TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

horse lover — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:21:06 GMT

On another subject of what I consider abuse.Old broodmares have died in large numbers this spring giving birth to foals.Why is there not an age when breeders just stop instead of killing these wonderful old girls who have given them so much.Are they using the awful practice of nurse mares for thses foals.Inhumane treatment of three animals with no thought to it at all.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

judy — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 04:59:11 GMT

I have adopted over 6 horses from TRF thru the years. I now have just 2 young mares.I contacted bloodhorse years ago that TRF was mismanaging its money. Diana Pikulski is passionate on the horses but in my opinion is on an ego trip. I contacted her about a fundraiser in my area but needed local contacts. I could even get free coverage on my local station. She said everyone could contact her or the website.The T.V. station said they needed a local contact. I never heard from her again even though I called her a lot. My friends aunt contacted her about adopting up to 5 horses. Diana refused but wanted her as a satellite farm instead. My friend ended up getting 10 horses mostly unadoptable on her 200 acres from other rescue groups. I had a fundraiser and donated to the exceller fund and Thoroubred charities of america. Just recently I got papers to send in on their annual shots. Both horses have been dead for years. I even sent in their death certificates. The 2 I have now weren't in their data base.They are always broke but make sure they get their salary. Any good people that were their are gone. Most who have their own rescues.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Sunny Farm — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:45:17 GMT

Instead of paying someone 90 THOUSAND a year for what is supposed to be charity work ,

(I am disgusted to discover this fact ) Why not offer low cost x-rays (etc ) to horses at the track BEFORE they break down, and use the money the right way. This isn't the total solution but prevenative measures would be a better place to start-keep more horses sound who could then go on to another career.

When a real drug ban takes effect in racing, break-downs will be less.

I support everyone in racing who has taken a firm stand against "race day medication"

Just this action alone will re-store the Thoroughbred's standing in the horse world. As soon as the drug ban takes effect, more of the right people will feel confident to try racing AND remain as owners of the Thoroughbred.(As long as this news gets out to the horse owners OUTSIDE of the Thoroughbred world via advertising )

Saddle horses in the West are demanding good money but you can't give a Thoroughbred away un-less he is sound, trained AND suitable for the many green riders.SOMEONE is NOT advertising the Thoroughbred OUT-SIDE of racing to the general public to dispell the false-hoods the Thoroughbred has come to aquire over the many years of greed, deception and just plain stupidity of it's connections.

What a shame as the Thoroughbred is one of the most intelligent, affectionate and yes...sound horses available. They don't deserve the stigma and stero-type but some of the "owners" do.

There are a lot of so called "horse -rescues" who are NOTHING more than low class horse traders & use charity money while the horses go without.This bodes badly for the honest and sincere rescues.The first thing that needs to be done is to hire someone who IS A REAL HORSEMAN AND HAS AN EXCELLENT RECORD FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

Such a person would be EMBARRESED to accept 90 K a YEAR just for thier services for CHARITY & if they did they would EARN those wages & put the horse first, a real horseman would end up spending his own wages on the horses anyway. Sounds like more than the horse is un-sound here.

For the record, as horsewoman over 42 years, I have saved a LOT of horses of all breeds.

I never asked for a damn thing from anyone and have never had a thin neglected horse on my place once he had arrived and been recovered and brought to health.

Never made any money-but sure cost a lot.The satisfaction has come from being ABLE to help & to see pride returned to one of the greatest animals on earth & I just "plain LOVE horses "

My own pride does come from the way my horses look and respond to me. I don't need to pay an added registry fee for retirement of my horses as I will handle it BETTER.(and shall need my money to do so )

Not everyone should be forced to 'pay in '' and not all Thoroughbreds ever race but are used in other careers. Paying in should be by donation and by willingness of the owner.From the sounds of the neglect of the rescue places..well...what are you paying FOR ?

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Dawn in MN — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:13:43 GMT

I started writing a very long response and realized that the best thing I could do, would be to provide a resource state simply that it is my opinion that veterinarians are the best resource on this issue.

Vilifying rescues does nothing to resolve this issue. There are probably better qualified individuals who would WORK, very hard, for the horses for half of what the big rescues pay the people in their employ. I bet there are back-side workers who are more qualified too.

