Cream Ridge, NJ – The Standardbreds on the manifest to ship for slaughter have one less day to get to safety. The Standardbred Retirement Foundation, (SRF) was told that once the ‘kill pen” owners draw blood to have a Coggins test done, they will not take any horses off the manifest. The pens are so full they are likely not willing to go back in and search for any particular horses. The deadline now is Monday, April 5, 2021 at 2 PM.
There are 16 still in great need of homes, fosters, and tax-deductible donations. Of them stands Zoom On Romeo who earned $120,000. This gentle gelding has legs that show the battles he has fought. There were several past owners on him and either all were not reached or none are helping him. This horse may need a place to live his life out with some dignity.
In addition to the list below, 6 are going to foster homes and will need permanent ones at some point, and 2 others have donations, but no homes. Past owners from as far as Australia are trying to help a couple of these desperate animals. They are so disturbed by the plight of these horses and said they never would have sold them to the states, had they known.
Most of these trotters and pacers raced, several served as broodmares and then spent their lives, like other Standardbreds, in the rural areas as work horses. There the care is usually lacking to a great degree, then they are sold and find themselves in this dire situation, used up as race horses, broodmares, and then as work horses.
SRF is facilitating home offers, fosters, and whatever it takes to get them safe.
Many of these horses are very hungry, emaciated, stoic. Some have old racing injuries, and others are suffering from overuse on the roads, plowing, and logging in the rural areas. With some food and good care, and a chance to rehabilitate, these horses, likely already under saddle, make wonderful riding horses, and companions. Information on their complete condition and experience is not information SRF is provided by the pens. Updates change quickly and are difficult to compile among the staff and volunteers who are working around the clock and remotely to help these horses.
Adding to the difficulty in helping these horses, the United States Trotting Association, (USTA) has moved to microchips to replace freeze brands. This will make it very difficult to identify future horses in these pens when they are tagged to ship to slaughter. This concerning issue had been presented to the USTA on first consideration of this change. It has been brought to their attention by many members and the general public since.
From the Standardbred Retirement Foundation