An increasing number of owners and trainers represented by runners in this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup are pledging a percentage of any winnings to support New Vocations’ mission to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome retired racehorses. Over the course of the last seven years, the Pledge has raised over $380,000, with all funds going to support the program’s aftercare efforts.
Anna Ford | newvocations.org
“WinStar Farm is happy to participate in the pledge again this year,” said Elliott Walden President and CEO of WinStar Farm. “We’ve worked with New Vocations for a while now because they believe in ensuring the top care and opportunities for a racehorse to have a second career. Aftercare is a very important topic, and I hope more owners and trainers will consider making a pledge.”
A total of 42 contenders have their owners and/or trainers pledging their support, including Good Samaritan, owned by China Horse Club, SF Bloodstock and WinStar Farm; and the amazing comeback mare Lady Eli owned by Head of Plains. Additional owners and trainers taking part in the Pledge are Al Shaqab Racing, Bob Baffert, Gary Barber, Donegal Racing, Michael Dubb, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Jay Em Ess Stable, Klaravich Stables, Sol Kumin, Let’s Go Stable, LNJ Foxwoods, Thomas Morley, Graham Motion, Doug O’Neill, Todd A. Pletcher, Joe Sharp, R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbreds Racing, Kathy Ritvo, SF Bloodstock, Sheep Pond Partners, David Simon, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Treadway Racing Stable, Jan Vandebos-Naify, Adam Wachtel, Dave Weaver, West Point Thoroughbreds Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC.
“We are truly blessed to have such a great list of owners and trainers who understand the importance of Thoroughbred aftercare,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Program Director. “Funds raised through the Pledge are vital as the number of horses needing our services continues to grow. The more money we raise, the more horses we can serve. The Pledge is a win-win situation for owners, trainers and the horses we all love so much.”
It’s Thursday, and Matt and I are finally headed home for a break. We are hoping to celebrate Christmas with our family. We have precious cargo with us once again, and Circle Bear, Princess and Leeanna are all special needs babies.
Circle Bear, shown above, was severely underweight and barely hanging on. The severe weather is extremely hard on these little ones and he was by himself. We don’t know where Mom is, but it was life and death for him so we brought him in. He has pneumonia, so please send lots of prayers.
Princess is on the left, and she is recovering from a coyote attack. I know all of us with horse kids have to worry about those beautiful little hunters. It is so hard as the coyotes are doing what comes naturally, but they do not mix well with baby horses. Princess is lucky, as her injuries could have been much worse, and she is hanging in there. She also has a cold and is feeling quite poorly.
Leeanna also has pneumonia. This winter has been brutal, and she also is severely underweight. Due to the severity of the weather, we made a temporary nursery inside the mobile home we were staying in.
The vet is hopeful they will recover, and they have been on meds and we are doing everything we can. I am so excited to get them home and into our nursery. These babies need lots and lots of prayers.
We are heading back to South Dakota after the New Year. As of now we are at the limit of 270 horses allowed to be adopted out per the court order. Matt and I still have to pick up ones that we have adopted but not yet brought home.
On a sad note, Princess Big Girl passed away. She was in labor, (yes she was pregnant and I cannot believe anyone would have bred her. arghhh). She was doing well, all her tests were good and the vet was giving her a bit of peace and quiet. He returned and she was gone. Later that night Lee had a dream she said was the best and saddest ever. Princess and her baby came to Lee and told her how sorry they were to leave, but because Lee loved her so much she could go, and that they would be waiting for her and see her again.
Due to the severity of Lee’s burns, there is a need for another therapy horse asap. Elaine Nash and Fleet of Angels have come up with several options, and I told Lee that Big Girl was sending her a new horse to do her stretches with so she wouldn’t feel guilty about loving a new horse.
Matt took the last load of horses to NV and on his way back the front end of the truck had some serious issues. Another $5,000 repair bill, but she is running perfectly and once again, God made sure we were in a safe place. :)
It’s been an intense year and I want to thank each and every one of you for being part of Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang. Thank you and God bless!
Where to begin. Matt and I were supposed to head back to NV together to take horses home, but the reality was I needed to stay so we could load out horses as time was running out. I am glad I stayed, as we have been successful in getting horse kids out, and every single one of them is a life saved.
The horses were scheduled to be taken to auction today and tomorrow and at the last minute we were given more time to keep up the adoptions. So I get to go home for Christmas but have been scheduled to be back sorting and loading up horses after the first of the new year.
