A new book profiles Jerseyans who adopted horses after their racing days were behind them, when they needed homes and loving partnerships
The plight of many horses who have finished their racing careers is no secret. Those who aren't headed for the breeding shed or lack caring owners too often wind up at auction, with an uncertain future that could end in a trip to the slaughterhouse.
But others are lucky. They go to rescue groups and are re-trained for adoption. What happens to them after that intrigued Tewksbury author Loren Spiotta-DiMare, who followed a couple of dozen standardbreds and thoroughbreds to new homes in the Garden State.
She wrote about their second lives in a book published this year, "Beyond the Finish Line: Stories of Ex-Racehorses," with photos by Martin Kavanagh lorensreadingroom.com
"I really didn't know much about racehorses or what happens to them," said Spiotta-DiMare, who got an introduction to their world from her friend Suzanne D'Ambrose of Neptune, a volunteer for the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, who had adopted two standardbreds.
"That kind of inspired me to get interested," said Spiotta-DiMare, who had been reading news reports about the proliferation of unwanted horses, a situation that is particularly acute in the economic downturn.
"These are beautiful animals who do our bidding in a sporting sense, and then when they're no longer sound or have gotten old, too often they're disposed of, which I think is criminal" she said.
"The first thing is to realize there is an alternative; they can be retrained. The sad thing is, a lot of times they're young, and they do have soundness issues, so it takes a special person to bring them along," she noted.
But people find creative solutions; the owners profiled in the book have come up with all kinds of things to do with their horses, from competing in showmanship and halter classes, to trail paces, driving (a natural for the standardbreds) barrel racing, team penning, side-saddle, dressage and jumping. Other horses have gone to the Newark and Asbury Park police departments or taken part in Civil War re-enactments and parades, all part of an intriguing array of diversity.
Karen Taylor of Tewksbury has tried many things with Chieftain, a chestnut thoroughbred featured in the book who is a distant relative of Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
Chieftain was a challenge at first, "he had so much energy," recalled Taylor, 46, who has an architectural renderings business.
She didn't start riding until the age of 35. Wisely, she invested in plenty of lessons with Chieftain, and now she's happy eventing, among other pursuits.
"He's a point-and-shoot," she said about the jumping phases, while conceding he still needs some work on his dressage, adding that he's coming along in that department. Jason Quinn, the son of one of Taylor's friends, has been riding Chieftain bareback since he was a toddler, which attests to the gentleness of the gelding.
Taylor's advice to those who want to adopt an ex-racehorse is to give the project the attention it needs.
"I believe that bonding takes time, patience, discipline and respect," she cautioned.
D'Ambrose is on her second standardbred, Indy, and proudly attests to the wall full of ribbons that he has won. The licensed harness racing groom would occasionally care for him after races, so they had a seamless transition.
She uses him as a model to teach Girl Scouts how to groom and massage a horse. When he's not doing that, he's involved in parades and halter or trail classes, as well as competing in open western shows and hunter paces.
D'Ambrose, who teaches law enforcement at the Monmouth County Vocational School in Long Branch, noted an advantage of getting an ex-racehorse from a rescue group such as SRF or ReRun, which works with thoroughbreds, is that"if that horse doesn't work out, you can bring it back and swap him out. They're with these organizations for life."
She advises those looking for a horse to, "definitely adopt a racehorse, whether it's a thoroughbred or a standardbred, because they need a home and they want a job."
ON THE RAIL -- Those interested in taking on an ex-racehorse may want to attend a program presented by ReRun May 15-16 at the Horse Park of New Jersey, the weekend after it is the beneficiary of the Jersey Fresh three-day event there.
Eventer Steuart Pittman will offer a demonstration and riding clinic with off-the-track horses. For more information or to buy tickets, go to rerun.org.
Both the SRF and ReRun are looking for new farms to house their charges in New Jersey.
Rerun, working out of a New Egypt facility at present, needs about 25 acres with run-in sheds, as well as a stable and an area to work the horses.
