just retired from racing. She's a bit body sore but rode very nicely under saddle. I think with a little time off to relax this mare will blossom. She is very petite, standing about 15h, with more of a QH build. She is easy to handle and I see quite a bit of potential in this mare. She has a good mind and will be easy to retrain. We had her WTC both directions with no issues.She is a cribber. Tea is located in Prior Lake and is available for $400

Tigers Victory - ADOPTED!! 3 yr old chestnut TB mare, also just retired from racing. She is sound and extremely athletic although we have not had a chance to ride her. She is a smaller mare, aprox 15.1h with a lovely, refined build. Tiger has the most beautiful face, very feminine and dainty. She's super easy to handle. I could see her as a dressage mare although she really could go just about any direction. Tiger is in Prior Lake and is available for $500

Hot Sax - 8 yr old chestnut TB mare. Still under evaluation. Pasture sound, but has a sore stifle or hip. Sweet mare who won over $98K for various owners/trainers. She was found in a feedlot, awaiting shipment to Mexico. We thought after 67 starts she had earned her retirement no mater what her soundness issues were. Sax is easy to handle and would love to live our her days in your pasture. Sax's adoption fee is waived with a small donation to MNRRP. She is in Prior Lake.

Danubes Edition - ADOPTION PENDING!! 3 yr old bay TB gelding. Very sweet boy who's racing career just ended. He is sound and rides really well. Very accepting. He's quiet and easy to handle and would be the perfect size for pony club. He stands aprox 15.2h. Danny is a really cute mover and has a ton of potential. Very sensible and bold. He is in Prior Lake and available for $600

Buca Primo - 4 yr old bay TB gelding. I cannot say enough about this guy! He has personality, manners, class, and athleticism. Although he retired this year with a knee chip, he flexed and jogged totally sound.The chip is one which won't require surgery and he will have no problem excelling in a competitive performance career. He should have a little time off before starting his retraining however. Luke stands about 16h and absolutely floats when he trots. He has so much suspension and is a blast to ride. Very quiet and accepting and would make a really nice youth horse. Luke also has fluid above his other knee from an accident as a baby, which has been checked and it's completely cosmetic. We have his films, and they have been evaluated by Dr. Selvig. Although his knee is a bit unsightly, if you can look past that, you have yourself a superstar. He gets along well in the pasture and loves attention. Luke is in Prior Lake and available for $700

Town Victory - ADOPTED!! Stunning 3yr old TB gelding. This guy is HUGE! Standing at least 17h and sound, this guy can do anything. He retired from racing due to having a bad flapper, however this will not effect a high level performance career. He has been evaluated by a U of M vet and is ready for a new career. He comes from a wonderful owner and a caring trainer. He was never pushed or ran hard, he simply cannot perform as a racehorse and the owner chose to retire him. This is her baby and we have been asked to take special care in placing him. Sonny is available for $800 and is located in Shakopee.

"This Creek Runs" - Creek is a 3yr TB gelding that has been retired from racing. He's already started his re-training and is going along really well. He is about 15.2h and very easy to handle. He will still require an experienced rider under saddle to finish him out. We could see him excelling in Dressage or Low Hunter. He is slightly off on the LF. This handsome gelding is available for $400. Contact Emily Barker at 952-212-1416. Creek is located in Shakopee.

"Proxy Fight" - This guy is absolutely stunning and amazingly athletic! Rigalo, as he's know around the barn, is a 10 yr TB gelding who was retired at 3 from racing. He has been re-trained and used in lessons for the past 5 years. He was also used as a trail horse for one season; however, he prefers to be in the arena. He has been free jumped and shows a lot of potential and talent. This horse can go in any direction. He does need a knowledgeable rider as we were told he does know his stuff. He has an extended trot to DIE for!!! Rigalo is a bit out of shape at the moment, but could be in the show ring by the fall. He's had only the best care and his owner donated him to MNRRP to ensure he found a wonderful home. Rigalo is aprox 15.3h and has substantial bone. He is an easy keeper and kept out on pasture. He is super easy to be around and his only vice is that he cribs on the fences. Rigalo is available for $800 and is located in Shakopee.

ADOPTED!! "Jump to the Rescue" - Impeccably bred, Jumpy is a 4yr TB filly who has a ton of potential. She stands at least 16h and has excellent conformation. Jumpy just retired sound from racing and is ready to start her re-training. She is exceptionally quiet for a youngster and is very easy to handle. She could really excel in any direction, even as a broodmare if desired. Jumpy is by Jump Start out of Rescue Mission and if you know bloodlines, you'll recognize she's something special. She is available through our program for $600 and is located in Shakopee.

"Almost Dangerous" - Don't let the name scare you - Addie is as sweet as they come. She is 5yrs old and just doesn't want to race anymore. She bowed her RF tendon at 2, rehabbed and raced sound for 3 years. It's a low bow and doesn't effect her at all. She will be sound for any discipline - and we could see her excelling in Dressage or as a Hunter/Jumper. Addie is aprox 16.2h with excellent conformation and great breeding. She is by Prime Timber out of Private Pouf. Addie is available through MNRRP for $500 and located in Shakopee.

"Hidden Character", known in the barn as City, is gorgeous and he knows it. He is 16.1+h and will be suitable for recreational riding after a little time off. He did well on the racetrack for his owner and trainer and in return they retired him into our program, hoping to find him a good home and a new career. City just arrived and we are just getting to know him. He has become a giant puppy dog and is the kids' favorite around the farm due to his good, easy going personality. City loves apples and is always at the gait looking for attention. Due to past injury to his right knee, he will not be a high level performance horse, but will look extremely flashy hacking down the trails or even possibly in the dressage arena. City is a little thin after coming off his racing career, but he's gaining weight nicely. He is currently a little bumpy as he's adjusting to all the bugs. City is located in Prior Lake and his adoption fee is waived with a small donation to the program.

"Impress Cache" 20 yr brown mare. Aprox 15.2h. "Robin" as we call her is a very sweet mare who's had a big run of bad luck. We originally found her at an auction and were unable to buy her. We then found her at a feedlot and watched her get loaded on a trailer bound for Mexico. Upon our return to the feedlot the next day, we discovered she had been unloaded as the trailer was too full. We decided we needed to buy her and she's been sitting in my pasture ever since. In her younger years, Robin was a racehorse. As of late, she's been a broodmare. She gets along with other horses, is super easy to handle and we've even been on her. She would need a refresher but there is no reason she can't be someone's recreational riding horse. She stands tied, accepts a saddle/bridle/rider and has no vices. Really a sweetie who deserves a home of her own. Robin's adoption fee is waived with a small donation to our program. She is located in Prior Lake.

