[QUOTE=horselover101;3344467]
I apologize for what my sister said. I know CANTER is great. I have nothing against them. I know CANTER there is too help out the horses and that is a great thing. I have nothing against CANTER.[/QUOTE]
What does your “sister” have against CANTER? Could you ask her or get her back on this thread?
With the exception of Laurie’s poor injured horse post, this thread has been a highly amusing read and very different from when I first read the topic days ago. :lol: Thanks to Pacific, DMK et al for the laughs! And Horselover… Wow. :winkgrin:
Kudos to Suffolk Downs for taking this much needed step and to CANTER (17h, Fairweather and the rest of you lovely people) for your part in this effort! I’m all for any steps that give some of the “unwanteds” a second chance. Along the same lines, I’ve often wondered to what extent the tracks and industry collectively contribute to medical rehab and treatment research? I’m not talking Barbaro extremes but more to rehab procedures on less catastrophic injuries in an effort to fix rather than completely dispose of racers? Or is there just not enough money to go around for that part of the dream?
[QUOTE=pacificsolo;3344425]
DickHertz - is that to say Bonita won’t take care of the babies they have bred?? 
If so, I am very sad to hear that. I wish owners/breeders would find a way to either humanely euthanize horses or care for them by either retiring them in comfort or selling them for sporthorse enthusiasts .[/QUOTE]
Not saying they send horses to slaughter - but if you call them and say “we found a horse going to New Holland that you bred”…they will basically say they are pro slaughter and they don’t want the horse back.
[QUOTE=horselover101;3344392]
Didn’t Creel and Elliott previously work for Gill when he had all those horses a few years ago?[/QUOTE]
Yes, Tommy Creel was Gill’s former racing manager…
I just wanted to add that my husband was at Gill’s former farm for a day, and witnessed 25 horses layed down for the Llewellen surgery. Meanwhile, the hotwalkers swept the aisle way (sawdust) while the horses were still down with their throats cut… the trainer was in the office on his computer. My husband (who has been around) was pretty mortified at the whole scene.
Actually horselover is not speaking untruths, depending on which trainers (Gill) barn you are in, things can be really out of hand. He does dictate to the trainers not only where they run their horses, but meds and training practices…
Money talks though, and he is filling races, which ultimatly is helping Suffolk, and by the way, Gill did have a trainers license at one time, he was suspended for 3 yrs (out of the game for 10) due to positive tests.
[QUOTE=DickHertz;3345040]
Not saying they send horses to slaughter - but if you call them and say “we found a horse going to New Holland that you bred”…they will basically say they are pro slaughter and they don’t want the horse back.[/QUOTE]
That’s really sad. I know slaughter is a part of life (or death, as it may be), but I cannot imagine how heartless one would have to be to not at the VERY least put the horse down humanely to prevent suffering down the line.
BTW, if anyone wants a “Moon” baby (well, gelding), PM me and I’ll give you contact information for the owner 
Acertainsmile, this is horrifying. Why is God’s name is this being done as a matter of routine? Where in the world is this individual getting his money from…I guess I should not ask, those who think anything goes to make it I guess, the horses are just so much “machinery” to be tuned up by some idiot mechanic, who does not even understand these animals in the most simplistic mechanistic way. Holy Mother of God…I am speechless…
Stop being defensive, it’s not helping.
Really, these folks are trying to help you. How you type is of interest because you’re trying to convince them of something. What they’re saying to you is that if you present your argument like an adult, they’re more likely to listen to what you have to say. Really, they’re trying to help you.
Please refocus the thread on the original topic. Individual trainer/owner’s practices may certainly serve to illustrate points being made related to that, but this thread is about the overall actions being taken at SD–and how that can translate into the industry overall.
We’ll address other issues related to this thread via PM.
Thanks,
Mod 1
Another article about Suffolk Downs:
http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/2008_07_09_Suffolk_Downs_story/srvc=home&position=3
Thanks, gwenrowdy, there have been a lot of baby steps taken by so many caring people trying to rescue and rehome OTTB’s in the past decade. What Fields is doing at Suffolk is a big step that is right at the root of the problem. With the support of the tracks, the retirement groups and racing boards, this throw away mentality can be stopped in its tracks.
Zero tolerance. I’m sure that there are ways to get around such rules but, hopefully, it’ll just be too much trouble for the low life humans to bother with.
