Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

I live in an area of Pasadena, CA where there seems to be an overabundance of squirrels. I am situated not far from the San Gabriel Mountains and perhaps through several generations these furry creatures have found their way to living in the old pine trees in our neighborhood. I am a beach girl, as in the "O.C" and I didn't see them growing up.

All this to say that squirrels amuse me. Well maybe not so much, but who would think that this morning one of these scampering rodents would teach me something.

Squirrels need "tools" in order to survive. That got me to thinking much like the squirrel that uses my roof line to travel quickly from tree to tree gathering his food source, using the tree and a rock or other tools at time to crack open the meat of a delicious nut, The Second Race needs tools to sustain itself.

When The Second Race was originally envisioned in 2009, it was to be a national network, a private for profit business. It was not going to be a "rescue" of any sort and it was not going to take in horses (for at least three years into its growth). It was going to help those that already did that work facilitate the growing trend of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Blog Posts and Online Communities) to more quickly place horses into new homes. It wasn't going to be a wide net for all horses, but a specific niche that I felt was missing in the market (all race horses and those bred to race would be eligible for assistance). And a there was going to be a tool (that I still don't want to discuss), that would be unlike any of its kind to help those looking for horses find one in need.

The Second Race in 2009 had a 10 year business plan. An online community was created (and still is paid for but never launched). Facebook was utilized to gauge interest and a website was created. Twitter, still in its infancy didn't seem to click with me personally, my thought was it was a bunch of self absorbed people that needed to alert anyone that was just as self obsessed of their every move. I didn't see the value of it three years ago for what we were going to do. (We recently returned to Twitter and use it for specific purposes--but not placing horses).

The funny thing about a business plan, its as good as the time given to make it happen. Its as good as the tools used to implement it and its only as good as the paper its written on. If the squirrel doesn't climb that tree to get to the "fruit" of its labors, its all for not. A business plan, any business for that matter must stay a step ahead of its competition, it must listen to its customers and it must be able to redirect and reinvent itself to stay relevant in a fickle world.

The Second Race answered that need by opening itself up to taking in horses, this was done by a complete leap of faith, that has had its hiccups along the way. Lots of lessons have been learned since that time and continue to be learned. Mistakes made and feelings hurt. Egos run rampant in this industry and we have had our detractors. But we have had solid alliances from the start. The Second Race had to change its path and unfortunately many of the original initiatives and goals have been shelved. The Second Race had to begin the process of becoming a non profit. Not having a large source of income to spare to file our paperwork, I did it myself. As much as I believe I am a bright accomplished person, we can't always do everything and should have used financial resources and legal help. So because I didn't I had to re-do my paperwork several times. In the process of redoing it (our filing) we had grown so much that we re-did our mission, included new board members, and created an advisory board of race horse trainers to assist us. All the while not a non profit, but taking in more horses. We absolutely put the cart before the horse in this case. And as the squirrel knows that he has to store lots and lots of nuts in the ground to sustain him through the winter, our pending non profit status will help us feed itself so that we can go back to using our mental resources in growing The Second Race to the next level. To return to our original intent which was to be a national network to quickly and efficiently help those that help ex-race horses of any breed re-home their horses and move on to helping the next.

That squirrel that I watched this morning scurry from branch to branch with a frenetic but calculated purpose made me remember why I started The Second Race and what will help us succeed for the long haul. We have to have tools in our arsenal, just like the squirrel needs the assistance of the earth, the tree, the nut working in unison, we too need to work in tandem with many sources to help us increase our brand and sustain our dream and mission.

In the first 90 days of 2012 we are going to do what we can to finalize our non profit status, we are going to do everything we can to re-home the horses we currently have under our roof, and then we are going to dust off our original business plan using the tools of the knowledge and experience we have learned in the past 2 1/2 years and we are going to get back to the basics thereby able to replicate ourselves in several ways to help many more horses in 2012 which all along was our goal when we started The Second Race in 2009.

What You Should Consider When Rescuing a Horse from an Auction Lot

The Second Race from time to time assists with the purchase of auction/feed lot horses. These are horses that could be destined for slaughter to Canada or Mexico for European plates if they are not purchased. Our mission is to work directly with owner, trainers, and breeders at the race tracks, but with constant pleas and pictures that are hard to resist, we have assisted in the rescue of 12 horses to date via our designated 'Quarter Pole Fund'. Our latest assistance was to "Dan" a grey gelding orchestrated by Kara V. in New York. To learn more about this particular program go to http://www.thesecondrace.com/quarterpolefund.htm
Photo by Patti Walker

Here is a post we received and thought it was worth sharing from Helping Hearts Equine Rescue, that monitors an auction lot on the East Coast.