"Clo Jo" Noelle is a 20 yr bay Standardbred mare. Aprox 15.3h. We originally found Noelle at a feedlot, saw she was tattooed and brought her home. We discovered she is extremely well broke, and GAITED! She does walk, trot, gait, and canter. Noelle was a pacer in her younger years and also had one filly. She had been used as a family horse until they sold her at auction where she was bought by a dealer and shipped to the feedlot. ANYONE can ride this horse in the arena or around the farm. She's been ridden by kids and beginners alike. On trail she does need someone with a bit more experience as she does have a big, ground covering walk which can be intimidating. Noelle is a sweet girl, loves being doted over and brushed. She does have a couple "special needs" which really aren't that big of a deal. Noelle does best when separated from the herd. She does well with other horses, but she is lead mare and will worry about the others at all times. She tends to get a bit buddy sour and will not eat her grain when separated. We've found she does best in her own paddock where she can eat her grain at her convenience. She is on the thin side, as she lost weight while she was sick - but she is healthy now and ready for a new home. She will need to continue to get grain 2x daily. Noelle is really an awesome horse - very well broke. A great addition as a kids horse, for the "spare" mount, or husband horse. $300. Noelle is located in Prior Lake.

"Twister" Weanling Thoroughbred bay colt. Sired by Late Edition, Twister is a very quiet, sensible colt. He came from a reputable breeding farm where his breeders thought he'd be better suited for recreational riding rather than racing. Twister's front right leg turns out slightly, which shouldn't effect any low level performance career. He is such a sweetie. Easy to catch, halter, handle, and he leads and ties. Twister is free to a good, approved home with a small donation to MNRRP. Twister is in Prior Lake.

It's not goodbye.... it's see you next year!

2011-09-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today we bid farewell to Canterbury Park's 2011 racing season. For many it's bittersweet and a roller coaster of emotions. For some, experiencing the anxiousness, stress and excitement of moving yourself and your stable of horses to another track, for others it's saying goodbye to those leaving. It signifies the end of summer and the promise of another long winter ahead. It leaves some asking the question "What now?" and really, that sums it all up.... What now?

For those of us who stay here in Minnesota, it's a valid question. We are used to spending our weekends, (and many Thursday and Friday nights as well) at the track. During 4 hours of racing, we surround ourselves with others like us, those who live and breathe Thoroughbreds, and we end up becoming somewhat of a family. Now we find ourselves wondering what to do with that extra time. Maybe some will take up another hobby, find a part time job, or spend more time tending to household chores that may have been neglected (GUILTY!!).

Although each year as the season winds down and I promise myself a life after the track, I always find myself equally as busy. For me, I'm sure those 4 extra hours will be occupied with the horses. Both the new additions left behind because they were too injured or too slow to move on to the next track, and the permanent fixtures here at the farm. I'm sure I will I will make time to reschool Robin, the old broodmare, and take Topper out a few more times to stretch his legs. I will pick cockle burrs out of Scotty's mane and I might even catch up on MNRRP paperwork. There are also fences to repair and paint, the tackroom to finish, weeds to cut, and manure to move. Ahhhhh, an extra 4 hours. I love racing, but I have to admit, I do enjoy the extra time. Always a bittersweet ending to the season.

So - as midnight rolls around on the last day of racing, I say adios and good luck to my racing family. The trainers, owners, jockeys, grooms, and Canterbury employees that I've come to know over the years and the new friends I've made this season. In a few days the last trailers will pull out and the barns will be empty. The sound of horses will fade and the backside will again, become a ghost town full of memories. It's hard to say goodbye, but in 6 months the snow will start melting, the trees will begin to bud, and we'll know that racing season is just around the corner. At the end of April, the backside will again start to become alive and we will welcome back those who left. So really, it's not goodbye, it's see you next year.... and that makes it easier.

A note of thanks...

2011-09-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Canterbury's racing season is winding down... and we are at our busiest. There is a waiting list of horses, overdue vet bills, dwindling hay supply and the stresses of tending to multiple injuries. Add onto this lack of donations - I have been feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. As the Director of the program, I feel obligated to carry the weight of the burden and have funded the majority of this out of my pocket since it's inception in 2009. As much as we'd like to take on, the reality is that it's only a two person operation. As stressful and trying as this occupation can be, payment is usually in the form of little things like Topper having a good day and being able to walk outside with minimal pain and eat grass. Like Casey and her wonderful family adopting Eddie G, watching the children giggle while they sat on his back as he fell asleep. Or appreciating the nicker from Scotty who was found nearly starved to death nearly three years ago. It's these things that matter and make me want to continue moving forward. Truth is, without people like our friends at Grevelis Racing, who donated 1% of their racehorse's earnings for the year, or people like Sarah Parker and her wonderful mother who adopted Warren. We waived his adoption fee; however, they still felt compelled to donate. And it's people like Emily Barker who sponsors Wasson Island. Without these small, but much needed acts of kindness, it's questionable if this program would be able to continue.

Today a note was posted on Facebook by a friend of mine, and I'd like to share it with you. It means a lot that someone would take the time to say such nice things and attempt to spread the word about the program and what we do. This really touched my heart and literally brought me to tears:

