I always feel as though it is a double edge sword with adoption groups. For example, CANTER MA has gotten some flak about the prices of retraining horses because they are too expensive? I’m a volunteer so I don’t make any decisions but I do think CANTER MA has a program that really works and generates money back to the program so in the long run a large quantity of horses is helped. I know Mid Atlantic Horse Rescue (Bev and Ginny) operate the same way.
As a volunteer, I don’t say CANTER is a rescue because racehorses don’t need to be rescued (the majority). CANTER sells the horses for market value because they have put the time into them to make them worth market value- they are well started and have mileage on them. They have had worming, dental, chiro and farrier work. They know what they have and who those horses will fit. The horses are sound or have minor injuries that are disclosed.
Again, I don’t make the decisions but I do know that CANTER MA tries to take horses that can be rehomed with pasture rest or minor surgeries and for the most part does not take horses that will not be able to have riding careers. Financially you have to be responsible and CANTER gets funding via grants, donations and some funding from the various tracks but overall the funding is not enough to pay for horses that cannot be rehomed. Euthanasia cost $450 (farm call, actual euthanasia and body removal). I’m pro euthanasia but speaking from a personal level I do not want to be the dumping grounds for people who did not accept responsibility for the problem THEY created.
Laurie- think about how hard it is to rehome a horse with a minor issue. If you had a barn full of those you couldn’t even take sound horses because you would never have the room because you would be stuck with all the unsound horses. The majority of people who call to ask about donation are people wanting to donate unsound horse because they have no other options. Hate to say but many of those calls are on horses that should be put down.
I have to network my butt off to convince people to donate horses that are sound because the reality is they can get $$ for them instead so why give them to a rehoming group? I believe that one of the main reasons CANTER MA (at least Delaware Park where I volunteer) gets sound horses is because we do a good job for the trainers. We let them know if the horses don’t sell off the listings we will take them on donation if they are sound or have minor issues we can rehab them for. We tell them they can ship them to the farm, we provide tax reciepts, tell them about our farms, let them know we retrain and follow up when horses are sold and that they don’t have to deal with the general public. Many trainers have figured out it is easier to just ship the horse to us than to show the horse to a lot of tirekickers who don’t know what they are looking for. It is also personal because they see our group of volunteers on a weekly basis so it’s not some stranger showing up in the barn asking to take their nice horses. We write about them in our blogs, make phone calls and follow up via email. Horses don’t just drop off the map or get pushed out the door. They are given minimal of 2 months off to just be horses. It takes funding but it is the right way to do things.
Judy- I think the crux is that when you run a big organization and don’t own your own facility you end up paying other people to care for the horses. I don’t know how New Vocations does it but I know CANTER’S horses are all boarded at private farms at various cost levels. If you start at $200 a month for field board and then add trims, dental and any vet bills that adds up. I have asked to have discounts from vets, farriers, dentist and chiro’s but that often does not happen. They have to make a living to.
How do the retrainers get paid? Speaking from experience I truly don’t think someone is going to want that job as an income producing job. Sometimes the horses get sold quickly but what happens when you put 3 months in and realize oh no the horse has a soundness issue and all your time is worthless? Or the horse hates jumping and only wants to be a flatwork only horse? I could go on and on but it is way more difficult than it sounds on paper.
I love how in that document they say on CANTER and TRF can help when the trainers are giving them $$$ to operate THEIR program. I realize that is not the right way to operate this program when all trainers are contributing but how do you operate without going broke?
These are questions all of these groups are being faced with. I have seen changes in CANTER in the past several years as the funding dried up and number of unsound horses grew. Successful groups have to somehow make the numbers work.