Bringing Home a "Direct from the Feed Lot" Horseby Helping Hearts Equine Rescue on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 6:20am

Please, be aware that horse ownership is not something to be taken lightly. Especially taking on the responsibility of a direct-from-the-pen-rescue-horse. We strongly recommend quarantine, as these horses have been exposed to a number of pathogens during a stressful time. Liken it to sending a child to school for the first time. They ALL get sick from other children's germs. Illness and vet bills is a fact of life when purchasing a Feed Lot horse. Horsekeeping expenses vary from region to region, but all experienced horsepersons will tell you that the purchase price is the cheapest part of horse purchase/ownership. With a direct-rescue, expect those up-front expenses to be higher than the norm.

I always get a little mental- twitch when I see a post offering to take in a horse if the bail, etc. are raised for it. I'm hoping that the person is aware of the EXPENSE and COMMITMENT of taking in a horse, and can afford it, especially with a directly-rescued horse. Sadly, lately, a few situations hve come to light of horses that need rescuing from their rescuers. When this sort of thing happens, terribly-- the horses suffer and the whole rescue-effort is looked upon with suspicion--accusations and mis-trust quickly follow behind that.

Please note that we do our best to post accurate info on each horse, but each horse spends less than 2 minutes being run thru the sale-ring, often the actual time is even less than that. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of info about the horses temperament, soundness or training, as our notes are based on what is announced about each horse and our observations in a very short window of time--we are looking at dozens of horses every week in a very short period of time. The majority of these horses are WONDERFUL, and just need a bit of time to settle in. A few though, will need some work, may have been mis-represented by their sellers in regard to training and temperment. And sadly too, there have been a few cases of horses being much more "up" when they arrived at their new homes than they were in the ring. (sadly, some sellers "medicate" horses they offer for sale--If I think a horse at the sale may have been tranquilized, I mention it, I don't want anyone getting hurt). A question to ask yourself: Are you competent/confident to work thru these issues; or have the resources to work with a professional to assist in teaching your horse to be a solid citizen for you. Just because he's a low-priced rescue doesn't mean he's not worth the cost of professional assistance or training. (Sadly, I've heard that. "He was only $300, I'm not paying a trainer to work with him! It's not worth it!" -- makes me want to smack them)

Be realistic and be patient. I receive contact several times a week from Camelot-Feed-Lot-Purchasers whose horsers 'aren't working out'. I've helped network and rehome a good number of them. I've taken in a few who wound up being fine, the problem never materializing here. In a couple of recent situations where I was networking the horse, I later got calls back saying "never mind", that the issue resolved. The horse settled in, and became (1) less dominant in the pasture, (2), stopped banging at feeding time; (3) ground manners improved, etc. Horses are very social animals, they need structure, they need to know/understand where they stand in the social hierarchy. In the cases of social hierarchy/aggression in turnout----they've often had to protect themselves thru a series of pens and trailers packed wtih strange horses jockeying for position; In the case of bad-manners/aggression at feeding time, starved horses need to realize that they will be fed--every day--every time -- when that happens, they often become less anxious at feeding time and stop banging, screaming, kicking, lunging at the stall door, etc. But it takes time, sometimes weeks or months.

If you are unsure about purchasing an 'unknown quantity" from the sale list, please do consider adopting a horse that's been pulled by a rescue. Rescues get them in, QT them, vet them, evaluate them for training and temperament, often put training into them and the adoption contracts give you a safety net, should the horse NOT work out. Adopting from a rescue allows the rescue the resources to save another and repeat the process. YES, the adoption fee is more than the pull fee, but it is LESS than what YOU would spend to get a horse out of the Pen and up to that point.

This post is not meant to discourage the purchase of a Feed Lot horse, but is meant to make sure our prospective rescuers go into their labor-of-love with their eyes open.

Thank You.

Lisa (HHER)

True Cowboy Magazine Initiates a Rescue Fund for Horses

With the release of the June issue of trueCOWBOYmagazine (an online publication), came a personal message from editor Cate Crismani that caught my attention, the announcement that they are starting an Emergency Horse Rescue Fund. The fund will be monetized by subscription fees to the magazine. The goal of the Emergency Horse Rescue Fund is "saving a horse(s) from feedlots and certain cruel slaughter", said Ms. Crismani.