To all the peopled who prayed and donated to Standing in the Gap:
The first horse Maverick, (Eddie G - his racing name) has been with us for a few years.
He came with a severe bowed tendon as a pretty high strung race horse. He also came with scars and trauma from being in a kill pen for several days. When I searched for him, I literally found him being loaded on a trailer to go off to slaughter.
He was nursed everyday for quite some time to heal his tendon and trauma. He was put in a pasture with my horse, Moses, eventually and they became quick buddies.
Maverick soon calmed down enough to work with. By this time, I suffered a broken/fractured pinky and ring finger from a kick of his. Boy, did that happen fast. I lunged him, ponied him around with my horse, saddled him often and just generally worked with him over and over. I developed a great bond with him and he trusted me with almost anything. http://youtu.be/-21pZ_JCeeI
After my wife and I split, I took possession of him and started to ride him often. My desire was to bring him to Florida when I move. Sometimes, you have to do what you think is best instead of what you want. I placed him with my friend, Annie and her non profit, MNRRP. I board my personal horse there. http://retiredracehorses.blogspot.com/
Here is a recent picture of him and Annie's daughter riding him...
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i4P6O6bSG4c/Tk1e6uw50UI/AAAAAAAAAEc/X_IvqSf-nRk/s1600/_DSC0361.JPG
After I started riding him and working him along with Annie, he quickly became a loving and obedient horse. He was and is very happy.
Annie has also quickly become one of my best friends ever. I love my time at her place and with the horses placed in MNRRP. I can't say enough good about her and her work. She has healed and placed many, many horses. I can only give a small example of her heart toward the horses. There is one there that was on the verge of being put down because the problems he has are causing to much discomfort and the healing is questionable. Annie still has this horse and is working hard to make it comfortable while healing can occur. Annie hasn't given up when everyone else has. I believe this horse will be healed because of her heart alone. Pray for him.
Thanks to Annie, MNRRP and her daughter, Maverick was recently placed with a family with two young daughters on their farm. From the beginning, I would have never guessed Maverick would be good enough and calm enough to be around children. Turns out, after much hard work and patience, he is a great horse for this now.
If you or anyone else you know has a heart to donate and help animals, I highly suggest MNRRP as a choice. There is much heart and love given to these animals. The link is http://retiredracehorses.blogspot.com/
I have seen Annie and her daughter also take on horses personally and save them from certain death. They and their friends who run this non profit are amazing people.
I made a good choice for Maverick and he has many, many happy years ahead of him. I cannot name all the individuals who prayed, donated and helped with this enough. Please accept this as my thanks from the inner most of who I am. I am so thankful to have been a part of an amazing journey.
I also made one of the toughest decisions I have ever made. I have given possession of my personal horse to Annie and her daughter. It is not a financial decision. My horse is about 23, 24 years old and has a mild case of arthritis. I can either take him with me or leave him with Annie to retire. After seeing her care for so many horses who are injured, lame, emaciated and have many more problems, I decided that he would get just as much love as I could give and even better care for a retirement future. Annie has been so kind as to tell me never to consider him as any one's horse but mine. I made a good choice.
My future? I will seek and be involved with a horse non profit in Tampa, FL and see where it goes from there. One of the biggest goals of mine is to ride horses on the beach every Sunday and put as much time as I can to help out with horses that need it. I also will try hard to get a horse from MNRRP and ship him down to me.
All I can say is that God is very good to me.
If you do decide to give and donate to MNRRP, please let Annie know that it is in honor of her helping out with Maverick. I would have been lost with her.

Thank you Fred, for the touching note. And thank you to everyone who has donated, supported and prayed for us. There is no way I could possibly have done this alone, and no way there are words that could encompass the gratitude I feel in my heart.

New Horses Available!

2011-09-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

MNRRP is excited to announce the following horses available for sale or adoption:

"Jump to the Rescue" - Impeccably bred, Jumpy is a 4yr TB filly who has a ton of potential. She stands at least 16h and has excellent conformation. Jumpy just retired sound from racing and is ready to start her re-training. She is exceptionally quiet for a youngster and is very easy to handle. She could really excel in any direction, even as a broodmare if desired. Jumpy is by Jump Start out of Rescue Mission and if you know bloodlines, you'll recognize she's something special. She is available through our program for $600 and is located in Shakopee.

"Wasson Island" - Wasson is a sweet, 5yr TB mare who just retired from racing due to a chip in her ankle. She will be sound again, and suitable for lower level performance, however she does need some time off before re-starting under saddle. She is easy to handle and stunning to look at. Wasson has excellent breeding and is by Dayjur (Danzig) out of Sugar Hills Miss, a Blushing Groom granddaughter. Wasson is aprox 15.3h with really nice conformation. She is available through MNRRP for $300 and is located in Prior Lake.

Welcome to the City!

2011-08-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hidden Character, known in the barn as "City" is the new addition at MNRRP. He is gorgeous and he knows it. He is 16.1+h and will be suitable for recrecational riding after a little time off. He did well on the racetrack for his owner and trainer and in return they retired him into our program, hoping to find him a good home and a new career. Since City just arrived, we dont know much about him; however, his trainer says he's a sweet horse with loads of talent. Due to past injury to his right knee, he will not be a high level performance horse, but will look extremely flashy hacking down the trails or even possibly in the dressage arena. His adoption fee is waived, if you know anyone looking.

Warren gets a home!

2011-08-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Warren's Good Storm was adopted today!

Congratulations Sara from Dayton, MN. Warren, now named Chase, will be used for recreational riding and dressage. I will be sad to see him go next week, but it's a great match and I think they will accomplish wonderful things together. Hopefully I'll be able to post updates on the blog as we follow their journey. It was fun to see them do a little bonding today, and as you can tell from this photo, Chase really seemed to like all the attention. Sara has a little work to do on refreshing his manners as he's been sitting idle in a pasture since he was gelded, but he's a smart horse and should be an easy re-training project for her. We wish them the best of luck in their new adventures!

Available horses

2011-08-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Below are a list of horses available through MNRRP as well as other listed for individual owners.

Warrens Good Storm - 3 yr bay gelding. Aprox 15.3h. Recently gelded, he has an old LF bow which he raced on and he retired late July due to a knee chip. Warren will need at least 3 months off before riding. We have not taken films on him, but he's totally pasture sound at the w-t-c-g. As a colt, he was easy to handle with a great personality, now he's even better as a gelding. He's super quiet and not much bothers him. He's pastured with a mini donkey and a goat. He does require grain 2x daily at this time. Warren's adoption fee is waived with a small donation to the MNRRP program.

