Charlestown TB found in NJ Slaughter Pen

[GollyGee]

I got a call this AM letting me know a gray TB G from Charlestown was found in a ship to slaughter holding pen auction of a well know NJ dealer. The track and trainer/owner were notified of horses where abouts but don't know what transpired from there.

Also got a heads up that horses are being sent to a "Direct to Slaughter" shipping site in Lebanon PA bypassing the auctions.:sadsmile:

[DickHertz]

Your post is vague.

Can you please elaborate more on your points?

A call from who?

What trainers?

Horse's name?

Where in Lebanon, PA?
- I know there is a livestock auction every first Saturday of the month at Fredericksburg, Lebanon County which is right off of rt. 78. I wonder if that is where the horse is. I live right by there.

[GollyGee]

PM me if you want details

[Linny]

I'm curious too as a NY bred who I "knew" when he was in NY turned up at ac4h via a killpen. His last race was at Charles Town and I know who sent him there. A couple of phone calls and luckily he's on his way to his breeder's farm in Saratoga.

[Equinoxfox]

SO are you saying that they are now avoiding the auction and have established a new place to put these horses going to slaughter.? IF SO then that is just as dirty as can be and really something needs to be done . WHY are humans so damn stupid and greedy. what makes people do this to these animals. :mad:

[Laurierace]

That has been going on for years. For a while they were meeting at the 7-11 in New Holland to hand off the really bad horses that would have gotten them in trouble with the humane officer. Not sure if they are still doing that or meeting at the new location above.

[GollyGee]

With out incurring the wrath of the horse gods n goddesses.
We have to come to a concensus that is acceptable to the "Majority".
On what to do w/ the horses who will not can not be made into usefull citizens even as babysitter or pasture ornaments. There is a demand for horsemeat and the by products. But the shipping and ending of life process is just distasteful/disturbing/and barbaric. With that said. There is just not enough money and space for all/every race horse to retire and live life on a green pasture. But there are enough who can mentally and physically make it.
What if there were a way to acceptabley euthanize the horses who are past it, joints destroyed by steroid injections,broken down beyond redemption, minds gone from the stress and a host of chemical/heritary/human infkicted traumas. And take the fees for them to pay to house the horses who can enjoy their time painlessly. Let those who can't pay for those that can???
Its not that they are put down and rendered its the process that horrifies use all.
We humanly put or house pets down when they can no longer enjoy life and are suffering but in a means that is acceptable aesthetically.
How do we make this work where there is a benefit for all.

And to answer a question, don't know about the 7-11 but horses ship out in private rigs to a drop off point then go directly to a stockyard near Lebanon PA to shipped directly to Canada.
If Euthanasia were affordable and a crematorium affordable this might not happen.
I took a terminally sick horse to NBC and it was $1035. for 4 x-rays and euthanasia and disposal.
Private cremation is about $600. not including the hauler fees for an already dead horse.
what is the resolution?? Horses will breakdown and get hurt its physics.

[DickHertz]

The answer is to have a per fee start earmarked to the horse's welfare - this would include something from the jockey in each race, not just the owner, even if it's a $1 for the jocks. It's a tough way to make a living, but they do make their living riding on the backs of the horses.

The money would go toward funding the state vets to euthanize horses who are not adoptable and funding those who can until they are with their new home.

[Laurierace]

I have long been an advocate for low cost or even no cost euthanasia. Ideally it would be for horses that do not have a comfortable future ahead of them, but truly I don't have a problem with euthanising perfectly healthy, sound animals if a home can not be found. Its not my first choice, but its light years ahead of the current alternative.

[GollyGee]

Yeah and I expected to bashed for even daring to suggest such a idea.....now to get it pushed thru and the norm.
Problem is some trainers and owners will want the $$ for their pound of flesh.
But if people start to do this and it gets public acceptance than more will jump on board especially if they are lauded for their humanitarian efforts!!:D

[jengersnap]

Putting down the unwanteds after racing, be it a horse with moderate or severe injuries to nothing but slow, or simply unwanted, is basically what happens in Puerto Rico (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=3398860&campaign=rss&source=HORSEHeadlines) But when the news of this broke mainstream media this year around the time of Eight Bells' untimely demise, the same people often found crying for humane euthanization instead of auctions and slaughter are then the ones decrying how sick putting down healthy or rehabilitatable horses is. You really can't sit on both sides of the fence as they are basically the two alternatives right now for unwanted horses. There just are NOT enough homes out there, moreso with the economic problems we're experiancing. I don't buy the theory that there is no such thing as an unwanted horse...unless you include wanting them for the same reasons a farmer wants a big fat beef steer.

