Category Archives: journal

The past week at the farm has been an exciting one. With hurricane Irene headed our way, we were anxious to make preparations for the storm as you can never really know what direction it will take until it starts to take one.  As early as Thursday we were making our plan, and we started to put that plan in motion Friday.

Having lived in North Carolina, I was familiar with hurricane preparedness for horses. In North Carolina many will go so far as to spray paint their phone numbers on their horses if they anticipate being in the direct path of a hurricane. Thankfully, we did not anticipate that being a great concern.

The barn we use as our main barn for After the Races is already a little rough around the edges. The horses enjoy it and it more than adequately meets our needs, but perched on top of its hill with an already leaky roof, I was not about to trust it if there was a possibility of sustained winds greater than 50 mph with gusts as high as 60 or 70 mph. As circumstances have it, there is another large barn on the property that is a stone bank barn, built deep into a hill. This barn has 12 stalls and is incredibly sturdy, so we bedded down ten stalls, brought over a smattering of emergency supplies (first aid supplies, medications mostly), day to day items and enough grain and hay to get us by for a few days should the other barn be damaged badly. It took a little elbow grease and a crew of four people to whip it into shape, but we had our backup facility ready to go.

Despite having such a great stone barn, there are several horses on the property that are not rescues who board in our pastures. Their pastures are on sloping hills with a HUGE run-in shelter built into the bottom of the hill. I was not worried about these horses surviving the storm (in fact, in NC, we typically turn horses out for big storms such as these as we don’t often have sturdy stone barns to rely on), but I was worried about the fences. It is common to lose trees or large limbs during our average summer storm. With a hurricane potentially coming, we decided to take a little more action.  We fitted each horse with a leather halter. Sturdier than your typical break-away halter, but still capable of breaking should a horse get caught, and we fastened ID tags on each halter with the horse’s name along with our address and phone number. Most of our neighbors are pretty horse friendly, and we thought this would help them find their way home more quickly should they escape through downed fencing.

While as of Saturday morning the hurricane appeared to be weakening, I continued with our decision to move the race horses into the stone barn. If nothing else I felt it would give me peace of mind throughout the storm, and if we waited until the storm hit to see how bad it was, it would be too late. In two groups we walked all 9 of our race horses across the farm (7 of these are current horses in the program, 2 were horses adopted through AtR that continue to board here), and tucked them in.

The horses settled in pretty quickly, enjoying their roomy stalls and large piles of hay we stocked them each with and we felt pretty good about how things looked. Heading toward Philly soon after tucking horses in (my grandfather recently passed and family was gathering that afternoon to look at photos and exchange memories), I planned to be back before the storm rolled in.  In the meantime, one of our previous adopters volunteered to watch the farm and be there to accept our newest horse from the track (yes, they delivered her the day of the hurricane!).

At 3PM I received a message from the farm that all was well, and that the new horse had arrived safely. Jayburger, the horse I personally adopted, was laying down according to the message, but there was no mention of other unusual behavior at the time. When we got home to the farm around 6:00 PM I immediately went to Jayburger’s stall, sensing something was up, and found him laying down still. I quickly made note of his symptoms. Droopy, depressed expression, no interest in hay or grain, his water buckets had not been touched since moving into the barn. There was, however, fresh manure in the stall. We got him onto his feet to observe him and he stretched his back legs repeatedly and then tried to lay down again. I thought, great! Just like a horse to colic during a storm!

With a few extra hands at the barn, David offered to start walking Jayburger while I called the vet and went to grab some Banamine. It started to rain on my way to the house to get the medication so I grabbed and donned a rain suit and rubber boots, knowing it was only going to get worse.  Back at the barn, I dosed Jayburger with a 1000 lbs dose of Banamine and took over the hand walking outside. We did laps around the courtyard in the stone barn for a while, but he was dragging behind pretty badly.  I decided to go for a longer walk, hoping the change in scenery would get him moving a little better. It did, but not much. We walked down the driveway and around the farm, back and forth and back again, until 7PM when the vet arrived. Back in the barn, soaking wet, we watched as Jayburger was tubed and given electrolytes. He was also running a fever which conflicted with most types of colic. Erring on the side of caution, Tony (the vet) suggested we treat both symptoms. After pumping water and electrolytes in, he also hit him with some antibiotics and Bute and sent us walking again.