My Topper - 4 yr brownish gelding. Aprox 15.3. Stunning 4 white socks and a star. I cannot say enough good things about Topper. He is so quiet and easy to handle. You can lead him around with just a rope around his neck. We've ridden him in the arena and around the yard both western and bareback. His second ride off the track was with a 12 yr old girl. Topper is currently extremely foot sore since we've pulled his racing shoes. He needs some time off before retraining and will need to be shod. He is stalled at night but does well in the pasture with other horses too. He gets grain 2x daily and will need to be kept on that program for a while to maintain weight. He will make a nice kids horse - or 4H project. Topper's adoption fee is $250

Impress Cache - 20 yr brown mare. Aprox 15.2h. "Robin" as we call her is a very sweet mare who's had a big run of bad luck. We originally found her at an auction and were unable to buy her. We then found her at a feedlot and watched her get loaded on a trailer bound for Mexico. Upon our return to the feedlot the next day, we discovered she had been unloaded as the trailer was too full. We decided we needed to buy her and she's been sitting in my pasture ever since. In her younger years, Robin was a racehorse. As of late, she's been a broodmare. She gets along with other horses, is super easy to handle and we've even been on her. She would need a refresher but there is no reason she can't be someone's recreational riding horse. She stands tied, accepts a saddle/bridle/rider and has no vices. Really a sweetie who deserves a home of her own. Robin's adoption fee is waived with a small donation to the MNRRP program.

Noelle - 20 yr bay Standardbred mare. Aprox 15.3h. We originally found Noelle at a feedlot, saw she was tattooed and brought her home. We discovered she is extremely well broke, and GAITED! She does walk, trot, gait, and canter. Noelle was a pacer in her younger years and also had one filly. She had been used as a family horse until they sold her at auction where she was bought by a dealer and shipped to the feedlot. ANYONE can ride this horse in the arena or around the farm. She's been ridden by kids and beginners alike. On trail she does need someone with a bit more experience as she does have a big, ground covering walk which can be intimidating. Noelle is a sweet girl, loves being doted over and brushed. She does have a couple "special needs" which really aren't that big of a deal. Noelle does best when separated from the herd. She does well with other horses, but she is lead mare and will worry about the others at all times. She tends to get a bit buddy sour and will not eat her grain when separated. We've found she does best in her own paddock where she can eat her grain at her convenience. She is on the thin side, as she lost weight while she was sick - but she is healthy now and ready for a new home. She will need to continue to get grain 2x daily. Noelle is really an awesome horse - very well broke. A great addition as a kids horse, for the "spare" mount, or husband horse. $300

Twister - Weanling Thoroughbred bay colt. Sired by Late Edition, Twister is a very quiet, sensible colt. He came from a reputable breeding farm where his breeders thought he'd be better suited for recreational riding rather than racing. Twister's front right leg turns out slightly, which shouldn't effect any low level performance career. He is such a sweetie. Easy to catch, halter, handle, and he leads and ties. Twister is free to a good, approved home.

Eddie G - 8 yr brown gelding. Aprox 15.2h. Eddie is an awesome trail horse - he's been camping and road riding. He does well in a group or alone. Although he has no formal professional training, Eddie is as solid as they come. He is quiet and sensible and will walk along on a loose rein, trot and canter when asked, and has a great stop. He does have a few minor quirks - He will stand tied all day long, however when saddling, he needs to be loose or he will pull back. Once he does this he'll stand tied again. He also hates bugs and will walk off when mounting (a typical trait of ex racers). If you could overlook a few small quirks, he'll make a great trail partner. Anyone with a little experience can ride him, he's had a 12 year old girl and a couple novices on him consistently. He needs a little weight and will need to be grained 2x daily in his new home. He will also do best with shoes. $500

Cambridge Castle - 5 yr chestnut mare. "Kip" is a sweet mare who was retired at the end of last season. She went to a loving home where she got the very best care. Unfortunately, Kip's owners are having a hard time keeping her sound. We think she'd be best suited as a broodmare or pasture pet. Kip is easy to handle, stunning to look at and by Sire Sam Lord's Castle. She's a sizeable mare with good bone. Kip's adoption fee is waived with a small donation to MNRRP.

Apollo - 16ish yr Anglo type gelding. This horse is not in the MNRRP program, he was an auction rescue. Aprox 15.2h, Apollo is a GORGEOUS bay with a huge white blaze. We don't know anything about his history, and he came to us severely underweight but he's proven to be extremely well broke. It's evident this horse was used for showing at some point. He has a lovely w-t-c and can also sidepass. He collects nicely and does the WP jog when asked. He can also extend. He lunges beautifully. My 12 yr old daughter was going to keep him, however he's proven to be a bit more horse than she likes. She's ridden him down the road, in the arena, and around the farm. He'd be suitable as an intermediate rider, as a lesson or 4H horse or for showing. He's still on the thin side but has a great appetite and should be back to normal very soon. He's ready to go to a home that will continue with his weight gain. He has no vices, is easy to handle, stands tied, and is super friendly. He does have a slight sway to his back but now that he's gaining weight and muscle on his topline he doesn't look so bad anymore. Asking $500

Updated!!! Available horses.... and oh, our website is down!

2011-08-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

It's rediculous how little time I have. It's 7am on my only day off and I'm attempting to update this blog. 14 horses, a mini donkey, a goat, 2 kittens, 2 dogs, and a baby turtle are (not so) patiently waiting for their breakfast. There is much to do around the farm. The pastures need to be de-weeded and new fence needs to be put up. It's also time to start finding homes for our program horses. In the midst of this, our website is down and inactive. Our hosting site was financially ridiculous and did nothing for us. I am not sure when I will be constructing a new site; however, I will make updates here until that happens. I've had some people ask if we still exist.... I can assure you, we are still here.... and VERY active.

We currently have 8 horses in our program, a record for us. Some are trail broke, some need a little time off, some just need someone to love them. Of course, there is a shortage on tall, sound geldings..... which seems to be what everyone is looking for at the moment. With most of these horses, the adoption fee is being waived, with a suggestion of a small, reasonable donation to the program.

I will have a detailed list posted later today with updated photos. Stay tuned.

Warren's Hawk - Are you paying attention????????

2011-06-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously someone will get an awesome horse here! Warren's Hawk ran his last race 6/23 at Canterbury and is now ready for a new home.

$500 for this TALL, young, talented gelding.

Call Annie at 612-384-6908 to schedule an appointment to view him. Bring cash and a trailer and you could find yourself getting an even better deal!

Here is video of Warren's Hawk coming back from his last race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W69ISLnEURI

Available Horses!

2011-06-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

MNRRP is fortunate to work with a number of trainers on the backside of Canterbury Park. Currently we have a list of a few horses that are available. Some will race their last race this weekend and retire. Some are ready now.

