Is it time for a mandatory fee? I would go along....

[JustRalph]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/opinion/25tue4.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/nytlogo152x23.gif

August 25, 2009
EDITORIAL
Retired Racehorses

The story of Tour of the Cat — as reported in Monday’s Times — illustrates all too clearly the fate of retired racehorses. Tour of the Cat was one of the lucky ones, a winner at the track and, ultimately, a winner in retirement. Most retired racehorses are not nearly as fortunate. They are often treated as worn-out investments, abandoned or shipped out of the country to slaughterhouses in Canada or Mexico.

The trouble begins at the beginning. Far too many racehorses are bred each year simply because they are regarded as disposable once their short racing careers are done. The racing industry needs to make an enduring commitment to these animals, one expensive enough to help curtail the overproduction of foals.

more at the link

[Imriledup]

The want bettors to pay for these retired horses? :bang:

[InsideThePylons-MW]

The want bettors to pay for these retired horses? :bang:

It's just amazing.

Why don't they offer up a tiny portion of all the slot subsidies?

Maybe PA can raise their takeout to 40% to pay for this.

[Hanover1]

The want bettors to pay for these retired horses? :bang:
They sent you a bill?? asked you for a donation?? Perhaps the purchase price of EVERY yearling include the retirement fee, a set fee that is used to accomplish this goal. Since the breeder gets his first, and is responsible for his existence first, let them provide for the end as well??

[Imriledup]

They sent you a bill?? asked you for a donation?? Perhaps the purchase price of EVERY yearling include the retirement fee, a set fee that is used to accomplish this goal. Since the breeder gets his first, and is responsible for his existence first, let them provide for the end as well??

They don't have to ask, they can just raise the takeout and take the money out of your pocket against your will.

[kenwoodallpromos]

They don't have to ask, they can just raise the takeout and take the money out of your pocket against your will.
SInce No one in autyhority was listening to my other ideas on breakage, maybe use that for retirement? Anyone have an idea how far that would go toward horsey assisted living? If it is .5 or 1/200th of 14+ billion or whatever, I think $5-8 million total USA breakage yearly may be in the ballpark?

[WinterTriangle]

I could be wrong, but I believe Just Ralph posted the topic because he believes something "should be", and "can be", done.

Pointing fingers isn't going to get us there. I know if I started the topic, I'd be interested in actual solutions being discussed by the great inventory of folks we have here.

It seems there's a lot of $$ tossed around on the front end of a TB's career, but very little on the back end. :( So, providing for retirement, it has to be collected on the front end.

This shouldn't be CHARITY. The horses have *earned* this!!!!!!!

I realize that there are poor trainers, grooms and jockeys living in tack rooms. and not all owner are rich and neither are breeder. neither are bettors.

There are those in the industry like Mary Lou Whitney who takes back horses, and of course, Sheik Mo who does rehoming, etc. But we can't rely on just a few with a conscience.

1)For truly *broken* horses, with debilitating injuries who would spend the remainder of their lives in pain, can't be re-homed or retrained for other work, or even to stand up in a pasture or would *only* be lawn ornaments---- a low-cost euthanasia program at tracks thru equine clinics. (yeah, publicizing euthanasia is bad, but it's humane and sure beats slaughterhouses)

I do not believe in spending thousands of $$ on an animal who will not be useful......aftercare is very very expensive. I'm trying to be practical.

2) Surrender barns on the backstretch of every track where horses can be evaluated

3) Re-homing / retirement organizations part of all this

4) Volunteer programs at rescue facilities that goes out to all schools, not just kids who want to work with horses, but those who can learn to mend fence, build barns, repair tack, etc.

4) FUNDING FOR ALL THESE THINGS needs to be spread evenly and from all sources, i.e, anyone who has touched, trained, bred, owned, or wagered, a % fee COLLECTED UP FRONT, not at the end when scrambling to do clean up and rescue / deal with these horses. (Right now, for instance, you can make a donation to Blue Horse Charity at Fasig Tipton sales.....it's not mandatory):

Per Start Fees
Foal registration fees (sliding scale ---less for small breeders---and more for crappy low end horse breeders LOL)
% of stud fees
% of track takeout and yup, % of state taxes
% of purse money
% of wagers
% to all who do horse race merchandising, get tv revenue, (TVG, etc.)