By now it was nearing 8PM. James and David jumped in the truck to run to Tractor Supply to get wheat bran for a mash for Jayburger’s dinner and I went back to trekking around the farm. The winds were picking up as well as the rain, and it was pitch black as we resumed walking. Through the dark we walked, both our heads bowed to the rain, for another 30 minutes. Despite the noise and darkness and general unpleasant atmosphere, Jayburger obediently plodded along, lead rope sagging between us loosely.

By the time we returned to the barn, I put him in his stall with one flake of hay and did another check on the other horses in the barn before returning to observe and towel dry Jayburger. He was interested in his hay this time, and by the time I’d almost gotten him dry again the boys returned with bran, which I quickly used to whip up a warm mash (complete with carrots and molasses) which Jayburger seemed pretty interested in.

Between a colicky horse and 9 other race horses in a strange barn for the night, the night was spent with hourly trips to the barn. Thankfully, despite the storm brewing outside, all was quiet and peaceful in the barn. Once the doors shut behind you, all that could be heard was munching and the occasional shuffle of hooves as someone adjusted their positions. As the night progressed it became clear Jayburger was feeling better and better with each check, and around 2AM we finally took some time to sleep.

When morning dawned it was clear the hurricane was not going to be anywhere near as strong as originally predicted. Power was out briefly, but returned later in the afternoon, and there was only minimal damage to one small section of fence. The horses were happy to go back out in the evening, running a few laps initially before settling right back in to grass, grass, and more grass.

Would they have been okay in their normal barn for the night? Probably. But was it worth the risk? I don’t think so. Sometimes it’s almost a little disappointing to see all your hard work preparing for what could be a disastrous event be for naught. But when it comes to betting against Mother Nature, it really is not worth the risk.  You have to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. Thankfully, this time we got just about the best we could have hoped for.

I’m going to talk today about a few of our horses who do not normally get much mention on Facebook or even the website: the horses in rehab.

The road to recovery for these race horses can often be long and painful, for both them and the humans who care for them. We have had SEVERAL success stories, horses who have recovered from fractured ankles and condylar fractures, bowed tendons, and joints with fragments in them. Many of these harder cases start with anywhere from 30 to 90 days of complete stall rest. What does this mean? It means nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for months on end standing in their stalls. And this is only the start.

While this may sound cruel, these horses are already accustomed to being confined to their stall most of the day as this is routine at the race track, and this makes our job just a little bit easier. It certainly is not ideal for any horse, but stall rest is needed for bones to set and tendons to heal. We try to break up their monotony as well as we can, providing treats and toys in their stalls, grooming, bathing (when possible), and lots and lots of love. Often we are in with them several times a day bandaging their legs or administering medication and treatment.

After stall rest comes hand walking for most horses. The first week of hand walking can be exciting! These horses have been cooped up for so long, many of them are predictably thrilled to be out in the big wide world again which can result in horses attempting to leap and jump for joy. Often we mitigate this excitement with some slight sedatives to keep horses from hurting themselves or their handlers while they readjust to life outside the barn. Once they settle in to their new routine of walking, we can all start looking forward to the walks without worrying about too much silliness.

After hand walking we often start the horses on limited turn out, which means turning them out for brief periods of time in a very small paddock. We do this so they can start stretching their legs and getting some of that energy out without having the room to get up too much speed or do anything strenuous prematurely. After this, they generally graduate to turn-out with the herd and then are hopefully home free.

Now, consider that for every horse we have that is sound and ready to adopt, we have one or even two horses on stall rest or in some stage of rehabilitation. Rehabbing these horses is expensive, labor intense, and VERY rewarding. However, it can be heartbreaking as well. When we have a bad case, we often do not publicize the horse right away on either our website or Facebook. The reason being that if the horse has a bad day or a setback, it is hard enough on the volunteers and staff of After the Races who see and work with these horses every day. We are with them and fall in love with them a little more every day.