Since my last update, the truck was in the shop for a new water pump & repairs to the tune of $1200 +. Matt left about a week ago to head back to NV and bring a load of horses to Chilly Pepper. While on his way back this morning, he heard some crunching and grinding noises, so he is once again sitting in the shop waiting for the truck to be repaired. Praying it won’t be too spendy, but we need it to be in good condition to safely tow the thousands of miles we are running. To date we have about 10,000 miles just on the ISPMB horses between running back and forth (Matt is on his 4th trip) and delivering some of the horses to their new homes. Unfortunately, we are seriously going to need a newer truck at some point. We have about 250,000 actual miles on this one, and she has been working hard for the horses. But prayers are much appreciated for safe travel.
We are a little over half way to meeting the $10,000 challenge. So many folks are helping to make sure we save as many lives as we can. Every penny is appreciated and put to good use. Although I can’t wait to go home, and weather conditions are just getting colder and we have another “blizzard” coming our way, we will continue to load out trailers and sort whatever we can.
We also have 3 little ones in the trailer who need some special care. One was attacked by a coyote, so please send prayers for these kids too.
All I can say is Thank You and God Bless everyone who is helping in any way. Prayers are so appreciated, as it is heartbreaking beyond measure watching these horses and knowing we may not be able to save them all. Obviously financial donations keep us able to pay for help at home while we are gone and to keep doing what we need to do.
Honestly I am praying for such a huge break once this is finally over. Not looking forward to coming back to sorting in blizzard conditions, but whatever we can do to finish out what we started will be done. At least we will all know that together, we gave it absolutely every single thing we could, and saved each and every horse we could. Thank you so much for that.
I know so many folks have already donated and we are so blessed to be able to save these horses. However, as we are a little over half way there, and when an Angel steps up and offers to match up to $10,000, I want to keep y’all updated. God bless and please send prayers for safe travel.
Please keep praying for safety, strength, warmer weather and a miracle. I know miracles can happen, and we truly need one. It seems like we keep getting new kids to take home, including these 3 little ones. Winter here is harsh and can be extremely hard on the little ones. So as usual, everything changes minute to minute.
How does your doctor get to the clinic in the morning? A safe bet would be to say a car. Perhaps a bicycle for the health conscious doctor or public transit for the urban doctor. In Haiti this past November, a mobile medical team from B.C. with Heart to Heart Haiti used 22 motorcycles and four donkeys to get to their patients. Now that paints a picture of how hard it is to access medicine for some rural populations.
“We did some serious off-roading as we climbed the mountain,” wrote Rebecca, the organizer.
The path had been damaged by Hurricane Matthew in October making it even worse than usual. On the day of the clinic in Tetbef, the donkeys were packed at 4:30 a.m. and ready to take the supplies, including three Humanitarian Medical Kits ( 2 for primary care and one Mother-Child Health Kit) provided by Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC).
When the team arrived later in the morning, there were more people than they expected. In total 150 people were seen on this one day. Malaria, typhoid, respiratory tract infections and joint pain were mostly what brought them. Seven more clinics were held like this one and a total 1,396 patients were seen- more than half were children and the elderly.
“In Canada we can comfort our children and elderly with fever and pain management,” said Lauren Rose, a nurse on the team who submitted a report to HPIC. “This is not an option for 99% of the people we see here in Haiti.”
In each clinic they saw a lot of patients with fever. “We treated these patients and it is probable that death by sepsis, malaria or typhoid was prevented,” she reported to HPIC. The Humanitarian Medical Kits are always “an essential core item” for their trips to Haiti.
Photo: Courtesy Down the Stretch Ranch Richard Monaco, a Vietnam War veteran, rides retired Thoroughbred Gal Has to Like it just outside Down the Stretch Ranch in Creston, Wash.
Mark Moran found himself in the Del Mar paddock for the first time on the second weekend of November—cane, wooden leg, eye patch, and all. It was on his bucket list.
The trip south from his home in Washington state was a gift of sorts from his cousin, Boone McCanna.
Moran, 66, is riddled with cancer—untreatable adenoid cystic carcinoma—but he’s not overly concerned.
“I’m going to live until I die,” Moran says. “I should have died in Vietnam, and I’ve had 47 years since then, had a family—six grandkids—and I’m grateful every day.”
Those 47 years have been bearable, at least in part, because of horses. After an explosion took his leg in Vietnam in 1969, nothing helped quite like grooming and hotwalking Thoroughbreds for his uncle and Boone’s father, trainer Dan McCanna, at Playfair Race Course in Spokane, Wash. There were no more thoughts of the horrors of war, just the horses.
“You build trust with those horses,” Moran says. “They all have their personalities and if you treat them good, they treat you good. It takes a lot of worry out of your mind. It’s hard to put into words. It helped me calm my brain, to just feel like I was connected to something.
“If you’re working, you have dignity in this life. Grooming and mucking stalls—some people might look down on that, but it gave me dignity.”
Moran isn’t just Boone’s cousin.
“He’s always been my inspiration,” Boone says. “He was (6-foot-3)—just a stud—and he gets blown up over there. His whole body is a scar. I got to play college football and he never did, but he never complained about anything. Not one complaint.”