A few things to keep in mind about these horses:
1) They are NOT to be raced again. Their jockey club papers will be stamped DO NOT RACE.
2) These horses have been briefly observed by our vet for any obvious issues, however they have not been thoroughly evaluated, xrayed, or given pre-purchase exams. If desired, this will be at the cost of the buyer. The owner/trainer or MNRRP does not/will not assume financial responsibility. You may set up a PPE with a vet of your choice or you may use ours if desired. These horses are being placed/sold "AS-IS".
3) You will not be able to "test ride" the horse. These horses are currently at the track and some are still in race training. You will be able to watch the horse trot out, or possibly arrange to watch it gallop on the track during morning works.
4) Trainers are extremely busy. Please be curteous to their schedules.
5) Some of these horses will be racing this weekend. There is a good chance they will come back sore. Be prepared to give adequate time off, away from the track before you begin retraining.
6) Cash talks - If seriously interested, it is encouraged to bring cash and a trailer. Each day the horse is in the trainer's stable, it's costing them money. Do not ask the trainer to hold a horse for you. Come prepared to look and buy if you find something you like.

All appointements and viewings for these horses will go through a MNRRP representitive. Please call Annie at 612-384-6908 to schedule a showing. I have photos of all horses however Blogger is not allowing me to upload at this time. Check back later.

~~WARRENS GOOD STORM~~
~~2008 Bay Colt (not gelded). Aprox 15.2h, very quiet and easy to handle. 7 starts, 1 win. Earned just over $10K.Would make a nice recreational riding horse once gelded and rehabbed.~~

WARRENS HAWK
2008 Bay gelding. Aprox 16.1h, Cute, animated trot. 4 starts, unplaced. Racing Thursday 6/23, 4th race. Nice, big, correct gelding with a lot of potential. Slightly off on LF at trot.

~~GUNNISON~~
~~2006 Grey gelding. Aprox 15.2h. Nice build, very calm and easy to handle. Straight legs, nice feet. Cute, sound trot. 4 starts, unplaced.~~
SONNYS TORNADO
2006 Brown gelding. Aprox 16h. Nice horse to be around, good conformation. 21 starts, 1 win earnings of $48,550.

~~FLOWER IN THE BREEZE~~
2008 Chestnut filly. Aprox 16.2h and very sweet. Sired by Trippi. Excellent broodmare prospect! Nice trot with a lot of hock action. Looked fairly sound. 3 starts, unplaced. Racing Friday 6/24 in the 7th race.

DIXIE DOT CHANCE
2004 Brown mare. Aprox 16h with a nice build. Flat kneed trot with hock action. Really nice gelding that according to his groom "does nothing wrong". 38 starts, 1 win. Earnings of $32,013. Racing Friday 6/24 in the 4th race.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

IMPRESS CACHE
20yr retired TB racehorse & broodmare. Sound, sweet and friendly. This horse is pretty lucky and has a great story. Just needs a home where she will be safe and loved.

CLO JO
20 yr retired Standardbred pacing mare. Dead broke family horse. Broke for ANYONE! Sweet, easy to handle. Buddies up with other horses and is a hard keeper. Needs grain 2 x daily. Awesome horse and GORGEOUS!!!

BAILEY ROAD
6 yr retired TB racehorse. Knee chips, muscle atrophy in hindquarters but really a nice gelding to have around. Sound for light riding and kids currently ride him in the arena. A bit buddy sour but easy to handle. Currently the program's mascot and available to a special home only.

LUCKY DUCKY
2002 stunning bay gelding. Retired TB racehorse ready for jumping career. This horse is awesome and I cannot say enough about him. Great personality, easy to handle and restarted over jumps. Currently jumping over 3'. Sound and ready to go. aprox 15.3. Contact Jennifer Selvig at 612-205-6789

TWISTER
2011 brown TB colt. Gorgeous and really sweet. Leads well and is really quiet. Born with a crooked leg and will be for recreational riding only when older. Corrective trimming will help some but he will always be slightly toed out in front.

Spring hay drive!!!

2011-04-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

MNRRP SPRING HAY DRIVE

We are running low on hay and racing season is quickly approaching!

If you support our efforts and believe in our cause, please consider donating. $4.50 covers one bale of hay so anything helps. We are a 501(c)3 organization and your donation is tax deductible. We'd also be more than happy to accept actual hay donations.

To help you can:

Send your donation online via paypal - http://www.paypal.com/ using email address donations@paypal.com
Make your check out to MNRRP mail to Annie Ringwelski - MNRRP 925 Alysheba Rd, Mailbox 323, Shakopee, MN 55379
Contact us at retiredracehorses@yahoo.com for hay drop off locations.

Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project relies solely on donations and 100% of funds go directly back into the program to support the horses. Please help us continue to give these wonderful athletes a second chance!

Springtime at the Minnesota Retired..... YAK... program?

2011-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today the thermometer near the fire station in Elko read 62. Sunny skies with a nice breeze. Ahhh spring is here.... finally. After what seemed like an unusually long (and very trying) winter it felt nice to be in a tee shirt. Although I am extremely happy with the warmer weather, I am not so thrilled with the thawing and the mud that comes with it. After battling a flooded barn for nearly a month, it was time to finally get down to digging out. The two inches of water that had covered the entire floor of the barn left a disaster of ruined hay, shavings, feed bags, supplies and 4 saturated stalls. Overall we lost nearly $250 in this flood, pale in comparison to the devastation caused by Japan's tsunami, but unfortunate nonetheless. As a struggling non profit organization, every penny counts for us and $250 leaves a substantial hole.

In addition to the springtime thawing and mud come the shedding horses. You can brush a horse for an hour with a shedding blade and still be pulling off the same amount of hair as when you began. I do believe today I collected enough hair to make myself a fully insulated parka and snowmobile suit. I sure wish there was a market for that - with 8 horses I'd have that cornered.

Anyway you look at it, the horses look goofy. One mare of ours in particular resembles more of a yak rather than a Thoroughbred. She is currently available for adoption if anyone is interested.