Sometimes the rehabilitation schedule given to us by the track is not adequate or does not take into consideration aspects of the injury that even they were unaware of. More than once we have gotten a horse with one injury to treat and end up finding another (sometimes more serious) injury that requires attention as well. Our vet is out to the farm between two and three times a month doing x-rays and evaluating our horses in rehab and sometimes their rehabilitation schedule is extended or changed entirely from what we initially expected.

Here at After the Races, we turn no horses away. We get horses who would have been euthanized at the track, and we get horses that we are told from the beginning may not get better no matter what we try, but this is the key: we try. Unfortunately, not every horse can be saved or every injury mended, but we give every horse a fighting chance. All this being said, I believe the horses who are recovering deserve more attention (more mention) on our Facebook page and website. Sometimes we need help or additional funds to reach our goal of rehabilitating these horses. Sometimes we just need support. A kind word goes a long way. Someone even donating an hour of their time to groom and love on one of these guys would brighten their day.

I just hope that our supporters are not disheartened when they hear of these injuries, potential setbacks, or even should there come a time when we have to make a decision regarding how humane it is to keep a horse going. If you pray, pray for the speedy recovery of these amazing animals. If you can afford it, donate even $10 or $50 when you can and know it goes to help pay for x-rays and medications that are desperately needed. And if you have the time, stop by and give someone a carrot or a pat. Rehabilitating these horses is not a one man job. They need everyone. They need you.

Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. I look forward to sharing stories of our horses in rehab soon.

Yesterday, Friday the 6th of August, was a busy day. Laura, one of our newest volunteers, dutifully arrived in the early hours of the morning and rode with me up to the barn. We quickly pulled Sprig of Lilac and Indy Knight from the field as we had planned a little trail ride for them. Indy had never been on a trail before, and had been pretty excited in the ring, so I thought it would be a good break for his brain. Sprig on the other hand just needs muscle, and there’s nothing like our trails for that, with all their steep ups and downs.

Indy stood better for mounting today and was eager to go, yet still able to turn and wait for Sprig and Laura to get ready. Once we were both up, we turned and headed for the trail head. Indy was leading the way and would continue to lead for the entirety of the trail. He is not hard to hold back or handle, but he is very eager to work, power walking in whatever direction I pointed. We climbed the first hill at a walk, Indy’s ears flicking every which way, pushed through the tree branches at the top, and went through an open field. I thought I might get a burst of excitement at this point, but he just continued in his working walk as if he knew he was going somewhere important. We snaked down the Horse Shoe Trail before reaching the powerlines and aside from eyeing an unusually large rock briefly, Indy was doing beautifully.

At the power lines I told Laura I planned to jog most of the way up the (very large, steep) hill, allowing him to canter a little at the top if he was well behaved. Sprig, always the trooper, would be happy to do whatever we did. We started trotting the hill but instead of his usual extended trot, he was a bit more reserved. It may have been the hill or the tall grass on either side of the path. He wasn’t 100% sure of his surroundings, but continued anyway, trusting his rider. About two thirds of the way up the hill I asked if he wanted to canter. He briefly gave me one or two strides, but then decided to trot. I decided to let him choose the pace and we continued jogging slowly until we reached the top.

We paused at the top of the power line hill and praised our horses. It is a beautiful view from the top, and only down hill from there, and we weren’t in a hurry to head back. Once I did point Indy toward the trail that entered the adjoining woods, he resumed his happy-to-work walk and we continued to make it home without incident.

After riding and bathing our mounts, we continued with bringing the other horses in and feeding breakfast to a very eager herd. After knocking out the two stall-rest stalls, we spent a lot of time grooming and bathing the rest of the horses. Danielle, Gracie’s adopter, recently gifted Elector with a treat ball made of various grains and molasses that is about the size of a melon. It hangs around his eye level and usually takes most horses a week or two to consume. Elector doesn’t just eat his, he rubs it all over his body. Being on stall rest, I imagine he gets bored, but it is so bad that every day when you go to pet him (on the head, neck, withers…) you are touching crusty molasses and bits of food and he seems very pleased! Aside from grooming the others, we actually pulled Elector out and gave him a full bath, really scrubbing at all his sticky spots. He loved the bath, loved nibbling the grass more, and immediately returned to rubbing against the treat ball upon returning to his stall…

With the horses clean and fed, we took some time to wrap the legs that need wrapping, check everyone’s feet, and treat any small scratches horses are prone to picking up on turn-out. We also cleaned some tack and neatened up the barn while we killed time awaiting the arrival of a new horse. Amy, another volunteer, arrived first, having chosen to come out after her work to groom and play with some of our rescues. We talked and treated some of the horses with apples and cookies while waiting.

