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Nearly fifteen years ago an adoption program, Harness Horse Retirement and Youth Program (HHYR) in Pa. started and closed in a matter of a couple of years. The Standardbred Retirement Foundation (SRF) took on the horses not yet adopted, but did not take on the responsibility of the adoptions already made. All the horses adopted by HHYR were left in their homes without any follow-up, a great concern, but SRF's tight funding prevented them from taking on the task. Today, one of those adopted by HHYR, Horn High Yo, an aged mare, was taken in in emaciated condition by Country Acres Animal Shelter in Homer, NY.
SRF continues to strongly urge adoption programs to follow-up on every home, this shows why, and the fact that being in a home for so many years is evidence that the length of time a horse is in a home has no bearing on whether the horse is likely to be safe. Another such case is twenty-seven year old Toothless Joe, one of SRF's adoptions who now needs a safe landing as the adopter can no longer care for him and isn't willing to ship him back to SRF, a policy the adopter signed off on fourteen years (SRF is arranging his safe return).
Moving horses off the track into homes is not the solution if follow-up for life is not implemented, it just creates a new problem. In a recent Summit by the NY Task Force on Retired Racehorses, adoption programs spoke of the large number of Thoroughbreds, and Standardbreds for which homes were found through their efforts, but other than the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) none of those programs keep track of their horses to ensure good care remains in such homes. "It's a recipe for disaster as statistics show that the average home only lasts just under 4 years for a Standardbred. Perhaps the very talented and sound Thoroughbreds will be resold for use but not all carry that value. For Standardbreds its a different market, there isn't any, leaving them vulnerable to neglect.
The address to help Horn High Yo at Country Acres is 5852 West Scott Rd., Homer, NY 13077, or paypal at info@countryacresanimalshelter.org, to help SRF with Toothless Joe or any of their 208 horses in need of homes, 353 Sweetmans La., Millstone Twp., NJ 08535 or visit the website at Adoptahorse.org.