No complaints, but there was pain. Still Boone, now 52, saw it first-hand decades ago—the impact horses had on his cousin.
“The horses were magic to him,” Boone says of Moran’s struggles with post traumatic stress disorder, a plague upon veterans old and young to this day.
That experience, watching his cousin change with equine aura, provided the spark. If it worked for Moran, it could work for others. Years later, that spark has blossomed into a reality—Down the Stretch Ranch.
There’s always physical work to be done on the 220-acre spread in Creston, Wash., about an hour drive west of Spokane, but the real progress comes during the weekends.
Down the Stretch Ranch isn’t just a home for retired racehorses. Like a coupled entry, horses and veterans are 1 and 1A.
Boone got Richard Monaco up on Gal Has to Like It and couldn’t wipe the smile off the former B-52 Bomber crew chief, who served three tours during the Vietnam War.
“When I put him on that horse, everything just changed about him,” Boone says. “He didn’t know how to ride. I probably shouldn’t have done it. I’d been riding (Gal Has to Like It) for only six weeks, but I shoved him up there.”
When Monaco got off the stakes-placed gelding who earned $212,546 during his 29-race career, after trouncing through neighboring acres of wheat stubble surrounding Down the Stretch, the veteran was elated.
“If you could bottle the way I feel right now, I wouldn’t have to take the drugs from the VA,” Monaco says.
Monaco has been through his share of physical trials. By his count he’s had open-heart surgery, underwent operations to repair his shoulder and wrist, and even sustained a stroke, but all that seems to drift away when he’s out with the horses.
“It takes your mind away from your pain and your problems. It cleanses your mind,” Monaco says. “Meds cover up everybody’s pain, but you can hug a horse. I’m not a therapist, but the horses are.”
Monaco has turned into a recruiter of sorts for Boone’s brainchild, passing out fliers and spreading the word at the local Veterans Affairs hospital. He brings in the veterans—like retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Buecher and his wife Jen (an Army Captain), who also brought their 13-year-old son with cerebral palsy—and Boone teaches them horsemanship.
“I finally found my niche again,” Monaco says. “There’s a lot of veterans who are alone, divorced, with health problems or homeless problems. You just see the sadness every day with them at the VA. This gives me a purpose.”
For each new guest at the ranch, before any riding starts, the process begins in a round pen. Boone lets a horse run around for a while until it is comfortable with the guest.
“They’ll stop to look at you and then put their head on your shoulder,” Boone says. “It’s all about trust.”
Boone needed a bit of therapy himself in April of 2015. In the same month, his mother died and Dennis Carr, the jockey he represented as an agent, suffered a severe head injury at Golden Gate Fields when one of his mounts reared wildly in the starting gate. Carr was thrown from the back of the gate and CT scans later revealed bleeding around his brain.
“All signs were pointing to home. I’ve gotta get out of California and start this thing,” says Boone, a Spokane native who played college football at the University of Idaho. “It really was some good therapy for me, too. Digging ditches does a lot for you.
“I’m still hustling. I’m not an agent, but I’m still hustling.”
Boone makes sure to tell each horse’s story. If a veteran comes to Down the Stretch Ranch, race replays from the past are part of getting to know the selected runner. Exit Stage Left, Roving Storm, Poker Brad, Nakiska, Warrens Wild Thing, Sandor, Trumpet Player Jay, Presenceofagenius—they all have a story.
It’s not happenstance that a connection is so often made between Thoroughbred and human. There is a parallel between the horses and the veterans.
“These horses are highly trained, great athletes, just like these guys, who are highly trained, specialized soldiers,” Boone says.
It’s almost cliché to say during turnouts or after retirement Thoroughbreds “learn to be a horse again,” but the sentiment is not off-base.
“Once these horses get out here, it takes them 6 to 8 months to get their breath and realize the pressure is off,” Boone says of the high-stress environment Thoroughbreds in training face on a daily basis. “They’re always asked to go. It has to put a pressure on them. You can see it in their eyes.
“Then, they become horses again. When you turn the pressure off—it really takes six months.”
Tim McCanna—Boone’s brother and a trainer with more than 2,000 wins—along with his wife Jan, provide a buffer for the retired horses at their farm in Yakima, Wash., before they’re moved to the ranch. Once they arrive at Down the Stretch, the retirees eventually assimilate to the herd, now around 25 in number, and break into hierarchical roles.
“I look out there and they establish their pecking order,” Boone says. “Every one in the field has made (thousands of dollars), but the pecking order is the highest earner all the way down. It blows me away.”
With time, the horses who have learned to become horses again provide that unique lesson to their human cohorts.
“They’re just like the veterans,” Monaco says, “who just need to learn how to be a person again.”
