◀ SEPTEMBER SALE’S HOLD THAT LINE SURPRISING REBOUND Morning Line hangs ■ KEE’S FIRST-CROP SIRES/2824 on to win Pa. Derby ■ APART’S SUPER DERBY/2845 BloodHorse.com ® International Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing October 2, 2010/No.40 SPECIAL REPORT Unwanted Horses HOW THE INDUSTRY IS DEALING WITH LIFE AFTER RACING To comment on this column, visit Bloodhorse.com/ WhatsGoingOn Here the RNA rates were so low, it kept people in the pavilion Finding Homes bidding.” In the best of all possible worlds, every yearling offered at a Keeneland sale would find a buyer, race productively, for Them All then go to stud or to pampered retirement and a possible he buy-back rate at the recently concluded Keene- second career. But the real world doesn’t work that way, Tland September yearling sale became the sale’s most and some September yearlings are destined to become un- significant statistic because it dropped to 26.7% from wanted horses. 27.5%. The improvement in trade over last year meant The plight of unwanted Thoroughbreds has struck a at least 30 more horses found new homes than would chord in many segments of the industry, and racing states have otherwise had the buy-back rate stayed the same now have a variety of retirement and retraining programs, as in 2009. from large-scale to mom-and-pop. All of these programs Keeneland deserves a lot of credit for shaking up the struggle to find room for the sheer number of ex-racehors- sale’s format. The first two select evening sessions were es, not to mention securing the funding to feed and care successful as was extending Book Two across four days, for them. It costs an estimated $2,300 a year to take care which produced a solid average price of $120,000. of a rescued horse, according to the Unwanted Horse Co- Sellers and their agents get most of the credit for stimu- alition, an equine industry alliance working to reduce the lating trade, however, because they were realistic with number of unwanted horses and improve their welfare. their reserve prices. It’s a tough nut to swallow going into Slaughter is in the future of an estimated 7,000 former a sale knowing the value of your horse, based on stud fee, racehorses every year, despite the closure in 2007 of U.S. processing plants. These racehorses are among the estimat- ed 90,000 or so that are now shipped annually to Canada In the best of all possible and Mexico to meet their ends. This week The Blood-Horse looks at the unwanted horse worlds, every yearling issue, how it’s being addressed, how other racing countries deal with ex-racehorses, and how some horses are saved offered at Keeneland while others disappear from the racing landscape. The pros and cons of slaughter are not debated, though Barbara would find a buyer Luna, program administrator for the Pennsylvania Thor- oughbred Horsemen’s Association “Turning For Home” is really 35-40% less than what you program, presents a strong argument for alternatives to actually paid. But sellers bit that bullet slaughter. Dr. Tom Lenz, former chairman of the Unwanted and horses changed hands. In 2009 Horse Coalition, notes that while the industry cannot elimi- the average RNA price was $52,628, nate unwanted horses, it can minimize the problem. and five of those buy-backs brought The coalition is at the forefront of the effort. Its initiatives Eric Mitchell, Editorial Director a final bid of $500,000 or more. Two include: and Editor-in-Chief, horses were bought back for $900,000. • Promoting responsible ownership through education [email protected] This year the average RNA price was • Helping equine groups become more involved $48,447. There was a son of A.P. Indy • Encouraging the gelding of stallions to reduce over- that was bought back for $1.25 million on the second breeding and to provide more manageable riding horses night, but the rest of the sale saw only one other RNA • Working closely with equine groups that provide eu- with a final bid above $500,000. thanasia programs and clinics By keeping the reserves reasonable, consignors were The coalition and other groups deserve accolades for forcing buyers to raise their hands in the sales pavilion in- bringing the problem of unwanted horses to the forefront stead of hoping for a deal back in the barns. and for seeking solutions. b “If someone RNA’d a horse far beyond the market, there was no return visit to the barn,” said Kerry Cauthen, Special Projects Editor Jacqueline Duke contributed to this managing partner of Four Star Sales. “But because most of column. BloodHorse.com ■ OCTOBER 2, 2010 2827 UNWANTED HOrsES Special Report Racing Attempts to Tackle Unwanted Horse Issue BY TOM LA MARRA Call to erception often isn’t real- ity, but it might well be Pwhen it comes to unwant- ed horses in the United States. A 