I did do a bit of research on yaks and found them to be very interesting creatures. For example:

You can go Yakback riding

You can pack your yak

You can have a yaksack race

You can buy matching yak tack

You can have an attack yak

You can race at the local yak track

And you can go to a yak rodeo

I think with the versatility of the yak, I may be on to something here. That said, I'm done yakking. (sorry, I couldn't help it)

MNRRP at the Minnesota Horse Expo

2011-04-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

April 29, 30, & May 1

Minnesota State Fair Grounds

MN Horse Expo website

If you live in Minnesota or the surrounding area and plan on attending the Minnesota Horse Expo, make sure to stop by and see us. Instead of having a booth this year, we will be bringing three horses and representing both MNRRP and the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association. In addition we will also be speaking each day at 2pm at the new venue in the cattle barn.

The three horses accompanying us are all MNRRP alumni. Bailey Road, Lucky Ducky, and Cinnaminst. All three have raced at Canterbury Park within the past few years and have been transitioned into new careers. We will be exhibiting in the breed demonstrations daily, sporting English, Western, and Racing tack. We are really striving to promote the versatility of the Thoroughbred.

If you haven't experienced the MN Horse Expo, I strongly suggest it. Imagine three entire days devoted to nothing but horses. Vendors, demos, speakers, a tack swap, and a rodeo.... oh and don't forget the fair food. Yep, corn dogs and cheese curds! You seriously cannot beat that.

If you have adopted a Thoroughbred from us in the past and have an interest in exhibiting at the Expo, it's not too late. Contact us for details at retiredracehorses@yahoo.com . You will need to pay for your own stalls and care for your own horse. This would be a great way to promote your discipline, our program, and Minnesota Thoroughbreds. If you cannot exhibit, please email us a short story along with photos of you and your adopted horse in their new vocation. Weather it be polo, trail riding, dressage, or pasture pet - we'd love to highlight you.

Make sure to check out the link to the expo website, (You'll find us on the last page of the speakers)
See you at the expo!!!

Embrace Techonlogy!

2011-04-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

This past week I've found myself without a computer. The laptop I was using was 6 years old and well past it's life expectancy. After many months of intermittent grinding, it finally died, taking all my photos, documents and contacts along with it. My life seemed to come to a screeching halt. A field trip to Best Buy and a visit with the Geek Squad informed me that I could pay $350 minimum to fix the hard drive and $100 for a data retrieval. Fantastic!

I decided to purchase a new laptop and retrieve data at a later date. Of course I couldn't seem to just pick a computer... I had to shop around, compare prices and performance. Each day that went buy I'd panic thinking of unanswered emails, horses that needed to be placed, bills that need to be paid online etc. FINALLY I couldn't stand it anymore, I broke down and bought a laptop. It's nothing fancy - I went with a larger memory and a slower processor - after all in this economic time I would fall under the category of "horse poor".

So now I'm back up and running. There is so much going on and a lot of news!. I hope to post again tomorrow and share. Stay tuned!

Q&A - Importance of registration papers

2011-03-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

A conversation between a previous adopter and I sparked today's topic regarding registration papers for retired racehorses. This is not the first time this has come up and I'm sure it won't be the last. So below are a few questions I've seen over the past couple years. I hope you find them helpful.

Q) I need my adopted TB's Jockey Club papers so I can compete in horse shows.
A) Currently there are no breed specific shows for Thoroughbreds that would require JC papers in order to compete.

Q) Does the value of my retired racehorse decrease because I do not have JC papers?
A) No. If your horse has raced or has been in race training he or she has a tattoo. The tattoo is specific to that horse and is traceable via the Jockey Club website and is proof the horse is registered.

Q) I need to transfer ownership into my name. If I don't have the papers how is this possible?
A) The Jockey Club does not track ownership like other breed associations do. You don't send in a fee with the information and get the papers back in your name. If you do have JC papers on your horse, a signature on the back is all that is required.

Q) Why was I not given the registration papers when I adopted my retired racehorse?
A) Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project retains ownership of the horse for a period of six months. After that time, if we were provided papers they will be given to the adopter. Many times we are not given the papers as the trainers want to insure the horse is not raced again.

Q) If I really want a copy of my retired racehorse's Jockey Club papers how can I go about getting them?
A) You can request a copy of your horse's papers via the Jockey Club website. You will need a bill of sale or contract and will be required to pay a fee.

Q) When would I need my retired racehorse's Jockey Club papers?
A) You would need Jockey Club papers and a bill of sale in order to race or breed your horse.

So as you can see, registration papers for a retired racehorse adopted from us are obsolete. I too used to think a piece of paper made the horse more valuable, as you can track bloodlines, compete in breed shows etc. With the Jockey Club providing free tattoo research, proof the horse is registered is at your fingertips. If you are planning on selling it all boils down to educating the buyer.

Day 7...... I'm building an ark.

2011-03-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

We are going on day 7 with no access to water via the pump in the barn. I found it broken upon my return from vacation and have been hauling buckets from the house ever since. The barn and the pastures are rented and luckily the house is currently unoccupied so I am able to use faucet in the bathroom tub to fill each bucket. There are two 100 gallon water tanks in the pastures along with the 40 gallon tank in the barn for the small critters. The house sits a good distance from the barn - the driveway and yard, due to the alternating freezing and thawing, now resemble an Olympic size ice rink. This makes the journey to get water entertaining to say the least. On more than one occasion I've found myself flat on the ice covered in water. I'm fairly certain I can hear the horses laughing.

In addition, the barn is flooded. I've tried to keep up with the water and the ice but it's been a daunting task. Shoveling water into buckets and hauling them out of the barn is time consuming and tends to get a bit disheartening when the water seems to collect as fast as it is removed. When the ice and snow thaws, there is literally a river running through the back of the barn. A small crack in the foundation allows the water to continue into the pasture however if that gets clogged or freezes, the water backs up and floods the barn. In places it's a few inches deep. Our four stalls are now useless and the goat, donkey, and miniature horse are living in the isle. I cannot say I will be disappointed when our lease is up. In the mean time I'm seriously considering building an ark.

Ahhhh Vacation....

2011-03-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

So sorry for slacking on the posts as of late. I was on a much needed vacation. Although I had grand plans of not seeing ONE horse while away, I ended up spending quite a bit of time with them and actually enjoying it. Seems I just cannot stay away from them no matter how hard I try. It is, however, much different when they are not your own and you don't have things to worry about like flooded barns, broken water pumps, frozen hoses, empty water tanks, hay shortages, and manure management. (I never expected to feel so refreshed not having to worry about horse poop).

