Thoroughbred Retirement

The wonder of the Thoroughbred racehorse, and the quality that draws us to them, is their genetic need to run as far and as fast as they can. Added to the traditional training they receive, the effort they put out in any race surpasses the heights achieved by human athletes during Championship encounters in basketball, football or even marathon racing. Like all great athletes, they are prone to injury - in fact, especially prone: when they are competing, over 1,000 pounds of muscle and bone land jarringly on spindly front legs 120 times every quarter of a mile. They tell us about their injuries by the manner in which they eat, walk, canter and respond to human handling.

So the vigilant owner must be a consistent monitor of the horse's condition. Once the physical signs of deterioration begin to show up, decisive action must be taken. The question the owner must now face when, sadly, the horse's career is threatened by serious injury is, what do we do? It is particularly difficult when the horse is unfit for breeding. Experienced owners often have people willing to give the horse a home, where it may be used as a riding or "pleasure" horse after six or so months of recuperation and retraining.

For those who own farms as well as Thoroughbreds, the question of maintaining an injured horse is the decision to provide food and pasture. A large majority of owners do not have the luxury available. A minimum fee for care at a boarding farm is between $3 and $8 a day. Given a life expectancy of 15 to 20 more years (after its brief racing career), a retired horse becomes a major non-returnable investment.

It's hard to pull your heart away from a horse you own. They do become something more than an investment, no matter how tough-minded you are. But there is an investment you can make that insures a workable future for horses who can no longer race and cannot or should not be consigned for breeding. There are several equine adoption agencies throughout the United States. Several are listed below. Additional listings can be found on the Unwanted Horse Coalition's website. Please contact an adoption organization to ensure your ex-racehorse has a good home.

ALASKA

Alaska Equine Rescue
P.O. Box 61334
Fairbanks, AK 99706
888-LUV-HORS

CALIFORNIA

California Equine Retirement Foundation (CERF)
Grace Belcour
34033 Kooden Road
Winchester, CA 92593
909-926-4190

Equus Sanctuary
Linda Moss
P.O. Box 3273
Glendale, CA 91221
818-768-3469
linda@equus.org

Exceller Fund, Inc.
Bonnie Mizrahi
17172 Armstead St.,
Granada Hills, CA 91344
818-368-2871
mail@excellerfund.org

International Generic Horse Association
Stacy Layne Wilson
P.O. Box 6778
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90734
310-719-9094

Tranquility Farm
Priscilla Clark
P.O. Box 210
Tehachapi, CA 93581
info@tranquilityfarmtbs.org

COLORADO

Colorado Horse Rescue
Karen Wheeler
10386 N. 65th Street
Longmont, CO 80505
720-494-1414

Horse Protection League
P.O. Box 741089
Arvada, CO 80006
303-216-0141
info@cohpl.org

CONNECTICUT

H.O.R.S.E. of Connecticut, Inc.
Patty Wahlers
43 Wilbur Road
Washington, CT 06777
860-868-1960

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
800-728-1660
diana@trfinc.org

DELAWARE

Equine Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc.
Deborah Rollins Frank
410-343-2142
Offers services within a 100-mile radius of Baltimore, MD

Horse Lovers United, Inc.
Lorraine Truitt
410-749-3599
horse@shore.intercom.net

New York Horse Rescue Corp.
Mona Kanciper
P.O. Box 435
Manorville, NY 11949
877-874-9420

FLORIDA

Horse Protection Association of Florida, Inc.
Morgan Silver
P.O. Box 700010
Miami, FL 33170
305-245-2909
director@hpaf.org

Humane Organization for Retired Standardbred Equines
Maureen Kleiman
P.O. Box 2948
Okeechobee, FL 34974
863-357-7805
Horsefl@hotmail.com

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
800-728-1660
trfinc@msn.com

GEORGIA

Georgia Equine Rescue League, Ltd.
Marty Paulk
P.O. Box 88549
Atlanta, Georgia 30356-8549
770-464-0138
info@gerlltd.org

ILLINOIS

Hooved Animal Humane Society
Lydia Miller, DVM
10804 McConnell Road,
Woodstock, IL 60098
815-337-5563

CANTER
Denise Pumfrey
630-341-1582
canteril@canterusa.org

Donatemyhorse.com
Kickapoo Farms
847-844-9070
31W952 Penny Road
Barrington, IL 60010
Fax 847-844-9073
Meggan Hill-McQueeney

INDIANA

Friends of Ferdinand
P.O. Box 1784
Indianapolis, IN 46206
888-612-7402
contact@friendsofferdinand.org

KANSAS

Horse Protection League
Claudia Wilson
303-216-0141
silverwood@rmweb.com

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Equine Humane Center
Lori Neagle
P.O. Box 910124
Lexington, KY 40591
859-881-5849
info@kyehc.org

ReRun, Inc.
Shon Wylie, Founder, Chapter Director
P.O. Box 113
Helmetta, NJ 08828
732-521-1370
jerryshon@bellsouth.net

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
800-728-1660

MARYLAND

CANTER Mid Atlantic
Allie Conrad
301-980-0972
canterma@canterusa.org

Days End Farm Horse Rescue
Kathleen Schwartz
15856 Frederick Road / P.O. Box 309
Lisbon, MD 21765
301-854-5037
defhr@erols.com