The work done to help veterans at Down the Stretch Ranch isn’t a hobby, or something to take up Boone and Dan McCanna’s time. Dan, Boone’s father, is the horseman of horsemen at ranch, often using his 60 years of experience to spot small injuries in the Thoroughbreds from as far as a quarter-mile away.
But it’s all for a common goal.
A recent study found, on average, 20 veterans commit suicide each day.
That fact inspired Boone to reach out to Jerry Hollendorfer. As a jockey agent in Washington and eventually in Northern California, Boone always had a good relationship with the Hall of Fame trainer, and once Boone retired to start Down the Stretch, Hollendorfer dove right in. Boone said Hollendorfer supplies much of the financial support for the ranch, along with close to half of the horses.
“The biggest part of the idea was (from) Boone, and I was just happy to be part of a good idea,” said Hollendorfer, who, along with his wife Janet, founded Down the Stretch with Boone. “We all have a connection to veterans. If I can give something back to the horses and to the people who fight for me to walk around here, then I’m happy to do that. These people go out there and put their lives on the line for me, and I’m astounded people do that.”
Moran, Boone’s cousin, calls those lost to suicide “the forgotten soldiers.”
“That’s what I think about,” Moran says. “That’s what we’re working for. We want to save them all, but if we save one, we’re doing good.
“When I got wounded and lost my leg, and a lot of my other leg, all I had to do was look at the hospital bed next to me. I’m all right. It’s not that bad, because look at that guy. Now, how can I help him?
“I never thought I was disabled. That’s the mindset I want to give these veterans. You’re not disabled. You went through these traumas and you survived it. You’re going to have these flashbacks and these dreams, and you’re going to live on.”
The quest to find more veterans who need help isn’t an easy one, but by word of mouth and through other channels, momentum is building.
“At one point, I was thinking ‘The guys coming out—they don’t seem like they’re that bad,'” Boone says, recalling a conversation he had with retired Col. Greg Allen.
“He told me, ‘It’s the guys that don’t come out that you need to get.’ I want to save a kid from hurting himself and give him some hope, and these horses seem to do it.”
As I sit here typing, the winds are howling. We have been working in pretty much blizzard conditions, with a wind chill well under 0. It is 3 degrees with the temperature at -20 with the wind chill at this time. More snow is expected in the next few days with even colder temperatures.
At this point Chilly Pepper will have pulled 41 horses, thanks to all the wonderful folks who are helping us save these horses. We are heading out on Friday with the first two trailer loads. With the severity of the weather conditions, we cannot safely sort for the next few days. More snow is expected and it is too icy for sorting. So we will head home and take care of a weather emergency at our own rescue, get the first batch of horses all set up and head back to South Dakota.
While enduring the stress of trying to save as many horses as we possibly can, while fighting through horrific weather, ice underfoot and slipping horses, God sent us another Angel. Because of her generous heart, we are able to bring the above mentioned horses home. Many of them are special needs, with many blind horses in the mix. This is part of what she told us in her email:
“Many non-profits encourage people to donate to a charity instead of buying gifts. Personally, I’m going to ask my friends and family that plan on buying my husband and/or I a gift to donate to your rescue.
SAVE A LIFE FOR CHRISTMAS!
You might also include… East Coast donor willing to give up to $10,000 to save Wild 800 Wild Horses! Matching dollar for dollar!”
I liked what she wrote, so I asked her if I could use it.
Many of the horses we are bringing home are special needs, and all of them would have been first in line to be sent down the “dead end road”… We are hoping we can get some sponsors for some of the blind ones. They deserve a wonderful life and since we already have to have a “blind horse playpen” for Shadow, it seemed like the right thing to do. We also have 12 Stallions, with one of them being blind as a bat, and another with a pretty tough medical issue with his leg. But critical care is what we do, so they are coming home for all the love and care we can provide.
I know so many folks have already donated and we are so blessed to be able to save these horses. However, when an Angel steps up and offers to match up to $10,000, well you can be sure I am putting it out there. God bless and please send prayers for safe travel.
Please keep praying for safety, strength, warmer weather and a miracle. I know miracles can happen, and we truly need one.
The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) released new policies and procedures for organizations wishing to host no- or low-cost gelding clinics through the Operation Gelding program. The new policies take effect Jan. 1, 2017, and applications for 2017 clinics are now being accepted.
The UHC voted in June 2016 to expand the Operation Gelding program by offering up to $100 per horse gelded. Program details are described in two new documents available on the UHC website. The How to Conduct a Clinic handbook is a resource guide to planning, running, and evaluating a clinic. It includes information about setting goals, creating a budget, recruiting veterinarians, marketing, post-event follow up, and tips from previous clinic organizers. The Funding Guidelines and Application Process document includes eligibility requirements, deadlines, and step-by-step application instructions.