For those who didn't know, I escaped the frozen tundra of Minnesota for seventy degree New Mexico. Albuquerque to be exact. It was a spur of the moment decision to visit someone I hadn't seen in many years. Although I missed my daughter and maybe Matilda the mini donkey, I must say I did not want to come back. It was sunny every day and I reluctantly returned sporting a killer farmer's tan. Albuquerque was amazing. I enjoyed nearly every minute, climbing around mountains, basking in the sunshine, and tossing rocks in the Rio Grande. I enjoyed the adobe architecture and the cultural history and I love the fact you can have horses in your own back yard. Nothing like Scott County Minnesota's stuffy zoning restrictions. I could appreciate the unique beauty of the desert combined with the towering Sandias Mountains. The company wasn't bad either.

While on vacation, I also took the time to drive up to Denver for a couple days to visit friends. We rented horses and plodded along through the Garden of the Gods. It was relaxing to hop on an old, deadbroke trail horse and not have to worry about what was hiding behind the next rock waiting to eat him. A refreshing break, and quite the difference from riding off-the-track Thoroughbreds.

So now I'm back to the snow and cold, broken water pumps, frozen hoses, flooded barns, empty water tanks, hay shortages, and yes.... poop.

Welcome home!

Enchanting Colors....

2011-02-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

Enchanting Colors Nov 2010

We currently have a really nice mare available for adoption. We've had her since November and we found her in the kill pen at a local auction. She was emaciated and about a 2 on the Henneke scale. You could easily see her hip bones, ribs and spine. We outbid the kill buyer, took her home and fattened her up. We researched her tattoo and found her name to be Enchanting Colors a 12 year old Thoroughbred mare. She raced twice, winning a $132 then retired to be a broodmare. We were told by the previous owner that there was something seriously wrong with the mare because she just couldn't gain weight. She was kept around for the sake of her foal, then discarded at the auction. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this mare. She ate well and gained weight fairly fast. Within a couple months she started to look like a horse again. We did nothing special with her, other than in the beginning she was fed three small meals daily. She's now borderline fat and thrives on a round bale and one graining per day. We aren't here to pass judgement, we are here to help the horses. Sometimes it's difficult, as I am a very opinionated person and I get tired of hearing the excuses and watching the horses suffer.

Enchanting Colors Feb 2011

The mare, affectionately named Leia, is 100% sound, healthy, and ready for a new home. She is extremely sweet and easy to handle. She has great ground manners and loves to be brushed and doted over. She stands great in cross ties and stands quiet for saddling, bridling and mounting. She lunges well and we've had her under saddle a few times now. Leia will need an experienced rider/trainer to continue her progress. She's a sensitive mare but will be easy to re-train. She has lovely movement and could excel as a hunter. She stands about 15.2h and has a really nice build. Her placement fee is $400.

If you are interested, or know anyone who is, please contact us at 612-384-6908. This mare deserves her own, loving owner where she can be spoiled and have a job. It really is such a waste for a horse of her potential to just sit idle in our pasture.

Enchanting Colors under saddle

Enchanting Colors

Photo Thursday...

2011-02-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

Since yesterday's blog left me in tears, I thought I'd share some recent photos from around the farm. These animals always make me smile, no matter how bad things seem to be. I'm so blessed to have them in my life and if I can give them back a fraction of the happiness they have given me, my job has been done.

Enjoy....

Enchanting Colors "Leia"

River and Daria Snoozing in the sunshine

Matilda the miniature donkey and Sox

Impress Cache and Solitary River

Distel Dancer with cat crew and Bailey the goat

Clo Jo "Noelle" with Sox the cat

Impress Cache enjoying a roll

Goodbye is never easy.....

2011-02-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Today we said goodbye to Fella's Flash, a 20 year old Standardbred we found at the feedlot. We never got a chance to get to know Fella. Apart from our brief meeting at the lot, glancing at his tattoo, admiring the knee that was the size of his head, and giving him a few pats, that was the extent of it. It was heartbreaking to watch him limp around. It was obvious he was in pain. We talked amongst ourselves, wishing we had enough money to buy him and have him humanely euthanized. It didn't seem there was anything we could do for the sweet 17+ hand giant of a horse except say a little prayer. Having just made a plea to help raise funds for the old TB broodmare, we didn't feel it was appropriate to ask again for the Standardbred. Luckily a few individuals were touched by his story and donated to his cause. At twenty cents per pound, the cost to spring his 1290 pound body was going to exhaust our budget even with the few donations we received. After all, not only did we have to pay his bail, we also had to consider the cost of euthanasia and disposal.

After making a few calls, Dr. Jen informed us the Pony Club graciously offered to donate the cost of the euthanasia. In return, Dr. Jen was going to use Fella's legs for educational purposes. A win-win situation. We decided it was important for Fella to have a dignified death. After winning his owners money on the track, providing a lifetime of service to humans (he still had a nail in his overgrown hoof) and ultimately being tossed in the trash, this gelding needed to know someone cared enough to at least give him that.

Fella enjoying his last meal

We picked Fella up at the feedlot this afternoon and went straight to the clinic. Kate gave him a delicious mash filled with yummy treats and we gave him lots of pats, scratches and hugs. As he was given a sedative, we told him what a good boy he was and how beautiful he was going to look once he crossed over the rainbow bridge. Dr. Jen administered the injection and he peacefully slipped away surrounded by people who loved him. Fella would never have to feel pain again. Although he briefly touched our lives, I know I will never forget him. After it was all over, I cut a lock of his tail and after braiding, it will hang in a shadowbox at the barn with his picture and a plaque that reads:

Fella's Flash

Standardbred Gelding

8/16/91 - 2/16/11

Goodbye sweet Fella - may you soar on wings of eagles.

There are no coincidences...

2011-02-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I posted about taking chances and about how we sadly had to pass on an older TB mare at the auction due to budget constraints. Who knew this mare would keep resurfacing?