The site link below will bring the reader to a wealth of information on this topic. I think readers will find the "News" link and the article titled NTRA: Is Anyone Home? interesting.

See the "Veterinarians for Equine Welfare" site at this link.

www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/index.php

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Fuzzy Corgi — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:00:18 GMT

I was about to send an emotionally charged post when I decided to view what others had to say. I agree with what sceptre and Karen in Indiana stated. In a perfect world nobody would ever go hungry or suffer from disease or injury. There always would be enough funding to support everyone and the funding would be used as it was intended. Unfortunately, this paradise doesn't exist.

Sometimes the most heart wrenching decision is the most kind. Humane euthanasia is the one selfless final gesture of dignity we can provide for our beloved animals. To see a horse hobble around on severely artritic joints, advanced navicular, laminitis, etc. or slowly starving to death because their teeth have mostly fallen out, or they can no longer extract nutrients from their food is cruel. Is it worth spending $5,000+ on extending the life of a crippled or terminally ill animal for another month or can that money be used to help five or more young and healthy horses to find a new home and career? Some will say to treat the crippled or ill animal with as much funding as possible no matter the circumstances. Others will say that the animal should be put out of its misery and the funds used elsewhere. Neither side is wrong but the two sides will never agree.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Julia Householder — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:06:50 GMT

I agree with Patricia!!

Good for you Reiley! There are /were those caregivers that made difficult decisions for these horses, while the ones we euthanized as TRF relocated our herd. Were not all from infirmities of age. It was quality of life we were concerned for the future care of numerous horses. Many of the horses we cared for were relocated twice in the last year. Many are now malnourished, and were neglected through the winter by their current care givers whom I believe have no idea how to care for these horses.......they remain in questionable circumstances....

Thank you for speaking out....

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

NJLin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:46:23 GMT

This organization started with heart and good intentions, I am sure they know that they need to change a few things. Euthanasia for the ones that are in pain and can't get better, another career for the ones that can. Honestly I think Kentucky Women is right, and I wouldn't sit on it too long... you should talk to the Racing Commisisons about retirement fees and winnings. The breeders/owners have to start taking responsibility.

All of you that have kids in their 20's get them out to the track, friends too....I do, Our young will help save racing.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

anne — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:36:28 GMT

Geno and KentuckyWoman have got it. An organization that will do nothing more than take in every single racehorse and feed it, is doomed from the start. There has to be a purpose, and an end, other than just feeding and taking care of horses, whether they can still be useful or not. People want to put human emotions on horses, and its just not the case. Horse live for now, and if they are crippled and in pain, thats all they know. Why would people want to sink hard earned money and resources into horses like that? Its to make PEOPLE feel better, not the horses. And is this not ultimately about the horse? Yes, take in horses, rehabilitate, and find new homes. Ones that cant be useful, if other homes cant be found, then euthanasia is a very sound solution, saving funds and resources for the ones that still have years of good life for people who want riding horses. Unfortunately rescues are not like the Federal Government. You can't just borrow and borrow until you are trillions in debt. There has to be accountability and a purpose. And there hasnt been.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Lynn — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:47:34 GMT

Ray Paulick - What kind of trite nonsense are you trying to pass off instead of manning up and insisting that the TRF board clean up the organization?

Part of the problem? It is obvious that Mr. McDonald saw the organization was out of control and the majority of the board and management were not willing to address serious systemic issues. Why would anyone want to stay on board that bus when they could clearly see it was hurtling toward a disastrous collision.

And learn to read for comprehension. Mr. McDonald is laying out a SOLUTION. Unfortunately, it appears to be a solution that you and the rest of the TRF board and management apparently are too stubborn or proud to accept.

Stop your childish ranting, quit trying to deflect blame, and start making sure ALL OF YOUR HORSES are being fed!

