The New York attorney general Thursday sued the directors of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, one of the largest nonprofit organizations devoted to retired racehorses, saying they had driven the foundation into insolvency and failed to provide money for the basic care of the more than 1,100 horses in their control.
The small northwestern Illinois town of Dixon took another body blow Tuesday as federal authorities charged that its longtime comptroller stole nearly double what prosecutors originally alleged.
“A lot of people give up on horses, just because of an injury or old age or no matter what it might be, but an animal’s not done ‘til they’re done. You might not win all the races, but you need to let an animal do what they’ve got to do.”
Once again I am proud to report that my wife, Terry, has several photos that have been selected by the nominating committee of the Equine Ideal: Winter 2012 Photography Contest as finalists in their annual online competition. In the past she has won honors for a head shot of a rescued horse (click HERE) as we, with Habitat for Horses, released him at Willie Nelson’s ranch on his first day of adopted bliss. Last year she won ribbons (click HERE) for a shot of the famed wild horses of the Pryor Mountains and this year she is up for ribbons on two different head shots of our very own Pele who was rescued from a slaughter auction through the efforts of Habitat for Horses. Pele is half quarter horse and from the neck up he is pure wild horse, we can see the beauty that heralds back to his wild roots as he glides across our pastures in play.
The case study is based on data published by the U.S. government and the Jockey Club. According to the study, an amount equal to 70% of the annual Thoroughbred foal crop, on average, die at slaughter each year.
“The polls have shown that the vast majority of those in racing want an end to the transport of their horses to any slaughterhouse,” said Jo Anne Normile, founder of Saving Baby Equine Charity and CANTER, the first organization to take Thoroughbreds right from the track to safe havens. “But for every Secretariat, for every Seabiscuit, there are tens of thousands of racehorses whose experiences on the back lots of the country’s tracks tell a different story.“
A dark bay, nearly black, with a dramatic white blaze on her forehead, everyone thought Burma — the diva of the barn — was a beauty.
But, though friendly and affectionate, the 6-year-old thoroughbred was practically impossible to handle. High-strung and feisty, she swayed impatiently in her stall, chewed the wooden doors, got tangled in her harness, stuck her nose into any box or bucket she could find. She had proved hopeless on the track, despite having a distant blood connection to the great racehorse Man o’ War. She had ugly feet that required special shoes, and an alarming tendency to colic.
To 16-year-old Megan Chance, she was perfect.
In November, passage of a federal agricultural budget bill restored USDA funding for horsemeat processing plant inspections. Now, a pair of equine welfare advocates is offering $2,000 to anyone who can make a convincing argument in favor of reviving the horse processing industry in the United States.
Christmas Commentary by R.T. Fitch ~ President Wild Horse Freedom Federation The Horses Thank All of You for Who and What You Are For the safety and security of my wife, Terry, and our ranch I rarely divulge my location, travel plans or activities. But being that it […]
It’s all over the internet about the petite, 21-year-old Oregon woman, Jasha Lottin, killing her own 32-year-old horse, stripping off her clothes, climbing “inside” the dead horse’s body, asking her boyfriend to take pictures of her, eating the flesh of her horse and then posting the bloody pictures on the web and wondering why people are flipping out?!?!? DUUUHHHHH!!!
As part of my less formal education I attended a course from HSUS called “First Strike – The Violence Connection.” While the material presented was shocking, the conclusion fits like a glove onto every scenario of animal abuse and neglect that I’ve witnessed. The bottom line is that when you see a person who is guilty of animal abuse, you are also looking at a person who has no problem beating the hell out of another human. Animal abuse is a proven predictor of violent behavior.
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