In other words, a % on any revenue made from betting on horses, breeding horses, selling horses, training horses etc.

Everybody needs to do their part!~ Everyone involved in racing, otherwise, we are just hypocrites. If you won't, or can't do your part, then you just don't care.


ALL I'm saying is there is more than enough $$$ to go around, and if small and managageable, can be collected from so many different sources, and because small, will NOT put undue hardship on any one group.

[juanepstein]

whats wrong with $5 or $10 for every horse that gets entered to race.

[kenwoodallpromos]

How about retiring some racehorses to the Ca racing fairs' tracks (barns)? Get criminals assigned community service or 4-H, FFA to help out. Those tracks from Stockton to Santa Rosa are not used much for anything else 11 or so months per year. Maybe it would stir up some interest in racing if a few big race winners were at each facility and open houses to the public were held every so often?

[Java Gold@TFT]

I'm pretty sure that the jocks at Saratoga this year are all donating money from every mount to the jockey disabilty and retirement charites. It all adds up in a hurry when you can get 10 races each day with 8 entries for 36 days. They are taking care of their own. Why can't owners and breeders do the same? They already give 10% to the trainer and 5% to the jockey out of the purse money won so why not throw an extra 1% into a horse retirement fund? Not every horse needs this money. Some retire to their own farms, some do not make it to retirement, some find very good homes that don't have to be subsidized. The general fund woulld only have to be used for some of the horses who couldn't be taken care of. Some basic math - in 2008 national purses amounted to about $1.1B. A 1% donation would start the fund with $11M just from purses. That is nothing like the 20% that the bettors give up to play the races which goes into those purses. Let's say that it costs $2,000 to subsidize a horse to be placed with a nice home to help with firtst year expenses etc. That's about 6,000 horses who could be rescued every year. Of course once they were placed with a good home then we would probably never know how they ended up but it's a start.

[speed]

I'm pretty sure that the jocks at Saratoga this year are all donating money from every mount to the jockey disabilty and retirement charites. It all adds up in a hurry when you can get 10 races each day with 8 entries for 36 days. They are taking care of their own. Why can't owners and breeders do the same? They already give 10% to the trainer and 5% to the jockey out of the purse money won so why not throw an extra 1% into a horse retirement fund? Not every horse needs this money. Some retire to their own farms, some do not make it to retirement, some find very good homes that don't have to be subsidized. The general fund woulld only have to be used for some of the horses who couldn't be taken care of. Some basic math - in 2008 national purses amounted to about $1.1B. A 1% donation would start the fund with $11M just from purses. That is nothing like the 20% that the bettors give up to play the races which goes into those purses. Let's say that it costs $2,000 to subsidize a horse to be placed with a nice home to help with firtst year expenses etc. That's about 6,000 horses who could be rescued every year. Of course once they were placed with a good home then we would probably never know how they ended up but it's a start.

Java so you know the jockey also gets 10%

[Imriledup]

I'm pretty sure that the jocks at Saratoga this year are all donating money from every mount to the jockey disabilty and retirement charites. It all adds up in a hurry when you can get 10 races each day with 8 entries for 36 days. They are taking care of their own. Why can't owners and breeders do the same? They already give 10% to the trainer and 5% to the jockey out of the purse money won so why not throw an extra 1% into a horse retirement fund? Not every horse needs this money. Some retire to their own farms, some do not make it to retirement, some find very good homes that don't have to be subsidized. The general fund woulld only have to be used for some of the horses who couldn't be taken care of. Some basic math - in 2008 national purses amounted to about $1.1B. A 1% donation would start the fund with $11M just from purses. That is nothing like the 20% that the bettors give up to play the races which goes into those purses. Let's say that it costs $2,000 to subsidize a horse to be placed with a nice home to help with firtst year expenses etc. That's about 6,000 horses who could be rescued every year. Of course once they were placed with a good home then we would probably never know how they ended up but it's a start.


