Beautiful pics. They made me cry all over again. God bless everybody who is helping out with this.
For anyone interested, I happened across a great version of the Aussie national anthem… If you REALLY want to cry then listen to it while you’re looking at all the pics!
This is such a heartbreaking story. What is wrong with some people? Honestly, how can you call yourself a horseman if you can’t even give an animal that has given you so much a decent forever home? For so many people, especially in the show world, a horse is just a “vehicle” for their egotistic gratifications. When that animal no longer serves their purpose they become disposable. I’m so happy this horse is going to have a happy ending. I know horses can be expensive to keep but it’s hard to buy that line from this situation considering this person had a lot of money to show this horse. Horses are living, breathing creatures not hunks of metal like cars to be sent to the junkyard. I’ve always felt that once you own a horse you are responsible for that life and when and if you cannot provide a home you are responsible for making sure that animal gets the best home possible. I do hope the people or person responsible for this travesty reads this thread and carries some guilt.:mad:
Dux - top of the class
Hi Tazer,
Just an aside to my note from before… Dux is the equivalent of Valedictorian - it means you graduate top of your class. So, good choice of name… he certainly is top of the class! Am looking htrough my old mags from home to see if I can find one of him. Back in the 90’s in Aus there weren’t a whole lot of photos from horse events online. Will let you know if/when I do. Have fun with him, he looks happy!
This is an awesome story!
But I read the entire thread and I don’t think I saw this answered, I understand there is a freeze brand on their shoulder, but is it a brand specific to the individual horse? Or is it a brand specific to the breed? Just wondering how we are 100% sure this is the same horse?
Just curious, this is an amazing ending either way:)
Many useful ageing show horses who are on their way down do not take retirement very well. They want to be busy, they want the attention. Owners place them where they can be used, but things beyond their control happen. You cannot hold the last USEF registered owner responsible unless you know the whole story. You have to remember that Dux was priced above current meat prices, so an effort was being made to find a useful home. He was not an auction/meat truck rescue like so many seen here. His “rescue” is different in that sense, and could be used as an example to people who do not know what to do with unhappy retirees.
So maybe we need to think before we start tossing sticks and stones at Dux’s very public and well known former owners.
Dux has been ID’d by his markings, by showjumper78 who recognizes him from Australia, and in the photos someone linked of him in competition in 2007 at Trader’s Point.
Aussie TB brands
[QUOTE=Instant Karma;3814667]
This is an awesome story!
But I read the entire thread and I don’t think I saw this answered, I understand there is a freeze brand on their shoulder, but is it a brand specific to the individual horse? Or is it a brand specific to the breed? Just wondering how we are 100% sure this is the same horse?
Just curious, this is an amazing ending either way:)[/QUOTE]
Freeze brands in Australia are specific to each individual horse, much like the gum tattoos of the TBs here. First, there is a stud brand that all the foals from that stud get, so ther are identified with that stud, then there are 2 numbers - one above the other. The top number is the foal number from that stud (ie/ if it is a 2, he was the second foal born at that stud that year) and the bottom number is the second digit of the year they were born. How do they determine the difference between 1989 say and 1999… horses 10 years apart can easily be determined exactly what year then by their teeth. Hope this helps. He was id’d then with the jockey club.
What beautiful pictures! That is truly the face of a horse that has known and feels lost without attention. We have a retiree like that at our barn - when his owner abandoned him, he knew it and took it so personally, he became so depressed, I thought we were going to lose him. Even though we really tried and fussed over him, he knew - SHE had left him. But basically he had always been a loved horse, and after 3-4 dodgy months he clued into the fact that he was STILL loved, and is just so vibrant today. I really see that in Dux, that outreaching look. God bless y’all for rescuing him, and I think you will be well rewarded. :):)
[QUOTE=dcm;3814680]
Dux has been ID’d by his markings, by showjumper78 who recognizes him from Australia, and in the photos someone linked of him in competition in 2007 at Trader’s Point.[/QUOTE]
Showjumper78 recognized the horse that showed at Keswick 5/08 and the pictures from 2007. That’s not an ID of the horse in the sale ad.
I may have missed it but did anyone say this horse has a matching freeze brand?
This horse has been identified since January 16. If these people are not guilty of dumping this horse, why don’t they come forward? considering the number of views on this forum, it is difficult to believe that they are unaware of the situation. I, for one, cannot conjecture excuses for those who seem unwilling to defend themselves. The horse did not put itself in that lot.
As long as everyone involved is okay with it, I will give you a little of the backstory. Just checking that it’s okay. Please know that no one ever intended from this horse to end up in a bad situation and the parties thought they had taken steps to ensure he would be cared for.
Tazer, what a handsome man he is! He already looks brighter eyed.
Since when does one need to get on the COTH BB in order to “defend themselves”? Not everyone read this BB, certainly not daily.
I don’t understand why some people feel the need to jump the gun and assume Kacey or her family are “guilty” of anything…why, because she was the last person to show the horse and owner on record? Have you considered that maybe, just maybe, they retired the horse to what they thought was a good home, and are just as upset about what has taken place?
So I’m a little lost on his history…Did he do the Olympics? 1998? Is that what I’m getting?
I have gathered he did WEG in Rome and has competed in several world cups… and grand prixs and I saw the pics at Traders Point but the highlighted part confused me…
I am new here but must say we had a horse in our barn that we also found out had been an olympic horse that was purchased in the US quite cheaply for a kid. We ran his background and found his original owner but never figured out why he ended up in a sales barn for $5000 dollars. This horse was a dressage horse…Maybe the horse was donated to a school? Many people do this thinking their horses will be taken care of, but many are sold when they are too lame to stand up to the rigors of this kind of work without the previous owners knowledge. I’m sure noone did this on purpose to a horse of this caliber
He looks so happy in those pictures! I bet he’ll be looking quite spiffy after some TLC as well!
Hey, they don’t all take a sad turn!
Ditto this, and stressing that we don’t know what went on. Many of us keep our retirees, at our farm, we have one retired former jumper and one retired small pony.
Sometimes bad things happen despite good efforts made. Not everyone reads the COTH BB, and it’s ridiculous to think they need to “defend themselves” to random internet people that they don’t know. We’ve all seen COTH threads turn a bit rabid.
The important thing is that that horse looks absolutely thrilled to bits. It’s wonderful that Tazer was able to give him a good home. Good luck with him, and I can’t wait to see follow up photos.
[QUOTE=nlk;3814805]
So I’m a little lost on his history…Did he do the Olympics? 1998? Is that what I’m getting?
I have gathered he did WEG in Rome and has competed in several world cups… and grand prixs and I saw the pics at Traders Point but the highlighted part confused me…[/QUOTE]
Never mind I think I found it…98’ Olympics Rome??? Placed 18th?
These people are not obligated to “defend” themselves against anything. It has often been said that in the horse business, your reputation is everything. Those that are well-versed in PR say that it is important to get the truth out, and get it out early.
Considering the interest that this thread has generated, they, or a surrogate, could outline the steps that had been taken to prevent this outcome. this might help others from falling into similar situations.
I’m so glad that this amazing horse now has a much deserved forever home!!!
My question is what happened for him to get to this point?? It says on his results page on the USEF site that he was last shown with Kacey McCann in Virgina on 5/14/2008. Anyone know any details?? Just curious!!
Also i’m assuming that the rider from the Traders Point pictures is a girl by the name of Gabrielle Stern??
nlk, 1998 was the World Equestrian Games in Rome; there were no Olympics in 1998.
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