About 1PM the trailer arrived from the track with two dark bay horses. Only one got off at our stop, and we could tell he was special right away. His name is Dazzling Reality and he is a 3 year old, very dark bay gelding. From his pictures at the track I thought he would be skinnier, but he looked quite fit and handsome to me yesterday. He backed quietly off the trailer and walked into his new barn like a pro. The shipper claimed he wasn’t aced for shipping, but we were shocked how calm he was. We kept him in the aisle of the barn for a while just petting and loving on him while I also checked his legs and tendons for signs of recent or past injury. I was pleased to find no noticeable signs.

We anticipate Dazzling Reality will be an easy one to place. He did arrive barefoot so is awaiting a farrier prior to turn-out as OTTB feet are so sensitive, needing at least front shoes. But he is cute, young, and looks to be quite the athlete. I look forward to seeing him settle in and even riding him in the next week or two.

Today we started work on new fencing, a new farm gate, and… a new ring! The ring is about halfway installed at the moment. Tomorrow they should finish the fencing for the ring and then we hope to have the footing delivered soon. It will be a great asset to the farm to be able to work our rescues in a ring instead of solely on the trails. Once the ring is in, the next step is building/finding jumps!

As far as normal rescue activity for the day, we had two amazing volunteers out this morning (Pam and Chelsea) who helped me get the stalls done in record time. We spent a little extra time grooming and giving attention to stall rest horses, finding Elector’s itchy spots and giving Indy a good scrub down. Indy had been kept inside for a few days after losing a shoe. He has had an abscess before and we wanted to be sure his hoof was not going to abscess before turning him back out. Upon turning him out today for the first time in a few days we saw a side of him never seen before. He was leaping in the air, bucking, rolling, and jumping around some more. Obviously, he felt very good to be outside!

We may have forgotten to mention we had two new horses arrive last week. No Stone Unturned, who we are dubbing “Rocky,” and Elector who we are calling “Lexi.” Both are very sweet geldings who have settled in great.

Near the end of the day we had a new boarder arrive and it was none other than Gracie! She has returned to us, but not as a rescue any longer. We do not generally offer much boarding, but made an exception for this girl. She seems to remember the old barn and pasture and we are sure she and her owner Danielle will settle right in. Tomorrow morning we plan on taking to the trails to see just how much she remembers. Can’t wait!

Another week of sweltering heat, but it’s not stopping this farm! Joint Account has officially been adopted and has moved to his new farm in New Jersey where he will be a family horse.  The family with two kids plan on enjoying him around the farm and on trails and will be doing Parelli games with him as well.  He had no trouble at all with the move, has transitioned beautifully and is alerady making new friends.

Today I had two new volunteers out who helped me fly through barn chores this morning. We even had time to go for a quick ride before the heat became unbearable. Two OTTBs and a little Arabian carried us faithfully through our winding woodsy trails and past an elementary school. We tried to stay in the woods and shade as much as possible, and there was a nice breeze that seemed to follow us the entire way.

Back at the barn we gave baths and treats and tucked our faithful steeds away in the shade where they can park in front of their fans all day.  As for us humans, we are also hiding from the heat as best we can, taking the middle of the day to eat lunch and answer e-mails and make calls necessary to continue our day-to-day operations. We had a hay delivery a few days back, and have grain on its way this week, as well as a manure removal. Very much hoping the grain comes during the cooler part of the day as I help unload the bags, but with our luck it will come around 1-2PM!

Hope everyone else is staying cool, hydrated, and taking care of their horses!