“Organizations can choose between two levels of funding: $60 per horse or $100 per horse gelded,” said UHC Director Jennifer Purcell. “We are asking organizations at the $100 level to help us promote and evaluate the program by providing data and information that will clearly illustrate the outcomes of the program and the benefits to horses, owners, and communities.”
The Operation Gelding program provides materials, guidance, and support to organizations to host gelding clinics for owners who may not otherwise be able to afford to have their stallion castrated. A $100,000 grant awarded by the DeWitt Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County will result in the castration of hundreds of stallions with a goal of preventing unwanted horses nationwide.
Individuals and organizations interested in hosting a clinic should contact the UHC office at 202/737-7325 or uhc@horsecouncil.org, or they can visit the UHC website at unwantedhorsecoalition.org. Applications for gelding vouchers will be available in December.
Casablanca – Egypt has authorized the exportation of 10,000 donkeys to China and is on the verge of authorizing the exportation of dogs to Korea.
The General Authority for Veterinary Services at the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture has agreed to export 10,000 donkeys to Chinese drug companies.
According to Arabic-language news source, Alarabiya, the head of the General Authority for Veterinary Services, Ibrahim Mahrous, confirmed news of the agreement, adding that the exportation will conform to an Islamic ruling from Alazhar University of Islamic Studies. The ruling requires the donkeys to be exported alive and not slaughtered.
The sale of donkeys has grown profitable for Chinese sellers, with China’s supply of donkeys shrinking from 11 million to 6 million. The internal demand for donkeys has increased, and China is now seeking to import more donkeys from around the world.
Donkey hides are used in China to produce a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) known in China as ‘Ejiao’. This medicine is mainly prescribed for women who suffer from anemia, dry coughs or dizziness.
The same source adds that a Korean company made an offer to Egyptian authorities to import dogs. The Egyptian authorities are currently considering the offer as animal rights organizations have rejected the killing of stray dogs, a practice which has been growing lately.
In recent years, Congress has typically passed a tax extender bill to renew dozens of temporary or expiring tax provisions for individuals and businesses at the end of the year. One of these typically extend provisions was three-year depreciation of race horses. However, Congress has adjourned for the year without taking any action on a tax extender bill, allowing three-year deprecation of race horses and dozens of other tax provisions to expire.
From 2009 through 2016 all race horses could be depreciated over three years, regardless of when they were placed in service. This provision was passed in 2008 as part of a Farm Bill. The change, which eliminated the 7-year depreciation period for race horses and made all race horses eligible for three-year depreciation, expires at the end of 2016. Beginning in 2017, the pre-2009 rules will have to be used, meaning owners will have to decide whether to place a race horses in service at the end of its yearling year and depreciate it over 7 years or wait until it is over 2 (24 months and a day after foaling) and depreciate it over three years.
Congress took no action on a tax extenders bill because they hope to enact major tax reform legislation in the next Congress that would eliminate the need for many of the expiring provisions. Failure to pass the tax extender bill was not due to opposition to the three-year depreciation of race horses or any other specific tax provision.
The AHC will be closely monitoring the development of a tax reform bill and analyzing its potential impact on the horse industry.
In 2017, the American Horse Council (AHC) will begin offering three different internship programs available to both high school and college students. Students will be eligible to apply to one internship per year in the AHC Internship Program.
Also starting in 2017 is the addition of a Student Membership to the AHC Membership categories. The AHC felt it was important to continue the trend of being able to educate youth of the importance of the AHC in order to ensure the industry’s long-term sustainability. The internship opportunities being offered in 2017 are another way for students to understand exactly what it is the AHC does here in Washington, DC, and educate the next generation to advocate on behalf of the industry at the local, state or national level.
The three internships available are:
1 or 2 week shadowing program to gain a broader understanding of the AHC with a focus on expanding knowledge of equine industry and policymaking. Transportation and housing not included; stipend of $250 available to offset expenses. Open to high school and college students.
1 or 2 month internship- includes overview of AHC, student would conduct a research project and write a white paper on a specific topic of interest for academic credit. Transportation and housing not included; stipend of $500/month available to offset expenses. Open to college students.
Semester internship- includes overview of AHC, research project and white paper for academic credit and attendance at annual AHC meeting. Transportation and housing not included; Stipend of $500/month available to offset expenses. Open to college students.
The AHC’s encourages those that apply for the internships to also join at the Student membership level in order to get a fully rewarding experience. Students will be able to see the relationship between the work that the AHC does daily, and the ensuing information that gets shared with AHC members.
Please visit the AHC website for more details and to download the application form. If you have any questions, or would like more information about the internship program, please contact the AHC at info@horsecouncil.org
Thank you to all who have responded so generously to my previous newsletter request for donations.