2009 survey commissioned by Action the Unwanted Horse Coalition may be the best indicator. From a sam- pling of more than 23,000—horse owners, industry stakeholders, rescue and adoption facilities, and even non-horse owners—about 85% said unwanted horses are a “big problem.” Of the same group, about 24% said unwanted horses were a big problem three years earlier. So what changed? There have al- ways been problems with unwant- ed horses—and unwanted animals ANNE M. EBERHARDT Typical case: This Thoroughbred mare was found emaciated and pregnant at a Kentucky in general—so why the strong shift farm. Animal control officers alerted the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, where the mare now lives with her recently born foal. in such a short period of time? A real change in society’s awareness Unwanted horses are defined as those raised about the fate of unwanted horses” of how animals should be treated has oc- that are no longer wanted by their current and the possibility they could “overwhelm curred, fed largely by a greater perception owner because they are old, injured, sick, the capacity of rescue organizations.” that there are serious problems. unmanageable, unable to meet expecta- Based on input from the about 60 res- Participants in the UHC survey—the tions, or unaffordable by their owner. cue and adoption facilities surveyed by the most detailed of its kind—hit on all the U.S. government agencies report there are UHC, as well as government statistics, the major contributors to the problem of un- roughly 170,000 such horses each year, in- equine industry would need about $25 mil- wanted horses: the downturn in the econ- cluding feral horses. lion to care for horses no one wants. It costs omy; closing of U.S. processing plants; in- For most of the last decade, many un- about $2,300 a year to care for one horse. discriminate breeding practices; expenses wanted horses were sent to slaughterhous- Of the surveyed facilities, 39% are at associated with euthanasia; a lack of buy- es. Statistics put the 2007 estimate at about full capacity and 30% at near capacity. ers; and an overall lack of responsibility on 140,000—58,000 at U.S. processing plants, The four “most appealing solutions” in the the part of horse owners. while 45,000 were exported to Mexico and survey are education on responsible own- The survey showed the economy by far 36,000 exported to Canada. ership; financially supporting rescue and was the biggest contributor, according to By the end of 2007, all three U.S. slaugh- adoption facilities; reopening U.S. process- 74% of respondents, followed by closure terhouses had closed, leading to an increase ing plants; and providing more resources of processing plants (48% of respondents), in traffic across the southern and northern for humane euthanasia. indiscriminate breeding (40%), and the borders. The United States Department The UHC—a broad alliance of equine high cost of euthanasia and carcass dis- of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health organizations that have joined together posal (23%). Inspection Service noted “concerns were under the American Horse Council—and 2828 BloodHorse.com ■ OCTOBER 2, 2010 racing groups in general Perceptions Of The Unwanted Horse Problem is $1,000. are viewed as pro-slaugh- Rescue/Adoption Non-horse “Euthanasia has to be ter because they don’t ve- Stakeholders Facilities Horse Owners Owners an option,” said an in- hemently oppose it. The *n=2,245 n=60 n=20,484 n=422 dustry official who noted Number of Unwanted Horses 96% 93% 96% 93% issue, however, is much Is Increasing the sensitive nature of more complicated. Feel Unwanted Horses Are a the topic. “It’s certainly a 86% 87% 88% 82% Many horse owners and Big Problem in Past Year better option than slaugh- Feel Unwanted Horses Were racing participants pro- 22% 28% 20% 26% ter—at least it’s humane. vide outstanding care for a Big Problem 3 Years Ago And I think people are n=TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS ANSWERING THE QUESTION. Source—UNWANTED HORSE COALITION / THE AMERICAN HORSE COUNCIL equines and wouldn’t ship coming to the conclusion their horses to slaughter- Familiarity/Concern About The Unwanted Horse Problem that you can’t stockpile houses no matter the cir- horses.” cumstances. But they also Rescue/Adoption Non-horse The UHC adopted a Stakeholders Facilities Horse Owners Owners understand the issue of *n=2,245 n=60 n=20,484 n=422 strategic plan in late June unwanted horses and the Familiarity with Problem 77% 97% 82% 46% that includes working need for various options, with other organizations Concern with Problem 95% 97% 95% 86% even those that might be such as state horse coun- n=TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS ANSWERING THE QUESTION.