SRF’s Week of Wonder

 Cream Ridge, NJ – 3/30/2022 – This week the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, (SRF) shares a typical few days that lead back to current issues.

Wilcox, a beautiful big winner of $184,292 had numerous owners in his career. While every owner from his past was contacted only one helped, Meg-Courtney Angus, and she helped in a big way, taking him back into her family!

She shared, “I honestly cried when I pulled off the USDA sticker for shipping him for slaughter and hugged him as he rested his head on my back in return. He knew who I was and what I had done for him in return. It’s been eight years since I’ve seen him. I always said ….If one of mine ever ended up in a kill pen, they’re coming home…to some it’s just horse but to others it’s an athlete that went 7days a week and raced their heart out so owners, trainers and grooms could put food on their table.”

Hawaiian Beachlady, the dam of 10 foals that made over $1.5 million dollars, was recently listed on the popular Standardbred online auction/sales site, onGait.com. At the age of 23, what were the chances of her being bought for a respectable use? Soon after she was found weighed and tagged for slaughter by SRF volunteers who run the Standardbred Retirement Foundation’s SOSS Facebook page.

They quickly started to reach out to everyone who had any connection to her. She was posted on Facebook to help raise funds to get her to safety. Struggling to raise the donations needed, SRF then reached out to Maurice Chodash of onGait.com. He responded with, “I will help.” She is now safe and SRF is searching for a home, a very difficult task, while she is getting the good care every horse deserves.

One more, a name that hits home, another mare, Sweet Mercy. What happened to her has caused outrage. Mercy was removed from the kill pen the moment SRF learned of her condition. Both her eyes were swollen shut, oozing, scraped, and draining puss around here lids. There was little time to try to raise the funds she needed to release her, but she obviously was in great pain and at risk to lose her sight and her life. SRF started a fundraiser. Barely enough was donated to move her quickly. While this was in motion, a transporter was reached, a quarantine facility arranged, and a veterinarian to arrive on an emergency call.

The mass of swelling around Mercy’s eyes made it difficult for the veterinarian to diagnosis. She made her comfortable and treated both eyes the best she could and was planning to return in 24, hoping there was a reduction in the swelling. What was just as concerning is she had a head tilt, her ear was dropped, and she was sick, snotty, as we say.

The paralysis she exhibited was puzzling but, is suspected to be due from her recovering from Strangles where abscesses lined her throat. One has to wonder who had this horse last, how they could ignore her suffering, her illness, paralysis, and eye injuries. Today is day 3 and the veterinarian is expected again in the early evening. SRF is taking it day by day, she has not started to eat yet. If she survives it will be costly, with her needing the veterinarian daily for few more days to monitor for improvement or not, some diagnostics, and possible change of medications. We hope to bring good news soon.

SRF appreciates help for Sweet Mercy’s needs, as her care is far more extensive than anticipated, and help for the others that remain in the kill pen at risk just like these 3 were. They will ship for slaughter in just a few days. Please donate on the button below, or call SRF at 609-738-3255. A home or foster home for Hawaiian Beachlady, and Sweet Mercy are also needed.

Freeze brands saved the lives of these horses. SRF encourages everyone to take it upon themselves, for the very reasonable price, to freeze brand their horses.

Updates will be on the Standardbred Retirement Foundation Face Book.

From the Standardbred Retirement Foundation