Everything seems to happen at once…our tractor is in need of a new clutch, our invaluable “club car” is beginning to have the fall-aparts, and we are desperately in need of a building to house our ever growing supply of merchandise.
This time of year the animals all need more to eat and I am always worried about having enough hay on hand. We want to always be able to provide the veterinary care needed for all the animals here.
We had a very sad case that pointed up why a “cushion” is needed when we took in the sweet mammoth donkey named Daisy back in June.
This donkey was as sweet as the day is long and at approximately 17 years old, seemed to be in good shape. As many of you know, donkeys are very sensitive creatures. Daisy seemed to be doing well here at first, but a few days after her arrival I looked out one morning to see her standing off by herself. Donkeys are VERY stoic animals. They mask their discomfort very well. I knew that was not “normal” behavior for her. I checked her vitals, and all seemed in order, but I knew she was not feeling well so I made an appointment for our veterinarian to come out.
To make a long, sad story a bit shorter, after three days of multiple vet visits per day, it was determined that Daisy was suffering from a nasty colic and euthanasia was what was called for. That is NEVER an easy decision to make. Of course the mental and physical health of the animal in our care is paramount and ending Daisy’s suffering was the only humane alternative.
This is not only extremely hard on the heart…it is hard on the bank account as well. The sad reality of this line of work is that there will be times when an animal is going to pass away or need to be euthanized. There is the expense of veterinary care in hopes euthanasia will not be the outcome, but when it is, the story is not over as a hole still needs to be prepared and the animal placed in its resting place.
We treat occasions like this with the utmost respect and dignity for the animal. We want to always be able to do this.
This is one of the reasons I am here asking for your support once again. People often tell me how lucky I am to be in this line of work, which I agree, but it’s not something I do alone, I could not do it without your financial support. I thank you in advance for helping me once again.
November and December have proven to be rough months for the wild horses living in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Owyhee Complex in central Nevada. The BLM office in Washington D.C. even authorized the round up of 220 more horses than originally planned in this largest BLM roundup in two years. In total, 1,832 wild horses (704 studs, 773 mares, 355 foals) were captured within the Complex, and 1,430 of these beautiful mustangs were permanently removed from their homes on the range. At least 17 horses died in the roundup, and 402 were returned to the range.
The unreleased horses — more than 1,400 of them — were loaded onto semi trailers and trucked away from their high desert homeland to BLM’s holding pens near Reno, NV. These horses will never be free again. They — along with the nearly 46,000 other wild horses and burros warehoused in BLM holding facilites — face an uncertain fate.
AWHPC staff and prominent wild horse photographer Kimerlee Curyl were onsite at the round up last week. Check out our pictures, video and report on the roundup by clicking below.
This week Congress set to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to provide funding for the government until April 28, 2017. The CR is an extension of last year’s omnibus appropriations bill that originally expired September 30, but was extended to December 9th.
Congress normally should debate and approve several separate appropriation bills for each federal agency including those important to the horse industry like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior. However, Congress was unable to pass any individual FY 2017 appropriations bills.
The CR maintains current funding levels for all government agencies and programs including USDA, which is responsible for responding to contagious equine disease outbreaks and enforcing the Horse Protection Act. The CR also extends the language that prohibits USDA from using any funds to provide inspectors at meat processing facilities that slaughter horses, continuing a policy that began in 2005, except for a brief period in 2012 and 2013. No horse slaughter facilities are operating in the U.S. and this CR would prevent any such facility from opening until April 28, 2017.
The CR does not include an H-2B returning worker exemption. This provision was included in last year’s omnibus appropriation bill and exempted from the 66,000 cap on H-2B visas, workers who had complied with past visa requirements and worked in the program during one of the preceding three years. However, the bill does extend several beneficial provisions that make the H-2B program less burdensome for employers including:
A requirement that wages be based on the job category and experience level required, rather than an artificially inflated median wage;
Defines seasonal as ten months, as opposed to nine months;
Prevents the Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing the provisions of the 2015 H-2B rule related to corresponding employment and the ¾ guarantee of work days; and
Prevents DOL from implementing the new and burdensome DOL enforcement scheme in the 2015 H-2B rule related to audits and the Certifying Officer (CO) assisted recruitment.
The H-2B program is used by members of the horse industry, principally horse trainers and owners who cannot find American workers to fill semi-skilled jobs as grooms, exercise riders, and stable attendants at racetracks, horse shows, fairs and in similar non-agricultural activities.
The Virginia Range horse herd, managed by the Nevada Department of Agriculture, is believed to be the largest publicly owned horse herd currently remaining in the US. The horses are managed through the cooperative efforts of the department and various qualified non-profit horse groups. While the emphasis of this management is passive population control (fertility control,) horses do occasionally spread out into the outskirts of urban areas and onto busy highways. Those that present a clear and continuing danger to motorists, and that return to busy areas after relocation attempts, do have to be removed.
