TB Owners in an UpRoar Over New Mountaineer Ban!

Letter of concern received today, and our reply;

Monday, November 3, 2008

Christine A. Jubic, Founder
Friends of Equines
FOE of Equine Slaughter


Re: Mountaineer Racetrack Memo


Dear Ms. Jubic:

On October 31, 2008 all Horsemen received a memo from Rose Mary Williams (in a nutshell and paraphrazed) stating that any horse going to Sugar Creek Auction, the last trainer of the horse would suffer stall loss and management exclusion. Well, as you can imagine, all horsemen are up in arms over this memo. You have succeeded in your effort to stop the hauling and should consider this quite a victory for all the animals.

I personally do not believe in horse-slaughter and my horses have a home to come to after racing. I am fortunate enough to be in a position that MY horses have a safety net after racing being retrained/reschooled and going on to other careers hopefully as sound plausible mounts. I have the time it takes to wait for safe homes for my horses that can no longer race and need another career. Most of the trainers at the track do not. They make a living training horses and that is how they support their families. Their horses don't have an 80 acre farm to go to and rest, relax and recuperate. Their horses "run for the money" every time they come out of the stall. I don't have to like it or agree with it, but it is HOW they live. It is their WAY OF LIFE. I don't know if it is right or wrong because I've thankfully, never been in their shoes, wondering what is like to know if I don't have a horse win "something" I can not buy feed or buy one of my children a coat for the winter. I don't know this kind of life.

But what I do know now, Mountaineer has NO resources or rescue set up to take these "unwanted horses", house them, get them out of those trainers stalls, so they can go on making a living, how they see fit. So, the horsemen are retaliating by coming up with ideas on how they can "rid themselves" of these horses they want to get out of their stalls, now that they can not have them picked up for the sale. Now, their "ideas" horrify me greatly and will really effect MY horses.

Some of the ideas that have been "overheard" are: They will give them a sedative and "run them into the river to drowned" and wash someplace down stream after they cut their lip off.

One horseman has a part-time backhoe business. He will make a fortune off track people and is already gearing towards this possible "new income".

Selling them to labs around the country for experiments, rat poison etc. The list went on and on to more crazier to down right ludicrous.

Most of these "ideas" are bred out of anger and resentment in changing the way they have always done business and I don't think they would follow through with them, BUT, the one "idea" that I am most concerned about that they can and will follow through with is-- if they can't get them out of their stalls, they will juice up their unsound horses and run them until they break down on the track and then it will be the tracks responsibility to "get rid of them". We are talking slab fractures, busted knees, sheared ankles, the most frightening forms of life threatening leg problems. They will numb these horses or freeze them up with whatever means necessary and send them out to race against healthy horses and if they breakdown in the middle of the pack, not only are they going to be trampled but any horse around them and the riders also are going to be hurt or killed. Now, it is everyone's concern and a scenario that is and will happen. I'm put in a position that I am going loose my horse that I've raised from a baby, trained, put thousand of hours into, planned a future for long after racing due to lack of communication between two groups of different people. You folks and Trainers. I'm going to be what the military regards as "civilian causalities". And I'm not sure who the thank for that.

I believe in the petition you sent to Rose Mary Williams, you stated "just ask and we will come", well, it's time to get the ball rolling with some help for these horses. I've contacted an arm long list of rescues and have received basically the same response. "WE ARE FULL" due to the economy horses aren't selling or being placed. Now, don't judge me to harshly, I've got 6 of my own horses that can no longer race that are in pasture and being fed, taking a toll on our barn too, so I do my part with those and I am willing to help with what I can. I don't know what the solution is or if there is a right or wrong answer in this situation, but I know more horses are going to be jeopardized and meet a terrible fate if a solution isn't worked out.