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Rosemary — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:24:54 GMT

Almost every other thoroughbred rescue focuses exclusively on sound horses that can be retrained and adopted. But more than HALF of the horses coming off our racetracks are NOT suitable for a second career. As long as they're comfortable enough to enjoy life in a pasture without needing pain medication, they deserve a place to spend the rest of their lives. Let ReRun/CANTER/New Vocations/etc continue focusing on adoptions and and let the TRF continue rescuing their castoffs.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Patricia Lenihan — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:14:04 GMT

Reiley has hit the nail on the head. He is bravely sharing his insider's knowledge of the TRF's past managerial and financial problems while proposing a real-world solution to the issue. As a former TRF board member and board secretary, I agree with every word he has written. Ray Paulick joined the board long after the die was cast. If he wants to know why Reiley and so many other board members resigned, he should ask them directly, not stir the pot and sensationalize the story by insinuating that they were part of the problem. I would like to remind Ray that I was the one and only board member who refused to resign as so many others had to do because I wanted to draw public attention to the serious managerial shortcomings of the Executive Director and to those on the board who (to use Reiley's words) "allowed management to run the organization into the ground". Lastly, I would like to suggest that the TRF be liberated from its relationships with lobbyists and PR firms that have strong ties to Washington DC. It doesn't look good when charities get involved with political causes and vice versa.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Emily — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:36:12 GMT

While it is both easy and justifiable to lay all accountability on the hands of those running equine rescue/rehab/re-homing organizations for their own failures to provide adequate care, the real root of the issue is the lack of accountability that is accepted or laid upon the industry itself. Without looking into some of the abysmal breeding practices, training practices, and racing regulation that allows and even encourages ill-management of horses on-track in some cases (and brings forth many of the horses who arrive at these rescue facilities in such poor physical shape)... we cannot move forward.

The racing industry as a whole has a distinct duty to support the animals that they breed. Whether this means that all breeders must donate to a fund (with all registration fees) to help support the care of the horses they have brought into the world after their racing careers, and/or there is a portion of all purses that must go to a retirement program... the industry itself must take the responsibility and action to support and care for the animals that make this industry function.

The disposable mentality of racing is really what is at the root of the problems facing Thoroughbreds after their careers have ended for whatever reason(s). Until we as a group can address this problem, and frankly, force those in the industry to face the problem of irresponsible and over-breeding, nothing will change on the level of the rescue/rehab centre. Without financial support from the industry that creates these horses by the thousands every year, how can one legitimately expect them to be able to properly provide the end-of-life care that should be available to the animal?

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Kentucky Woman — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:08:11 GMT

Thank you, Reiley, for putting so many of our thoughts into words. Caring for a 1,000 horse herd is completely dead end and unfair to the hundreds of horsemen that support the TRF and cannot get their horses into the Program. TRF's current business plan gives a bare necessities existence to 1,000 elite horses and none others get accepted until some of these pass away. How is that helping any, but a handful of the horses leaving the track each year? The TRF has traditionally been in the limelight as racing's signature "retirement" program. But how many new horses are they actually taking each year? How an organization can expect to care for large numbers of horses for the duration of their lives and continue to be a service to new retirees is beyond me. In my opinion, TRF's funds need to be sent on retraining and re-homing adoptable retirees with a rigorous euthansia policy for the unadoptable.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Page Hodson — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:58:50 GMT

Thank you, indeed, Mr. Paulick! Your second paragraph is truly the heart of the matter..full stop.

Now that the "what" of the problem has been so clearly and accurately identified,when will we be able to move on to solving it? Why is there any footdragging whatsoever? I would dearly love for the New York Times and every other media outlet that covers racing to request interviews with those "industry leaders" so that if they have viable reasons why they are completely unwilling to take responsibility for the problems they create, which rescue organizations currently try desparately to clean up, they could explain, and if they decline the interview, that would tell us all we ever need to know.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Geno — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:32:40 GMT

One undeniable reality is that the Thoroughbred racing industry is in a permanent slowly spiraling decline and has been for several decades. Another undeniable reality is there will never be enough funding available to properly care for all the racetrack retiree's (regardless of the name of the organization or its location).

I would hope that a new mission statement would focus on adoption and re-schooling as one of its primary goals instead of trying to permanently care for ever increasing numbers of retiree's. And there does absolutely need to be a euthanasia policy that includes 'quality of life' as a guideline for when to say when. If funding was unlimited, then TRF could engage in 'Barbaro' type heroic efforts. But of course that's not the case so reality dictates the need for decisions to be made by qualified responsible horseman to make the proper decisions when they need to be made.