Equine Rescue League
Pat Rogers
703-771-1240

Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc.
Deborah Rollins Frank
16724 Miller Lane
Parkton, MD 21120

Horse Lovers United, Inc.
Lorraine Truitt
P.O. Box 2744
Salisbury, MD 21802
horse@shore.intercom.net

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
www.trfinc.org
800-728-1660
trfinc@msn.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Kings Bridge Equine Rescue, Inc.
7 Kings Bridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
413-283-7419
rescue@amicon.net

Suffolk Downs
111 Waldemar Ave,
East Boston, MA 02128
617-567-3900

MICHIGAN

CANTER
Jo Anne Normile
10801 Last Dr.
Plymouth, MI 48170
734-455-0639
canter@jumpinghorse.net

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The New England Thoroughbred Retirement Center
David A. Sears, Founder
Watchtower Farm
189 South Road
Deerfield, New Hampshire 03037
603-463-1119

NEW JERSEY

ReRun, Inc.
Laurie Condurso-Lane
P.O. Box 113
Helmetta, NJ 08828
732-521-1370
rerunnj@comcast.net

Standardbred Retirement Foundation (SRF)
Judith Bokman
P.O. Box 763
Freehold, NJ 07728
732-462-8773
srfmail@bellatlantic.net

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
450 Shrewsbury Plaza, Ste. 351
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
800-728-1660

NEW YORK

Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program
Wezo Pierson
P.O. Box 25043
5757 Route 96
Farmington, NY 14425
piersonlouisa@yahoo.com

New York Horse Rescue Corp.
Mona Kanciper
P.O. Box 435
Manorville, NY 11949
877-874-9420

ReRun, Inc.
Sue Swart, Treasurer, Chapter Director
P.O. Box 113
Helmetta, NJ 08828
315-440-6823
reruntb@yahoo.com

Western NY Equine Sanctuary
Carol Ann Piazza
6781 Ridge Road
Lockport, NY 14094
716-438-0182

OHIO

CANTER
Nancy Scott
330-659-2039
canter@jumpinghorse.net

H.O.R.S.E. of Ohio
Nancy Reich
979 County Road 115
Chesapeake, OH 45619
740-867-5905
NancyRN@aol.com

Last Chance Corral
Victoria Goss
5350 Pomeroy Road
Athens, OH 45701
740-594-4336
lccorral@frognet.net

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption
Dot Morgan
3293 Wright Road
Laura, OH 45337
info@horseadoption.com
937-947-4020

PENNSYLVANIA

Bright Futures Farm
Beverlee Dee
44793 Harrison Road
Spartansburg, PA 16434
814-827-8270
bdee@brightfuturesfarm.org

Double D Equine Rescue
Debbie Polasek
9312 Old Route 22
Bethel, PA 19507
717-933-4648

Equine Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc.
Deborah Rollins Frank
410-343-2142

Harness Horse Retirement & Youth Association, Inc.
Anne McCloskey
RD 1, Box 81
Loganton, PA 17747
570-725-7979

New York Horse Rescue Corporation
Mona Kanciper
P.O. Box 435
Manorville, NY 11949
877-874-9420

Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines
Joseph Donahue
1710 Ridge Road
Pottstown, PA 19465
610-469-0533
ryerss@aol.com

Wind Ridge Farm Equine Sanctuary
Gary Barnes
1981 Ridge Road
Wellsville, PA 17365
717-432-2959

TEXAS

Crossfire Equine Rescue
Annie Garcia
5701 Fargo
Dickinson, TX 77539
832-738-2218
info@crossfirerescue.org

L.O.P.E.
Lynn Reardon
1551 Hwy 21 West
Cedar Creek, TX 78612
512-565-1824

Meadow Haven Horse Rescue
Darla Cherry
4204 CR 444
Nixon, TX 78140
830-305-9031

VIRGINIA

Equine Rescue League
Pat Rogers
P.O. Box 4366
Leesburg, VA 22712
703-771-1240

Horse Lovers United, Inc.
Lorraine Truitt
horse@shore.intercom.net
410-749-3599

New York Horse Rescue Corporation
Mona Kanciper
P.O. Box 435
Manorville, NY 11949
877-874-9420

ReRun, Inc.
Paul Linn
804-369-5433
rerunhorse@kih.net

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
800-728-1660
trfinc@msn.com

VERMONT

H.O.R.S.E. of Vermont
Terry Holden
525 VT Rt. 109
Jeffersonville, VT 05264
802-644-2759
HORSEVT@sover.net

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
800-728-1660

WEST VIRGINIA

CANTER Mid Atlantic
Allie Conrad
301-980-0972
canterma@canterusa.org

Equine Rescue League
Pat Rogers
703-771-1240

WISCONSIN

American Standardbred Adoption Program
Susan Wellman
Rt. 1, Box 82
DeSoto, WI 54624
608-637-8045

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Diana Pikulski
800-728-1660
trfinc@msn.com

WYOMING

Horse Protection League
Claudia Wilson
303-216-0141

CANADA

ONTARIO

LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society
Vicki Pappas, Chairperson
555 Rexdale Blvd.
P.O. Box 156, Rexdale, Ontario M9W5L2
416-675-3993, ext. 3440