Jen Selvig, our Vice President, Consulting Vet, and accomplished three day eventer, has always dreamed of having a beautiful grey Arabian for trail riding. Although she will probably smack me for outing her, that's really where the story of this mare continues. As it happened, the most beautiful grey Arabian I had ever seen was run through that same auction and was picked up by the same dealer as the TB mare. I couldn't stop thinking of this grey Arab and thought he'd be perfect for Jen. So after some convincing, we took a chance and headed to the feedlot on Sunday in attempt to track him down. While at the feedlot I recognized the TB mare from the auction, took some photos and gave her a few treats. We trotted her for soundness and glanced her over. We took note of her posty back legs and her thin and unconditioned coat. We wrote down her tattoo number in attempt to see who she was, even knowing at that point, really there was nothing we could do. Our funding is so limited and we had just taken in the grey.

TB mare loaded in the trailer

As we pondered the grey Arab, we shuffled around the barn and watched the activities. A large triple axle stock trailer backed up to the barn and they began weighing and loading horses. Oklahoma bound first, then Mexico we were told. We were also given a lesson on how market horses, also known as slaughter horses, were rated. Much like cattle they have different grades. We were told stock breeds were most desirable, followed by lighter breeds, then Thoroughbred types and finally drafts. We then watched as the TB mare was loaded along with many, many others. We watched her slip on the scale and nearly go down as they were yelling for the others to keep loading. I could see the mare's head in the trailer, recognizable by her star and blue halter. I walked up to the trailer, scratched her forehead, told her I was sorry and wished her luck. I said a small prayer for her and walked away. Jen and I posted bail for the grey Arabian and left. My 12 year old daughter had tears in her eyes.

Monday afternoon we had planned on picking up the grey. Colleen Foley, our Secretary and friend Kate Jensen joined us. Upon our arrival we were amazed to find nearly all of the horses were gone. I never got a head count, but I would guess there was at least 40-50 horses the day before. In the east pen, in a cluster of about 10 horses was the mare - same star, same blue halter, same hip number. For whatever reason she had been unloaded, along with a couple other horses I had seen head up the ramp and into the trailer. Why was this mare still there? Why was her life spared when she was already loaded and ready to head south? Call me crazy, I do believe in signs and I do believe there are no coincidences in life. Everything happens for a reason and you are exactly where you are supposed to be - when you are supposed to be there. Were we brought back to this mare for a reason? I can see missing out on her once (the auction), maybe twice (Sunday at the feedlot) but three times?

There are no coincidences. Perhaps even though it is financially draining on us to have a collection of old broodmares, that is what we are meant to do at this point in time.

You can't save them all.....and taking chances

2011-02-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

Every month a local horse auction venue houses an all breed auction. MNRRP has frequented this auction over the winter, our slower season, in attempt to pick up ex racehorses who have fallen through the cracks. We've been rather successful as Leia, Dancer, and Noelle have all ran through this auction and are now happily munching hay in our pasture.

How do we decide who comes home and who doesn't? It's a fairly simple process. As funds and space are available we evaluate how many we can take in at the time of the auction and decide on a budget. Once that is established, we evaluate how many tattooed horses are at that particular auction. We take into consideration age, soundness, obvious injuries, temperment, and overall condition. We need to keep in mind which horses are going to be appealing to potential adopters. Having too many unbroke, elderly broodmares in our pasture isn't the best option for us as finding homes for them is nearly impossible even if we offer them with waived placement fees. Those pasture spots are then occupied for long periods of time. In theory, if they were relatively sound geldings or younger mares, they'd place into new homes faster, then freeing up a spot and allowing us to help another needy horse. I'm not saying we discount all older broodmares - we currently have three. It's just if given the choice to save a younger gelding with no soundness issues and could potenitally have a long career ahead of him or a 20 year old unbroke broodmare - to us the choice is obvious. It's a smart business decision and we cannot save them all.

We do believe every horse has worth. Sound, crippled, healthy, sick or otherwise. We do feel sympathy for those horses we have to pass on. We watch as they are sold as "market horses" and know what lies ahead for them. Trust me, it's difficult to envision any horse's life ending with a long, stressful trailer ride to Canada followed by a captive bolt to the head and ultimately winding up on someone's dinner plate overseas. It's tough and a lot of sleep is lost. I have learned over the many years of attending this auction, to not to take it personally. We have to be realistic and practical when attending these auctions and leave emotions at the door. Of course this does not always work as in the case of Leia. Leia was found at a recent auction, in the kill pen, severely emaciated. We felt sorry for her, took her home, fed her and she blossomed. She is 11 years old and a former broodmare - currently available for adoption. No, we can't save them all but it does matter to the ones we do.

Solitary River in the auction kill pen

Yesterday there were three horses that caught our eye at the auction. A big beefy 8 year old 16.2h gelding, a teenage bay TB mare that was led through, advertised as unbroke and had been a broodmare her entire life. And finally a big flea bitten grey mare. The gelding and the bay mare were in the main barn so it was easy to identify them as an ex racehorse by lifting their lip and seeing they had a tattoo. The grey was in the side barn tossed in with other loose horses, in the kill pen. They were all fighting and there was no way I could get in there to check if she even had a tattoo. She sure did look TBish and possibly bred. The black gelding ended up going for $625. He had been used as a ranch horse and was very well broke. The bay mare was less fortunate and went over our budget to a dealer. There was nothing we could do. I decided our last hope would be the grey mare in the kill pen. I was going to get her, TB or not. If she had a tattoo, she'd be a program horse. If not I would consider her a personal horse and use my own money for her bail and care. After a small bidding war with the dealer (we will not bid against general public) I was sold a grey mare, of unknown origin and breeding - not even knowing if she was halter broke. Fantastic!!! As it turned out I was able to walk in the pen with her after the sale, halter her and lead her out. As I flipped up her lip I was overjoyed to find a tattoo! I took a chance on her and won. She loaded up perfectly and settled in at our barn nicely. Her tattoo shows her name is Solitary River and she's 15 - a veteran racer and broodmare. No, we couldn't save the bay mare - but by taking a chance we we did make a difference in the life of one retired racehorse.

Welcome!

2011-02-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project's new blog! Here you will be able to keep up on the activities of the organization. We'll post photos, updates and news, share stories and provide educational information regarding life at the racetrack, adoption,retraining your ex racehorse. 2011 will be a big year for us and we hope you will join us in our journey.

The majority of the posting will be done by Director, Annie Ringwelski, who oversees daily operations of MNRRP. We will also include posts from Vice President, Dr. Jennifer Selvig and Secretary, Colleen Foley. We hope to include a variety of "guest posters" as well.

So thank you for taking the time to read our blog. Enjoy the posts!