SRF, which has 35 horses at a farm in Hamilton, requires sufficient turn-out, stabling and an indoor ring so they can be trained. The organization is looking for a central New Jersey location. To contact the SRF, go to adoptahorse.org.
She spelled out her husband Jason's name. That was a huge accomplishment last week for Olympic dressage rider Courtney King-Dye, who spent weeks in a coma and now is wide awake and able to point to letters on a board as she starts to express herself during sessions with therapists at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange.
King-Dye fractured her skull in a fall March 3 as she was training a horse who tipped over. She has made tremendous strides in recent days, using a special wheelchair to visit her dogs, and standing with support.
"It's very encouraging and steady progress," said King-Dye's mentor, Lendon Gray, who is spending the weekend at a Florida dressage show helping support her friend's staff and students.
King-Dye still cannot talk, but her trachea tube has been removed and it seems only a matter of time.
"She's starting to interact," said Gray.
The state is keeping a lid on an outbreak of equine herpes virus cases, quarantining three farms in Howell Township, one in Millstone, one in Farmingdale and one in Sewell.
The state Department of Agriculture's Division of Animal Health said two horses had to be euthanized at Sweet Dreams Farm in Farmingdale with the neurological form of EHV, and another died with similar signs.
However, investigations have been finished at Camelot Auction Company in Middlesex County and Handy Acres Farm in Ocean County, so they are not included in the quarantine.
The disease can cause respiratory problems and spontaneous abortions, while the neurological form has a high mortality rate.
Nancy Halpern, the veterinarian who serves as director of the state Division of Animal Health, said "I think we've been successful" in preventing the disease from spreading, noting she has not seen any additional cases since the beginning of the outbreak last month.
She noted that "the virus exists in 80 percent of horses across the country,and occasionally it does bad things, like it's done here."
While advising that horse owners should take "universal precautions," she said people can continue to go to shows, unless a horse in their barn has been sick.
She also suggested taking a horse's temperature before putting it on the trailer and warned, "Don't let your horses have nose-to-nose contact with horses from other premises."
Any new horse coming to a barn should be quarantined for two to three weeks, she said; the incubation period for EHV is generally two to 10 days.
EHV can be spread through the air (with a snort or sneeze) or in manure. She added that while the EHV vaccine is not protective against neurological form of the disease. "I would always recommend vaccinating against equine herpes."
There was an outbreak of the virus at Monmouth Park in 2006, but it was confined to the premises and no horses died..
The first of the spring hunter paces are scheduled for next Sunday. The Somerset County Park Commission and the Friends of Lord Stirling Stable are holding theirs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at 256 S. Maple Ave. in Basking Ridge. Sponsored by Horsemen's Outlet, it is open to both western and English riders. The pace is an informal event _ the only dress requirements are approved protective headgear and boots. Register the day of the event. For information, call (908) 766-5955 or go to flssnj.org.
The Monmouth County Hunt's pace, also set for that day, is slated for 9 a.m.-noon at the hunt kennels on East Branch Road in Allentown. Go to monmouthcountyhunt.com.
ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Sunday: Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township.
Friday: Mid-Atlantic Painted Dream Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Black River Farm Show, 20 Boss Rd., Ringoes (through next Sunday); Preview of Rutgers Young Horse Auction, Red Barn, College Farm Road (Off Route 1), New Brunswick (5 p.m. start).
Next Sunday: Briarwood Farm Show, Pleasant Run Road, Readington; Clover Valley Farm Dressage Show and Combined Test, 91 Hillcrest Rd., Whitehouse Station; Lord Stirling Stable Hunter Pace, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge (9 a.m.-1 p.m.); Monmouth County Hunt Hunter Pace, Hunt Kennels, East Branch Road, Allentown; Central Jersey Horsemen's Association English/Western/Standardbred Show, East Freehold Park, Kozloski Road, Freehold; Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Rd., Morganville.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.