"Here at trueCOWBOYmagazine we are concerned with the welfare of all horses, mustangs, thoroughbreds and all breeds" The fund would offer assistance to groups who seek help to rescue directly from the feedlots.

You can help trueCowboymagazine's mission by subscribing online at www.truecowboymagazine.com or you can receive using your Iphone as well.

The Second Race applauds the efforts of Cate Crismani, and as she always signs off.....Besos!

Reflections on Six Months of Following a Dream

Worchester entered retirement to CERF in November

As 2009 comes to a close, and a decade filled with impossible tragedy, economic collapse and catastrophic events draws to an end I am reminded that there is still hope and possibility.

How can I make a statement like that? Because after losing two jobs in as many years, I decided to follow my bliss, and start The Second Race which endeavors to use the administrative, marketing and managerial skills that I have developed over the past 20 years, and use them to run the rescue/retirement of race horses like a business. I do my best each day to make business decisions, not emotional ones with respect to the horses. I work to be their advocate and have developed a 10 year business plan on their behalf. In a short 6 months; our Facebook page alone has over 4,000 members. Many of those facebook "friends" have contributed to the placement or have adopted a horse offered through The Second Race. We have also helped groups outside of my own via Facebook, and raised $ 1500 as my birthday wish, for the Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue (SCTR). In turn this past week, SCTR purchased two ex-race horses from a local auction lot, sparing the lives of two more horses that others deemed "throw away".

Ocean Chief, being loaded up to his new home in October.

Horses have become the silent victims of this economy. Racing has let down the very athletes that millions of dollars are wagered on each day. Breeders have suffered, and in turn broodmares; no longer of use, due to declining inventories are cast aside like three day old bread. Many race horse owners have fallen out of love with owning expensive horses, and the cost of their hobby has meant that a non performing horse, finds itself quickly in peril.

Runamuq at his new home in September, receiving the first of several equine massages, donated through the networking of Facebook.

Through the networking efforts of many, The Second Race has been able to facilitate the adoption/transfer of 30 race horses into new homes or careers since it's inception in June.
We are currently networking on behalf of 13 more, and have helped to raise the bail monies for 2 ex-race horses in WA state, that were saved from a feedlot and 1 ex-race horse in NJ.

I am proud of this accomplishment and that I took a leap of faith, when many would think it ill advised. It requires a lot of hard work behind the scenes to find a home for a horse. Posting pictures on the Internet, marketing the horse, calling upon mentors for advice, screening applicants, verifying references, arranging transportation, asking for discounted services, relying on fosters, and at times asking the very owners who no longer want their horse to castrate their charge, or pay for the transportation itself. Because we do not have our non profit status, money spent is in most cases out of pocket. Several opportunities await us in the new year when our 501 (c) 3 status is granted--(donations, services at a discount, matching funds programs through employers, lease opportunities to name a few).

I have learned that people are generally good and want to help, I see this every day. For every bad situation (and there are many) that I read about or experience each day, there is a story of inspiration and hope. So many, do so much, with so little, that they inspire me to be a better person. To be able to contribute more and to push myself to dream bigger dreams, when it would be easy to abandon them altogether.

But when you follow your bliss, and you see the fruit of your passion you just can't stop. When you look into the brown, soulful eyes of a horse that relies on you for it's literal next meal, and when you see the happiness of another upon receipt of their new friend. Well words escape you, sleepless nights don't matter, and hours spent evaporate when you hear "the horse far exceeded my expectations".

2010 will bring more stories, more worry and more importantly more horses needing homes. I am happy that I have carved out a "niche" working directly with horsemen, racetracks, lay up farms and owners. I hope that in the short time of our existence as a business; we have saved some horses from going to groups like SCTR and others.

I hope that The Second Race in the new year, will provide a voice for the voiceless, and bring a synergy that does not exist to a bigger stage for those that toil each day on behalf of the race horses in the US and internationally. I truly believe that as we harness technology, using social networking and our modern vocabulary of Twitter and blogging, and as we rethink how to support each other instead of dividing, we will start a real change in this sport, and industry.

The Second Race is poised to take on the challenge, I personally can't wait!