This gives me such hope:
A New York businessman who made a fortune in casino development, Fields bought Suffolk last year with a pledge to revive the struggling track. Fields has overseen sweeping renovations and pumped money into marketing.
His tough “no slaughter” stance, first reported in the Thoroughbred Times, is attracting widespread attention in the horse racing industry.
“Nobody has gone to that extent,” said Diana Pikulski, executive director of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “It’s basically saying if you are going to do business here, you have to treat your horses humanely.”
Fields and Suffolk are putting their money into the effort as well, donating thousands each year to a pair of groups that help provide retirement homes for thoroughbreds in their golden years.
Fields has also shipped a trio of retired Suffolk racehorses out to his ranch in Wyoming to live out their sunset years.
wooHoo for Suffolk!! I hope more tracks take this stance!! Actually what would be nice is if the newer built tracks ( or even the old ones) took time to build or sanction a barn to send some of the ‘can’t runs’ where they can be sold and then coordinate it with CANTER and other organizations… since most of them have limited space at ‘foster homes’. ( just an idea so no flames please!! I actually think numerous others have mentioned this as a possibility as well!)
[QUOTE=lrkrame2;3348023]
wooHoo for Suffolk!! I hope more tracks take this stance!! Actually what would be nice is if the newer built tracks ( or even the old ones) took time to build or sanction a barn to send some of the ‘can’t runs’ where they can be sold and then coordinate it with CANTER and other organizations… since most of them have limited space at ‘foster homes’. ( just an idea so no flames please!! I actually think numerous others have mentioned this as a possibility as well!)[/QUOTE]
As a supporter of the TB rescue groups like CANTER and Exceller Fund, these sound like reasonable ideas to me; I also hope there will be some kind of affordable humane euthanasia program of some kind set up for owners who say they can’t afford it. As a longtime fan, I want to see racing survive in this country; these protective rules for horses are necessary more than ever-too many people are now aware and watching.
Regarding the comments I’ve read here and there about trainers and owners sneaking around the ban: I don’t doubt that some will try, but this track owner sounds like he means business; and besides, there’s this neat little hobby called “virtual stable” for racing fans who are watching their favorites-and they do watch. I’ve got a few geezer claimers in mine. I would think the trainers would have to do some serious sidestepping to keep coming up with believable explanations for where so-and-so Cat is hiding.
[QUOTE=gwenrowdy;3348172]
As a supporter of the TB rescue groups like CANTER and Exceller Fund, these sound like reasonable ideas to me; I also hope there will be some kind of affordable humane euthanasia program of some kind set up for owners who say they can’t afford it. [/QUOTE]
or even taking some of the purse money ( like how we were discussing giving it to the organizations) and giving it to them with the intentions of maintaining said barn in order to give those ‘gone for broke’ owners a financially reasonable option.
As far as virtual stable: I am an avid user… anyone heard of a horse named Honolulu Blue recently?? he hasn’t run much and he’s not the soundest thing in the world???
There has been more horses die at Mike Gill’s barn the last week than I’ve seen killers taking horses away from Suffolk the last four years or so.
hrslvr- I think we got your point like 850 posts ago. Now if you want to make a new thread soley regarding ‘Mike Gill’ then go for it, for now can we please move on to how to fix issues not just flaming people?
Well as much as I wish horselovers post was true (maybe it is, I don’t know how often she’s been here in the last few years), It is another fabrication. Now I know what I just sounds horrible, I wish no horses were sent to the killers, just pointing out that what she said is hog-wash.
Hog wash?? I’ve been there the last few years because I work full time there when the track is open
Mike Gill is a Suffolk Downs problem so I think it fits nicely in here. I’d like to leave but you can’t delete your user name from the website.
You can leave without deleteing your user name. It’s really simple: you stop posting. No more posting = you have left. It’s not like CoTH has some Death Star tractor beam that forces you to post unless you actually delete your user name.
I have to say I have a hard time believing that in the past four years only two horses have gone to slaughter from Suffolk. I also stand by my earlier assessment that a person who claims to have inside knowledge of what goes on with this person and who claims to have proof of his activities and abuses and yet does nothing to stop it is living in a glass house.
I don’t want to be associated with the website I want my account deleted. I’ll keep posting until that happens.
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