This wouldn't be fair to current owners. If an owner sells all his horses and decides to get out of the game completely, some of his money,under this plan, would be to take care of horses after this person is no longer involved in the sport. Why should an owner from 2009 subsidize racehorse care in 2010 if they have dispersed all their holdings and are no longer in the business?

Also, once an owner sells a horse, the new owners need to be the ones who pay for that horse's care, not the guy who sold it.

[BUD]

I asked the Sheriff here if he can use some retired TBreds in the barn for the work release inmates to take care of--He's an @$$ it went nowhere-

Now That Ted has Vacated his seat-This idiot wont be Sheriff-We have the facilities--I think it can work- Nobig Idea from me-I saw Maggi Moss do it--

Also in some years If I can get my health somewhat back--I would like to set something up with the Force for the inner city kids--I dunno-Lessons? Take care of?--After my settlement I will see where I am and what I can legally do.

I dont believe the bettor should pay--We already do when we play-Plus I think most have already given to many retirement funds--Gary.C's. and others.

Find other ways--If its 1% of every purse I dunno-They NEED to address that and the disabled jockey fund--I think !% of the UAE Day could pay for many in 1 years time--

I would get callssaying weird people were roaming the streets--They almost always turned out to be these people who sold Accidental insurance--The name escapes me--If The NTRA could work something out--That would be the first step in fair---
OK I am treading where I dont really know what I'm talking about--Back to you whom do.

[Tom]

Yes - mandatory on every OWNER when he wins a race - let THEM pay for it.

[Show Me the Wire]

Not the owner, but the trainer's 10%. It should be a cost of doing business. Trainers recruit owners to invest stock with them, so it really is a cost of acquiring investments, recaptured through earnings.

[ddog]

“His left front tendon was swelled, hot and sore to the touch,” Ohlinger said. “He was too thin, and his muscle condition didn’t look like he was in racehorse condition. It was a disservice to the horse, the rider and the other riders to let him run.”

She discovered that Tour of the Cat had been scratched in the spring by the track veterinarian at Aqueduct, and that Jacobson intended to send him to run at Presque Isle Downs. Strauss orchestrated a $2,500 offer for the horse to be retired, but Jacobson declined.

“I believed he was in good condition, and had some races left,” Jacobson said.



That part of the story is the real issue. Yes, the industry that PROFITS from the animals should be FORCED to have a set of facilities ran by outside contractors that can be used to retire horses.

But, there are horses that run EVERY day that should not be allowed on the track. It is clear if you have even a passing knowledge of horses and what they look like when one-step from disaster.

IMO, until the "sport" gets serious about this and takes these animals away from butchers(trainers/owners) they are not serious about stopping the abuse.

The horses should not be allowed to get off the contracted farm until passed by a third party to race.

To leave it up to butchers and worse only to be aided by stewards who are under pressure to "let my horse run - i know him better than you" is something from the dark ages , an abomination.

end it or accept the abuser tag you have earned.

[LottaKash]

Maybe Social Security for horses too....:jump: and Medicare parts a & b, as well...:jump:

best,

[ddog]

no, but the single payer part( the owners) sounds ok to me.

maybe we could get some insurance policies, kind of a bluehorse or affordahorse that the owners would pay into and then when the horse is done that is paid out to keep them in their golden years.


:D

[illinoisbred]

Collect from both the consigner and buyer when a yearling or 2 yr. old goes to sale or auction.We the bettors pay or finance enough of the show now.

[joanied]

Well, I can't add much more...there are some good ideas mentioned here, and, IMO, all are do-able...including WinterT's suggestion that there is a barn/facility for horse's to be euthanized...as she said...100% better than slaughter.

The big problem, as I see it, is not the lack of ideas, but how to get them implemented... everyone within the 'industry' knows this is a huge problem...too many are turning a blind eye...if they need to be forced to do the right thing, so be it...but, geeze, where do you start...how would you take the suggestions posted here into the right hands so something is done with them...

[Show Me the Wire]

joanied:

Take your concern to your elected representative in your state legislature and convince him this type of law is needed for the welfare of the public. On a national level talk to your U. S. congressperson.

It would be more effective if you presented your plan with a group and a petition containing many signitures.

Now go to it. And make sure you push Breeder and trainer funding.

[joanied]

thanks for the advice