Hard Questions to ask Yourself if Interested in Horse Rescue

Often times I am asked "How can you do horse rescue?". Truthfully, I don't "rescue" horses, I facilitate their (the horses) placement, transition or adoption from the race track into a new home or career. I have chosen this niche, as I would like in my efforts to try and "save" a horse from an uncertain future or from the auction lot by working with owners, trainers, jockeys and race trackers as the first line of defense for our equine athletes. Having said that I do on occasion volunteer my efforts, money, or resources to those that do "rescue". I found a group that networks for horses, one horse at a time, and on their website there was a checklist or a "gut check" of questions that a responsible person or group should ask themselves PRIOR to becoming involved in equine rescue. The questions are:

Checklist for Potential Rescuers

- Am I physically/mentally up to this challenge?
- Am I strong enough to take criticism for what I am doing?
- Do I have the time to dedicate to saving this horse?
- Can I decide between rescue and euthanasia with the signs the horse is giving?
- Am I committed to following the guidance provided for the horse’s care?
- Am I organized enough to document what is being done to care for the horse (both
for “proof” of care should I be reported for neglect myself and to keep track of meds, weights, feed routines, etc.)
- Do I have friends/family that can help me care for the horse in my absence?
- Do I have the money to pay for food, vet bills and necessary supplies?
- Do I have the necessary equipment (feed buckets, water trough/buckets, weather
appropriate blanket, halter, lead, sling for raising a horse)?
- Do I have a clean, warm/cool, dry and safe place to nurse the horse back to health?
- Do I have room for the horse to get exercise?
- Do I have a good relationship with my local vet?
- Is the vet willing to make farm calls quickly?
- Do I know how to check the horse’s temperature?
Do I have stomach/skills for administering feeding tubes, shots, doctoring wounds?
- Can the horse eat without assistance?
- Do I have any clue on what to feed this horse?
- How bad off is he/she? (Body condition score)
- Does the horse drop feed when trying to eat?

The mission of One Horse At a Time, Inc from it's website states:

One Horse at a Time, as our name implies, works with one horse at a time either through a bonefide rescue organization or one on one with individuals.

We provide a network of resources scattered throughout the country. Through our affiliated groups, we can direct resources to where it is needed. In the short period of time we’ve been an organization, we’ve contributed to the rescue and rehabilitation of many horses. We’ve had yard sales, lemonade stands, conducted on-line fundraising to generate the funds needed to help these horses.

In addition to sponsoring a horse, One Horse at a Time also donates to horses with special needs or helps in equine emergencies (such as raising funds for a hay shortage drive or hurricane damage).

To reach One Horse at a Time go to http://www.onehorseatatimeinc.org/

Freedom's Flight- The Story of a Rescued Race Horse Who Went to Hell and Back

MIAMI — When rescuers found the horse, he was tied to a palm tree on a Northwest Miami-Dade County farm where animals die for meat: a skinny, diseased wreck with rotting hooves and hide. Only the tattoo inside his upper lip hinted at his regal bloodline: Freedom's Flight, descendant of Triple Crown winners Seattle Slew and Secretariat.

"Anything that could be wrong with a horse was wrong with him," said Richard Cuoto, now Freedom's Flight's owner. "He's a fighter, but he had his head down, like, 'Just shoot me."'

Freedom's Flight's descent from the thoroughbred circuit's pampered paddocks into equine hell took just three months after a mishap at Gulfstream Park. It's not possible to document each step of his sad journey, but Cuoto, a board member of the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, believes he was destined for the underground horse meat market.

"He was thrown away three, four times," Cuoto said.

Freedom's Flight was born Feb. 16, 2005, at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky's Bluegrass region, linked to greatness by sire and dam.

His father, Pulpit, is the grandson of Seattle Slew, who won the Triple Crown in 1977. Freedom Flight's great-great grandfather, the legendary Secretariat, won it in 1973. His mother is Heather's Flight, granddaughter of Nijinsky, great-granddaughter of Northern Dancer.

Herman Heinlein of Plantation, a retired New York landscape contractor, owns Heather's Flight and expected great things from her foal.

"We had high hopes," said Heinlein, 76, "but these things happen."

After the horse failed to draw a six-figure bid at Kentucky's prestigious Keeneland Yearling Sale, Heinlein sent him to Florida, where he raced for the first time Dec. 22, 2007, at Calder.

On April 4, 2008, after another two races, Freedom's Flight made his only run as a 3-year-old, at Gulfstream. Seconds after clearing the gate, his front leg snapped but didn't pierce the skin. He came from the back of the pack to finish third anyway.

"He's a competitor," Cuoto said. "When they're on the track, they know where the finish line is . . . The jockey didn't know he was injured. Right after finish line, he started to break down."

