NEWS
New York reinstates retired racehorse task force
Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2008 12:01 PM
by Paul Post
A first-of-its-kind task force dedicated to protecting retired racehorses will hold its inaugural meeting on Friday in Albany, New York.
The 13-member New York State Task Force on Retired Race Horses was created during former Governor George Pataki’s administration but never got off the ground.
Last year, during Governor Eliot Spitzer’s first year in office, the state passed a law re-establishing the group, which will be co-chaired by state Racing and Wagering Board Chairman Daniel Hogan and state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker.
Eleven other members have been named by the governor and majority and minority leaders of the state Senate and Assembly.
“New York State has more than 40,000 horses bred for racing that have enriched our lives both on the track and back at the stable,” Hogan said. “These are animals that have served the sport and our economy for years and we have a responsibility to look for second careers for these animals. This task force will explore the transition of these horses from the track to other disciplines.”
The panel will also examine the costs and benefits of artificial track surfaces that promote both equine and jockey safety.
New York’s race horses—about 30,500 Thoroughbreds and 11,500 Standardbreds—are valued at about $1.14-billion. Most horses stop racing by age six or seven, if not sooner, and live well beyond 20, making retirement an ongoing challenge.
Previously, many horses went to slaughterhouses, although operations in Texas and Illinois have been shut down.
“There’s a lot of trafficking going to Mexico and Canada,” said Jack Knowlton, managing general partner of Sackatoga Stable, which campaigned 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Funny Cide, who currently is working as a saddle pony leading horses onto the track at Gulfstream Park. “We’re trying to find better solutions.”
The Saratoga Springs, New York-based Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation places horses at 19 farms in 11 different states. In some cases, horses are sent to state prisons, where inmates learn to care for them in vocational education programs. Such horses have psycho-therapeutic value by helping inmates work through emotional problems.
“You can’t be aggressive and angry around horses,” foundation executive director Diana Pikulski said. “You’ve got to be kind and gentle.”
She and Knowlton both have been named to the task force along with Fiona Farrell, co-owner of Full Circle Farm in Stillwater, New York, and an equine attorney at law. Farrell believes former race horses can enjoy second careers as sport horses, everything from competitive trail riding to barrel racing and dressage. Knowlton said that a horse he owned is now a show horse in Vermont.
“Horses have always played an integral part of the agricultural industry and especially here in New York where we have a rich tradition of horse racing,” Hooker said. “Since only 15% of all race horses are successful, the prospects for the remaining 85% are uncertain. As these athletes exit their racing career, I want to ensure a desirable place for them back in the agricultural industry where we can utilize their abilities and improve the lives of New Yorkers.”
New York is the first state to create a task force dedicated to retired racehorse protection, Pikulski said.
Other members are Grace “Jean” Brown, a Standardbred farm director in Wallkill; Karen Bump, equine professor at Cazenovia College; William Hopsicker, a Thoroughbred owner in Oriskany Falls; equine veterinarian Margaret Ohlinger, DVM, of Bloomfield; Thoroughbred owner Martin Scheinman of Sands Point; and Alice Calabreese Smith, president and chief executive officer of the Humane Society of Greater Rochester. Two other seats have yet to be filled.
Paul Post is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
