Every day thousands of dogs and cats are rescued from local animal shelters giving them a second chance at life. Rescuing household pets is extremely rewarding and is endorsed by celebrities, humane societies and animal shelters across the United States.
Adopting a pet for your home is the most recognized and easiest way of saving an animal from being euthanized. Unfortunately household pets are not the only animals that need to be helped.
Every year, on the the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby is run. This is the most popular thoroughbred horse race in the world. You have probably watched the race at least once and chances are you have been to a local Kentucky Derby party on the day of the race. It’s a lot of fun!
In addition to the derby there are thousands of thoroughbred horses competing in roughly 37,000 horse races every year in the United States.
While experiencing all the fun and hoopla of thoroughbred horse racing have you ever given a thought to what happens to the horses after their racing careers are over? Don’t feel bad, most people don’t. This is the problem.
A thoroughbred’s racing career generally ends around age 6 to 8 years old, while the life span of a sound thoroughbred is 25 to 28 years old. After the horse’s racing career ends, usually one of four things happens:
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- 1. If the horse is lucky the owner will assume the financial and emotional responsibility of caring for the horse.
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- 2. If the horse had a good racing career it will be used for breeding or sold to a breeding farm.
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- 3. The horse is sold to a trainer or riding stable.
- 4. Unfortunately, for a multitude of reasons, many retired horses are subject to abuse, neglect or slaughter.
This is not to say that horse racing is a bad thing. Over the years breeders, owners and trainers have evolved and most train and raise their horses humanely. There are however hundreds, if not thousands of horses that fall between the cracks and don’t receive the care they deserve. This is where HART steps in.
The mission of Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds (HART). HART is dedicated to preventing the deeply troubling fate some of these horses face after retiring from racing. By fostering new beginnings and second careers for these majestic athletes, we elevate awareness on the versatility these horses possess among the equestrian community.
Unfortunately this takes a lot of time and money!