The question is, if we put our money where our mouths are and offer up a chunk of change industry wide to put down any horse an owner/trainer no longer wants to foot the bill for, no questions asked, will that improve the public image of racing? Will the greediest who see a couple hundred in meat really do the merciful thing and take the zero profit option? Will the general public, of which the majority have little horse experiance beyond petting noses or watching them from afar, really applaud racing for setting up a program that kills without discrimination, as such a program would have to do to be successful? I just don't know if that's plausible. But yes, it is probably necessary, should we want to see fewer racehorses end their lives by the pound. I'm just thinking it's not going to be as simple as it may seem as proposed on a horsey BB when the idea is pitched publically.

[Blueshadow]

This idea that there are inadequate resources within the industry to support the let down/rehab/placement of the useful, and possibly the humane euthanasia of those that are not, needs to be looked at carefully. Industry participants managed to spend 328 million on yearlings at Keeneland this year in a time of severe and international financial distress. Day rates at tracks in southern California range from 60 to 120 dollars excluding the larger veterinary bills. Great monthly room and board for a retired TB not one hour from any of the racetracks in southern California? Not more than $250.

If only there were a benevolent dictator to do some reallocating of the evident resources...

[GollyGee]

$250. is for basic care what about the farrier vet and those pesky maintence medications and we can't even give room for the mustangs to roam the range how much room is there realistically for the ever growing number of TB's or STB's who thru no fault of their own have been rendered to unsound or unstable mentally to be comfortable in a long retired state.
The few @ the top of the economic scale are not looking @ this issue and if the horses is a gelding who made them considerable money and fame those guys will find a green pasture. They are not the owners down in the trenches for $45.00 day or on 1/2 ownership deals w/ trainers @ CT MTnr or Penn.
Puerto Rico did not shock or upset me, they solved a problem they had no solution for except just what they are doing. There is virtually no Hunter Jumper,Dressage or 3-day after market let alone vast areas for turn-out and retirement care.

[Blueshadow]

Like I say - a benevolent dictator would resolve those inequities.

120/day paid by some doesn't include feet or medications either.

[cloudyandcallie]

I have long been an advocate for low cost or even no cost euthanasia. Ideally it would be for horses that do not have a comfortable future ahead of them, but truly I don't have a problem with euthanising perfectly healthy, sound animals if a home can not be found. Its not my first choice, but its light years ahead of the current alternative.

I agree. And regulation of breeding of horses/dogs/cats.
Our country which professes to be animal loving, disposes of old dogs/cats/horses like garbage, including horses who have won lots of $$, and mares that have produced foals that sold for lots of $$.

As soon as horses get old or unsound or barren, off to slaughter.
You'd think some of the money those horses earned for their owners would be used for their own retirement on farms, but it isn't often so.

[Laurierace]

I'll tell you what, when Pimlico closed I lost all my owners and therefore all my income. I seriously considered euthanizing my broodmare and my weanling and giving my show horse back to the rescue I adopted him from. I have way too much experience with horse rescue to trust what anybody says and couldn't bear the thought of someone else having a say in my horse's care. There are WAY worse things that death and I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them. Thankfully hubby worked out a way that I could keep them for now anyway, we'll see what the future brings. I am waiting for the huge vet bill from New Bolton for Ray Ray, but at least he is alive and well. Hopefully he will make enough money to pay for alll of them once he starts racing.

[cloudyandcallie]

?Did this grey TB get saved or did he go to slaughter?

[eventchic33]

Glad Ray Ray is better Laurie, Good luck with him!!

[GollyGee]

Gray was picked up by a rescue thats how this got started, they called JC found out his name/race record/owner and last start track. Called CT who pulled owner/trainer in but as now nothing has been done to O/T and doubt anything will. Horse was for sale on CANTER off grounds on a farm.But he is safe:).