ASPCA Grants $15,000 to New Vocations for Aftercare Rehabilitation
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Bindle Stick at New Vocations (Photo courtesy of New Vocations).
Edited Press Release
New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program announced this week that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals awards a $15,000 grant to the organization to aid the non-profit program in rehabilitating Thoroughbreds off the racetrack.
“The number one reason horses retire from the track is due to some type of injury,” shared Anna Ford, New Vocations Program Director. “The majority of the horses we receive need to be rehabilitated from an injury prior to being retrained and rehomed. Unfortunately, the rehabilitation process requires a lot of time and funding. Thankfully, the ASPCA’s grant provides greatly needed funding that allows us to rehabilitate a number of horses that otherwise might be turned away.”
The grant from the ASPCA will enable New Vocations to rehabilitate additional injured Thoroughbreds over the next 12 months. The grant is provided as part of the ASPCA’s Million Dollar Rescuing Racers Initiative, which aids in the rescue and rehabilitation of retired racehorses. The Initiative, now in its fourth year, was established to provide retired racehorses with the chance of rehabilitation and help them transition into a new, positive life away from the track.
"Giving retired thoroughbreds enough time to heal from their career-ending injuries is a costly proposition and outside the reach of many rescues,” said Jacque Schultz, senior director of the ASPCA Equine Fund. “The ASPCA Equine Fund is happy to help New Vocations provide this necessary respite."
In 2012, New Vocations successfully rehabilitated an additional 30 injured Thoroughbreds with the help of last year’s grant provided through the ASPCA Million Dollar Rescuing Racers Initiative. Horses received, on average, 90 days of rehabilitation from previous track injuries followed by additional time for retraining and re-homing. In addition to the 30 Thoroughbreds funded by the Initiative, New Vocations took in over 400 retired racehorses.
One of the 30 Thoroughbred success stories was the 2006 Tapit gelding, Bindle Stick, who had 40 starts and $49,659 total earnings. The gelding retired due to a suspensory injury he sustained during his racing career. He spent just over 3 months rehabilitating from his injury prior to entering the retraining program. Bindle Stick was later adopted in January 2013 and now successfully competes in Hunters. Earlier this year, he won reserve champion at his first show.
New Vocations continues to lead the nation in racehorse adoptions. Starting with a single farm in Dayton, Ohio, the program has grown to have six facilities located in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Serving over 40 racetracks, New Vocations works directly with owners and trainers in need of an aftercare program for horses leaving the track. The program has a sound adoption system in place that is proven to move a large number of horses in a rather short period of time. Their sole mission is to provide non-competitive, often injured racehorses with a peaceful environment and skilled hands to assist in their development as pleasure mounts and therefore, a future. For more information visit their website at www.newvocations.org.