The Standardbred Retirement Foundation's effort, (SRF) with the help of so many wonderful people, has brought every one of the harness racing 71 trotters and pacers to safety!
A few updates are: the 2 year old with the oddly healed leg injury is headed to a home in Vermont; the aged mare is going to live out her last years in North Carolina; Windsong Gentile stole the heart of her foster home and will likely be adopted; Mr. Evergreen, who is emaciated and sick, will go back to his breeder; and Farmer Jones was helped by his past owner and is being adopted by his racing trainer. Eight horses still need homes; they have sponsors until homes are secured.
This battered and beaten down group of Standardbreds who have worked so hard for racing, and for some, then again for the rural communities, had a stroke of luck when the snow storm held off the truck to the Canadian slaughterhouses. That was immensely helpful as there wasn't much time to get them all safe before the original anticipated ship date of this past Tuesday. Those extra hours made it possible to help every trotter and pacer in the group from age 2 to a few in their late 20's.
So many people rallied to find homes, reached out to past owners and breeders to seek help, sought assistance from other organizations whose mission is very much like SRF's, and helped generously with donations. A few of those who helped are folks involved in racing who are appalled by the disregard for the welfare of these noble athletes by racing's decision makers. If racing thinks that this lack of consideration for these animals can be hidden in the 21st century, they might want to educate themselves on what happened to dog racing. Thoroughbred racing isn't much different, they use their aftercare program to shield themselves from much of the same.
To offer a home for any of the 8 please email, call or message the Face Book page.
Email is SRFHorsesandkids@gmail.com.
There are two SRF FaceBook pages.
Standardbred Retirement Foundation/SOSS Standardbred Retirement Foundation- AdoptaHorse.org
Telephone 609-738-3255
The horse shown above is Earl's Madness, a 20 year old gelding in his home. Earl is the cover of their holiday card this year. He was one helped from the last large group in need. Below are Windsong Gentile (L), D Dee's Cam (R). Below them are an aged mare from another recent rescue (L), and Straight And Wicked from the last group helped. All photos are from their loving homes!
About Standardbred Retirement Foundation
Standardbred Retirement Foundation provides human care and services for horse in need of lifetime homes, and in crisis, through rehabilitation, training, adoption, life-long follow–up or life time sanctuary and offering therapeutic equine opportunities for children and adults.
Tammy Cailliau
Phone: 609-738-3255
Email address: SRFHorsesandkids@gmail.com