Respectfully,

Sherri Snyder
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Our Reply;

Sherri, we are glad the anti-slaughter movement is finding support from industrymen (and woman.) We will ALL have to be sure and write Ms. Williams a GREAT BIG thank you letter for stepping up for the horses and joining the ranks of industrymen(and woman) who sincerley care about the life-long welfare of the horses. Many many people, thousands upon thousands of horse lovers, protectors, advocates, rescuers and people who just admire the horse, have worked very hard over many years to get this far. These are the "small victories" we must content ourselves with until which time the federal ban against horse slaughter is finally enacted and we wont have to worry about any American horses going to slaughter anymore and can concentrate on putting programs in place to take care of the "unwanted" ones.

Your concerns about "alternatives" to auction-house disposal or slaughter are real, and thank you for bringing them to the fore, but I am thinking cannot these owners afford to euthanise their industry "unwanteds?" We are thinking if not, perhaps these "poorer" industrymen should find a new line of business that would provide them a more steady and sure source of income? Also, dont the owners get a write off for the "losers" they have to dispose of?

Having NOTHING to do with the recent Mountaineer ban, In the New Holland Pa area, many racehorse owners are no longer bringing their horses to New Holland Auction (Pa.'s version of Sugarcreek) for fear they will be rescued by people who will discover that they were racing their horses lame, such as the case with Jerry Hollendorfer and "Heavenly Perfect." You can read all about there here:

Trainer of the Year Runs Horse Near to Death then Ships Her Off to Slaughter
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/trainer-of-the-year-runs-horse-to-death

Instead of bringing them to the NH Meat-Market Auction, some of the owners are now bringing them to Mel Hoovers Stable, a private livestock dealer just down the road from NH Auction, where Mel promices that their horses will not be rescued but will be sure to go to slaughter; EVIDENCE DESTROYED. Guaranteed. No problem.

Exposing Mel Hoover;
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/horsekiller-has-secret-pact-w-

It is imperative that it is made clear that it is not just Sugarcreek that the owners should avoid in seeking to "dispose" of their retired athletes. Yes as I have been saying, there are THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of equine advocates, rescuers and protectors out there that would love nothing more than to be able to help re-home and retire ALL of these industry unwanteds, but our finances and facilities are stretched to the limits already, and we CANNOT do it on our own, we simply must find a way to work all together towards that goal, and there is only ONE way we can do it, we are certain of this, and it is only With the help of the industrys FINANCIAL support. The biggest producers and promoters, the "Millonaires Club" puppy-millers of the equine world need to start contibuting in a really big way. We will need LOTS of money not only to care for the horses but to buy more LAND for new facilities and/or expansion of already exisiting ones. They make money every day but they dont make land and what we have left is fast disappearing to development and FOREIGN investment. We need to start buying land NOW while there is still some left.

If we could get the proposed amendments to the Farm Bill & the Economic Stimulus Act in place, there would be PLENTY of money to do this. The rescuers, protectors and advocates will be there to help but we need the Industry to help us to be able to help them, and that is by having the BIG TOP 10 Producers & Promoters sacrifice only a small portion of their multi-million dollar tax-breaks for the rehoming and retirement of their horses.

I will pass your blurb along to some TB rescues in our area in hopes that some help will be found for the Mountaineer OTTBs, but yes you are right, most all rescues are strained and unable to take any more horses. The Finger Lakes TB Adoption program nearest us helped in the rescue of 85 starving TBs from a breeder. The rescues CANNOT do it alone - that is why we have engaged in our "Industry Accountability" Campaigns. We cannot do it without the financial backing of all who have a hand in registered horse production. Of course, we need to get the industry to get breeding under control, and one way to do that is to create breeding "dis-incentives" by making them contribute to the long-term care of their unwanteds. Did you see our "Tax Break Money to Go to Equine Retirement" petition? There is the ONLY answer. Nothing less with do;

Industry Tax Break Money to Go to Horses
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-petition-2-amend-the-farm-bill

Thanks for caring and keep up the good work for your animals.
IF everyone were as responsible as yourself, there would be no "artificial" "need" for equine slaughter

CJ