Wanted to bring this article over..

General on-topic discussion.

Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster

Marli
Restricted Stakes Winner
Posts: 811
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:20 am

Wanted to bring this article over..

Postby Marli » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:29 am

Since there were some of us in the middle of discussing this, here it is-

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/todays ... 6&subsec=1

jellac
Grade I Winner
Posts: 1542
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 6:46 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Question?

Postby jellac » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:18 pm

Marli - In the article MaryLou Whitney states that she will pay double the killer fee to re-treive any horse she bred from the killer pens....this is a good idea but how would it work? Do the killer buyers routinely check for and list the tatoos on horses they pick up/buy? Is there a way to "register" your horses with rescue groups nationally so that no horse you bred could fall through the cracks?

I really like this idea a lot but wonder about the execution of it?

I've often wondered if there was a way to make a deposit for your horses into a fund when they are initially sold on and have their papers so marked....such that if they ever needed 'cab fare home' it might be at least possible to get them to a safe place. By marking the JCA Registration papers - much as "bleeders" are marked - every successive owner/trainer would KNOW that this horse had a caring breeder that had already made some financial arrangement for it's wellbeing when it's racing career ended - even if the papers were re-issued. Meanwhile the monies deposited into the Fund might eventually grow through the accumulation of interest to the point of being used to help fund 'rescues' of horses not covered by their breeders, help the cost of 'safe farms', or for horses found to be in cruel/abusive circumstances.

Marli
Restricted Stakes Winner
Posts: 811
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:20 am

Postby Marli » Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:57 am

To answer the statement - 'pay double the agent/kill buyer' -

The *only* way I would know of would be specifically in the case whereby the horse was sold WITH it's papers (providing a way of tracking previous owners/breeders) to enable the new owner to contact them. Once done, the new owner would convey the price paid for the horse from the kill buyer/meatman.

I know at New Holland, often times ottbs arrive and may be placed directly into a 'kill buyers' pen without ever going through the ring. In this case, if there is a horse in such a pen that you may want, getting it out depends on whether you know the kill buyer/meatman and typically pay him $50 over what he would pay.

As far as tatoos are concerned, the kill buyers/meatmen could care less, the only reason they may flip the lip is to check the teeth for age or to confirm if in fact, it is a ottb.

This idea of breeders/owners/trainers contributing towards a 'retirement' fund is definately needed and for those of us involved in rescue, it would be a very welcome act on their behalf. Certainly, some type of National system would need to be devised concerning their papers/or tracing via tatoos for proof of identifying any horse (that may not have it's papers as more often than not, their sold by the kill buyers/meatman without their papers). Possibly the notion of implanting some type of chip (uniformly so the public could be aware of where to look for it) for tracing the 'roots' of the horses besides the tatoo could be done, thus enabling a system that could provide any new owners confirmation of who the horse is.

Of course, these are just some thoughts - fine tuning and tweeking this entire idea would be in order, but again, for those owners/breeders/trainers that really do care about their stock, it would be an absolutely wonderful act on their behalf! :)