State law requires the Department to dispose of any horses that are not placed with in a proscribed time at the livestock sale. Therefore every effort is being made by all parties to get these horses placed.
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) has announced that 27 Thoroughbred aftercare organizations were awarded accreditation in 2016. The organizations include 19 reaccreditations and eight first-time accreditations. The TAA now has a network of 64 accredited organizations operating at more than 180 facilities across the United States and Canada.
Accreditation is awarded for a two-year period, after which organizations must reapply for accreditation. All organizations currently accredited by the TAA are eligible to receive financial grants to support the care of their Thoroughbreds. Grant applications are currently being reviewed, for grants to be awarded by the end of the calendar year.
The full list of all 64 TAA-accredited organizations can be found at thoroughbredaftercare.org. The 27 organizations that received accreditation this year are:
After the Races;
Bright Futures Farm;
CANTER Michigan;
Equestrian Inc.;
Equine Advocates;
Final Furlong;
Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program;
Friends of Ferdinand;
Galloping Out (Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Thoroughbred Rescue Fund);
Harmony and Hope Horse Haven;
Heaven Can Wait;
Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds;
Illinois Equine Humane Center;
Los Angeles Pet Rescue (Farralone Farms);
Oklahoma Thoroughbred Retirement Program;
Our Mims Retirement Haven;
Out Side In;
R.A.C.E. Fund;
Remember Me Rescue;
RVR Horse Rescue;
Second Chance Thoroughbreds;
Second Stride;
Square Peg Foundation;
The Foxie G Foundation;
Thoroughbred Athletes;
Tranquility Farm (The Harry A. Biszantz Memorial Center); and
War Horses at Rose Bower.
“The organizations accredited by the TAA represent the top echelon of aftercare services, ensuring that the horses retiring from racing are receiving the best possible care and opportunities to find new careers or retirements,” said Jimmy Bell, president of the TAA and Godolphin America.
All accredited organizations undergo a thorough application and inspection process prior to accreditation being awarded to ensure they meet the TAA’s Code of Standards covering five areas: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Site inspections are conducted at all facilities housing horses for each organization. On-going updates and reinspections are required of all organizations throughout the term of their accreditation.
WE DID IT! Thanks to you, we doubled our Giving Tuesday goal, raising $30,000 to Keep Wild Horses Wild and Free! This means that we secured the matching grant, so you doubled your money to support our work!
On behalf of the AWHPC Team, thank you for sharing the holiday spirit and making our Giving Tuesday campaign a huge success… We are honored that you are part of our herd!
Since November 2nd, the Bureau of Land Management has been conducting a costly helicopter roundup to capture and remove 1,100 wild horses from the Owyhee Complex in eastern Nevada. So far, 737 wild horses have been captured and, of those, 7 have died. The BLM has returned 193 horses to the range after treating mares with the PZP birth control vaccine. Hundreds of captured Owyhee horses have been shipped to the BLM’s Palomino Valley holding facility, where they languish in feedlot pens awaiting an uncertain fate.
AWHPC is currently pressuring the BLM to provide public observation during each day of the roundup. Currently the agency plans to restrict access to the final portion of the capture operation to just two days per week.
Despite the increase in mechanisation, donkeys are still well deserving of the name “beasts of burden”, as they play an important role in carrying loads in rural areas.
Zimbabweans need to change their attitudes towards donkeys and embrace the protection and care of the working animals, which have been at the centre of rural economic growth and development for decades, veterinary experts say.Animal and Wildlife Area Research and Rehabilitation (AWARE) director, Dr Keith Dutlow told Zimpapers Syndication at an event to open an education centre for children at the Lions Park in the capital that even though donkey usage is wide spread and extensively adopted in many communities across the country, their use has been masked in negative perceptions and attitudes.
“Donkeys play a significant role in the livelihoods of local communities especially in arid regions, where conditions are harsher. But our perceptions towards donkeys are still negative,” he said. “Those who use donkeys are seen by their peers in society as primitive, backward and people of low status. Even among the donkey owners and users, the donkey image is not to be held highly and as a result they abuse and mistreat them in the process of working the animals. We need to change our perceptions and appreciate the economic value of the working animals. Donkeys are a big asset to combat poverty and hardship in poor communities, and if you were to transfer the benefits — transport, draught power, hiring and all, this can run into thousands of dollars.”
It was 3 a.m., as I lay awake listening to the howling winds and blowing snow. So many little ones we had not been allowed to pull were out there with their families. There are no wind breaks or shelter, except the warmth of the families hunched together. Such frigid temperatures and icy slippery conditions weighed heavily on my heart. Were the babies ok?