Trainer Jose Pinchin called Heinlein to report the injury.

"They told me his racing career was over," said Heinlein, who owns 100 horses. He faced a choice: pay to euthanize Freedom's Flight or, as Pinchin suggested, give him to Marian Brill, a 44-year veteran of Florida racing and a horse rescuer.

To a racehorse owner, an animal that can't run "is a broken machine that don't work," Brill said. "They get rid of it."

Heinlein says he kept title to the horse "because I didn't want somebody to get him back to racing."

Still a stallion, Freedom's Flight could have undergone expensive treatment for his leg then become a breeder, but "he never proved himself as a racehorse," said Brill, and since his famous ancestors begat hundreds of offspring, "Why breed the one that's farther down the line?"

Brill said she "started rehabbing him" but his injuries were too daunting. Then, she said, a man whose name she didn't know bought him for $500.

"They loaded him on a trailer and left," she said.

For the next two months, Freedom's Flight endured both insult and injury. Based on conversations with state parimutuel investigators, Cuoto believes that for part of that time, he hobbled along on his broken leg as a riding pony for kids.

And someone gelded him — ruling out any future career as a stud.

He was among several distressed horses that Officer Debbie Puentes of the Miami-Dade Police Department's Agricultural Patrol Unit spotted July 7, 2008, on Manuel Coto's property, which the Florida Department of Agriculture oversees as a "garbage-feeder farm," authorized to feed cooked garbage to swine.

"The guy buys and sells a lot of animals," said SPCA cruelty investigator Laurie Waggoner, who has responded to other calls at Coto's place. "I know they slaughter pigs and goats" without the proper permits.

Chickens, too, acknowledges Coto, who said he's in the process of coming into compliance with the appropriate regulations.

Waggoner doesn't know whether Coto butchers horses, and he adamantly denies it.

"Anybody asks me to do that, I'd send them to hell," he said. "I can kill a cow, but what are you gonna kill a horse for? I think that's bad."

Coto said Freedom's Flight was one of several horses he'd bought in Lake City "a couple of days" earlier. His price tag: $100.

An SPCA vet diagnosed Freedom's Flight with severe "rain rot," which made him lose most of his hair, bites, wounds, severe rashes, abscesses under his hooves, detoxing from steroids, a fractured right cannon — shin — bone, and strangles, a potentially deadly, highly contagious bacterial infection.

Yet sick as he was, "there was something about him," Waggoner said. "I didn't want to leave that horse there. He was still so trusting of people."

She offered Coto $200. He declined the money and allowed her to isolate the horse on his land until she could make other arrangements. Freedom's Flight spent the next five weeks in quarantine, getting treatment for strangles and, finally, his broken leg.

About a week into the horse's recuperation, Couto, the SPCA board member, checked the underside of his upper lip and saw the tattoo: I35289. The Jockey Club thoroughbred registry in Kentucky matched the number to Freedom's Flight.

"I adopted him two weeks after we seized him," Cuoto said. "By that time, I'd really bonded with him."

He says he's spent about $30,000 on vet care.

Today, Freedom's Flight cavorts in a lush pasture, his coat an iridescent copper — 1,300 pounds of rippling muscle and coltish curiosity.

Cuoto, a former motocross racer, says that Freedom's Flight changed his life. Now he's crusading against the illegal horse meat trade, which he said has earned him enemies — thus he prefers to keep his horse's whereabouts secret.

He believes that mom-and-pop butchers get $7 to $20 a pound for the meat and only sell to known customers.

"Most people buy it for medicinal purposes," he said. "They think it cures blood disorders, AIDS, and helps with the side effects of chemotherapy."

What they don't realize is that horse meat not raised for human consumption can be riddled with drugs, chemicals and disease, he said.

Freedom's Flight's story has gotten global attention. Now the SPCA hopes he'll become a star.

The group has entered him in a contest to play his famous ancestor, Secretariat, in a Disney movie.

He's the same color, has the same white "socks" and the same mannerisms, Cuoto notes.

Only the white blaze on his face doesn't match, "but they can fix that with makeup."