Not knowing the history of the former management and leadership of TRF, I know the job at hand is a difficult one and is only going to get tougher. There's no simple or easy solution and its not going to get fixed overnight, but none the less it does need to be addressed and hard decisions must be made to 'right' this floundering ship.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Karen in Indiana — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:12:05 GMT

I've had animals all my life. There have been times when I've had to make emotionally hard decisions and have animals euthanized, either because they were in pain with a future that would have been filled with more pain or because they were going to die soon anyway. You can't explain to an animal why it's in pain - all they know is they hurt. Period. One of my dogs slipped 6 disks in her back. After the vets said they could stabilize it, but it would happen again, I looked at her and how utterly miserable in pain and confused she was and I couldn't put her through that again. Another dog had kidney failure in his old age. He was part chihuahua and high strung, the treatments just to keep him alive would have had him upset every day, it involved injecting fluid under his skin and then draining it. I could have been selfish and decided to keep them alive, but it would have been torturing them in the name of love. What kind of love is that? Instead, I did what was in their best interests, cried my eyes out and mourned their loss. We owe it to the animals to put their needs first, even if sometimes that means putting them out of their pain when the pain is severe and there is no hope of making it better.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Leslie — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:40:37 GMT

I certainly appreciate that Mr. Paulick concurs that Mr. McDonald makes some good points - that admission reflects real progress from a current TRF board member - but, while I don't know Mr. McDonald or the circumstances of his tenure, it seems self-evident from his stated observations why he would have left after only two years.

If you're serving on a board and you're not made aware of a situation that has a direct, detrimental impact on its financial resources, and/or you're not able to influence and alter its direction to avoid a fiscal or operational crisis, why would you think your continued participation on that board would be anything more than an exercise in oversight futility?

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

sceptre — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:05:37 GMT

The root of the TRFs problems no doubt stem from a Board Of Directors appointed/chosen for their financial clout rather than true merit/experience/ability-rather typical of the Sport's methods in general. Yes, I'm sure that many of these board members are also major contributors to the TRF, and their funds are sorely needed (and appreciated by all) but, perhaps, they should leave the mind work to those better able, and put aside the "glory" of altruism that the title of board member of a TRF may bestow...And, Reiley, since when did you become such an expert on what should and should not be euthanized? Those are very tough decisions-not likely ammenable to any general policy, and certainly not to be formulated by your present standing Board. Always better to error on the side of life. The purpose here is not to appease the press with a streamlined operation, but rather to save and properly care for as many lives as possible. Yes, I agree, make more effort to find them suitable homes, but don't start rejecting or euthanizing those with some infirmities. There's a lot more to this than can be discussed here, but your general tone I found troubling.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

bailey — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:22:44 GMT

Thank you for standing up and speaking out. As a former employee of this organization, I experienced extreme frustration at what took place there. I hope positive changes can occur as a result of what has transpired. Our horses deserve better.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Tressa — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:07:37 GMT

Well said Mr. McDonald.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't a bunch of "industry leaders" get together seveal years ago and hammer out a plan to "fix" auction/sales issues. I have to wonder why or when this will happen for the retirement issue.

In my opinion, there shouldn't be a TRF so much as there should be a department within the Jockey Club supported by registration fees/purse percentages/take-outs/donations... that oversees and manages the proper treatment of our horses.

The TRF has obvious mismanagement issues, but they are only a fraction of the larger problems that loom over thoroughbred racing. The ENTIRE system needs to be overhauled.

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

Ray Paulick — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:47:32 GMT

Reiley makes some good points, but fails to explain why he quit the board after just two years.

If Reiley was not part of the solution, is he part of the problem?

re: TRF Should Redefine Its Mission - By Reiley McDonald

vegasvixen — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:05:39 GMT

How does one believe anything that the USA press says? It deals in sensationalism and putting blame on anything or anyone for the shortcomings as they see it. I do know that many persons do not believe in euthanasia and this is the crux of the problem. If euthansia is allowed, how does one control or monitor its use? What are allowable reasons for euthanasia? TRF is obvoiusly suffering financially and will always operate on the fringes of the racing community trying to give humane treatment to racing's castoffs. USA horseracing industry must be made responsible by mandating that a part of all revenues be devoted to thoroughbred retirement.