It has been so intense here. So many victories with each and every horse we load into a trailer headed for safety and a new life. So much heartache when the stallions simply fly over the 6 foot panels while we are setting up to load them. At this point we have 4 stallions in one of the “stallion pens” and they are scheduled to come back to Chilly Pepper with Matt and I.
So far we have had the Paint Stallion penned up several times, but he stood straight up, and then simply launched himself over the panel. As he proudly ran away the tears filled my eyes. They have no idea what they are running into.
I wanted to thank everyone for the love and support. Matt and I will never be the same again. The heart break and agony we have experienced here, knowing we cannot save all of these horses is gut wrenching. It makes sleep nearly impossible and it is just too hard. But every time my phone dings and there is a donation or a message of support, (and God seems to know exactly when to send them lol), we receive more hope. No matter if it is a $2, $5 or $25 dollar donation, it shows us how many folks really love and care about these horses., and you have made it possible for us to save the ones we can.
The messages of love and support are incredible too. Although I had a lady tell me that folks are “tired of reading about all the sadness and emergencies”. At first I was a bit angry and I wanted to tell her “then don’t read them”. We do not create these “emergencies”, but when God puts them in front of us, we do our best to do what needs to be done.
We “accidentally” moved to Golconda, because if we went back to the 2 acres in CA, 13 adult horses would have gone to slaughter when y’all saved the Yakama 24. So moving to the trailer was the right thing to do, even though we didn’t have water in the trailer for 6 months (except a garden hose PTL), and it was a “tear down” dump.
Most of our stuff is still in CA and we haven’t even been able to move all the horses to NV. So you can be sure we are not enjoying all the emergencies. HOWEVER, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU who have stepped up with your love and support, we have saved an amazing number of God’s critters this year. So I am sorry if some folks are frustrated with all the “new emergencies”, but please understand that we are too.
There are two days left, and panic starts to set in. But you have to take a deep breath because you cannot sort a couple of hundred wild horses on ice if you are not calm and collected. There are many blind horses in the group we are working with these last two days and it makes it horrifically dangerous not only for them (as we have set up pens where they had open area before), but they will run right over you in a panic. The freezing, blowing ice cold winds do not help this situation. At times the snow is blowing so hard you cannot even see. It is icy and all of us are slipping and falling, but there is no time left to wait for good weather. So this is not something we ever want to experience again.
But I wanted to share at least a few pictures and videos of some of the horses you have saved. GOD BLESS YOU for each and every one we have gotten to safety.
We will keep fighting until the bitter end. When you look into their eyes when they are in the “safe pen”, the joy is immense. It is an amazing gift of life to each and every horse we pull for adoption. Please keep praying and know that we so appreciate the support that makes this possible.
We have had to hire a local “crew”, as Matt and I simply cannot move all these panels in the ice and snow and we have to have adequate folks to help us sort and load. The horses know something is up and their energy is high. So we always want to make sure everyone is safe first and foremost.
Matt and I need to make several trips back and forth to bring home the horses. We are saving 10 older horses which we will take back to Chilly Pepper, get them vetted, gelded if needed and get their little hoofers done. We want to thank Dianne Nelson for stepping up and taking these horses in to live the rest of their lives in peace. After they are feeling better, we will take them to the sanctuary.
Please keep praying for safety, strength, warmer weather and a miracle. I know miracles can happen, and we truly need one.
If you want to help You can go to You Caring – to help us keep saving lives and to give Shadow the life she deserves.
Just last week, to the nation’s surprise, Donald Trump won the presidential election with a promise to cut through political bureaucracy and give government back to the people. Now let’s ask President-Elect Trump to listen to the will of the American public, which overwhelmingly opposes horse slaughter and wants our wild horses and burros protected on our public lands.
Mr. Trump is asking for the citizens’ ideas on how to make America great again. Just click the link below to tell him. The stakes could not be higher — tens of thousands of wild horses are at risk of brutal slaughter — so please act today!
Craft your own message, or cut and paste this one: “Please save our American mustangs – living symbols of America’s greatness. It’s time to fix federal government mismanagement of wild horses and burros. These national icons deserve to be protected and humanely managed, not rounded up and brutally slaughtered.”
The following is an update from 
As I sit here typing, the winds are howling. We have been working in pretty much blizzard conditions, with a wind chill well under 0. It is 3 degrees with the temperature at -20 with the wind chill at this time. More snow is expected in the next few days with even colder temperatures.
The Virginia Range horse herd, managed by the Nevada Department of Agriculture, is believed to be the largest publicly owned horse herd currently remaining in the US. The horses are managed through the cooperative efforts of the department and various qualified non-profit horse groups. While the emphasis of this management is passive population control (fertility control,) horses do occasionally spread out into the outskirts of urban areas and onto busy highways. Those that present a clear and continuing danger to motorists, and that return to busy areas after relocation attempts, do have to be removed.
The following is an update from the