Redwings Horse Sanctuary Helping Hundreds of Abused Horses

The Second Race is primarily concerned with race horses and ensuring that they have a place to go after their racing careers are over. However, there are several organizations and groups that support horses outside of racing that need to have their due on this blog, and the Redwings Horse Sanctuary is just one of those groups. I have supported them through a sponsorship of a horse that has since passed away and wanted to share their story and good work on behalf of neglected and abused equines.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary began in May 1991 as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization in Carmel, California, with a mission to end the abuse, neglect, and slaughter of horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, and burros through rescue and foster care. In its first year, Redwings rescued 15 equines from abusive or life-threatening situations. Redwings staff then rehabilitated the equines and matched them with carefully-screened adoptive homes. Redwings also addressed educational, financial, and other factors behind equine neglect. The organization initiated several programs including an equine education program for new owners, and an equine medical assistance program for owners with low incomes.

Although these efforts saved many equines, Redwings realized that placing some abused equines in adoptive homes was not a solution. A number of the rescued animals had experienced such serious physical and psychological damage that complete rehabilitation was not possible. In the fall of 1992, Redwings broadened its scope to include permanent shelter for those equines, ensuring them a secure and life-long home at the Sanctuary. In 2000 Redwings moved to a 167-acre ranch in southern Monterey County, California. The entire Redwings family of 90 equines, three part-time and five full-time staff members completed the transition to the new Sanctuary in March 2002.

Today, Redwings rescues several horses from abusive or neglectful situations every year, giving them a permanent home. These horses act as ambassadors, helping Redwings educate the public about the plight facing horses. When practical and needed, Redwings helps horse owners who have difficulty caring for their horses to keep them by giving them educational or restricted financial support. Redwings spreads the message to the public through booths at several events through the year, a bimonthly newsletter, and this Web site.

If you are in the Northern California area on Saturday August 15 please join Redwings at their open house and photo safari. Meet the residents and caring staff at Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

An Equine's Rights??-- The Argument for and Against Retirement of Horses and Second Careers

In order to keep up to date on all that is going on in retirement, rescue, racing etc I subscribe to Google Alerts. With Google Alerts I am able to key in phrases or words from articles and blog postings that may be of use to me. I use key words such as Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Horse Rescue, Horse Charity to name a few. To say that I have had an education in the past month to how others see horse racing and animal rights would be an understatement.

For the most part I do not comment on what I see nor post. I rarely leave a comment to the original author of what is said. However, today I was floored to read on a vegan slanted blog post and the subsequent comments that I thought I would share their musings. First off, I love horse racing. I am going to be biased in my approach straight away. I love many people in horse racing, and again my take will be much different than those who are not associated with the industry. More importantly I love horses and I love being able to remove them off the track when they can no longer race for whatever reason.

So, back to the blog and posts--- The jest of the article was that it was "cruel to ask a horse to provide for it's own care after retirement by making it work as a therapeutic riding horse in order to maintain it's own keep at the facility". Subsequent posts stated that "the equine's rights were being violated". HUH? The blog post went on to argue a hypothetical analysis of what was in the best interest of the equine vs. the best interests of the human that it was transporting on it's back and was the exploitation of the horse beneficial to the experience of the person versus the forced will of man over beast. Yes, I will wait while you catch up.

I can't believe that this is all we have as lovers of animals to argue about?. Whether or not a horse should be donated or not to a charity that provides mobility to a child or a blind adult that they would not normally have, so that a horse can have something to do and feel good about itself in the process and by the way "earn it's keep", HUH? But then again should I really be surprised when the national news carried for an entire day the fallen fly that our leader, President Obama blotted off our American landscape?

Many find horse racing cruel, many argue that until all horses are free to roam we are exercising our will on them. Another remark stated that "horses are raped for a rich mans pleasure". OUCH! Breeding of horses is an industry, and yes covering a mare is not a chosen courtship as in the wild, however it is the way in which a foal is conceived in racing. Basic biology here, and it's to protect the stallion, mare and those that are standing there collectively helping with the process.

We can argue that a race horse shouldn't be raced at two, that they should be started at three or four, we can argue why and when if ever a horse should be whipped, and we can argue over the use of Lasix to enhance performance. However, the argument that the horse has "rights" as a human does, is insane and in my opinion misguided.

Race Horse and Equine rescue and retirement groups, and therapeutic riding centers do not need a bunch of "crazed" individuals ridiculing their efforts by suggesting a horse doesn't want a saddle on him and should not be made to be useful to society after it's racing days are over (if at all). I say leave these arguments dear animal lovers behind, and find something better to worry about, like the giant horse fly that I will swat and kill the next time it buzzes around my head.

Many of you wrote to say how outraged you were regarding the cruelty inflicted on the grey filly. Here is a follow up to that story. She has arrived at her forever home in San Diego county. Here is the news story.

http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10758557