STORIES OF COURAGE

Private Practice

Distinctive Pro - Personal Nurse)

1999 bay Thoroughbred gelding.  Small star.  Practice was sold at the Ocala Breeder's Sale as a yearling for $105K.  He had won 11 races, placed in 5 and showed in 3 for total career earnings of $202, 105. He started his career in $80,000 + races at Aqueduct and Belmont Park in NY. 

He was ridden by a number of  top jockeys including  Jorge Chavez, John Velazquez, Jose Santos, Richard Migliore and Edgar Prado - five of the best in the world! 

Like so many Thoroughbreds that sustain an injury at the track - no matter how much he gave of himself so that his owner/trainer could pay his bills, he was given "band-aids" to keep him running in a number of instances. At some point, because his injuries were so numerous and debilitating for any horse, let alone a racehorse, his owner or trainer (we're not sure which - perhaps both) felt he was disposable.  Practice was sent to and subsequently sold at New Holland Sales Stables (a livestock auction held every Monday and attended by many killer buyers) in New Holland, Pennsylvania and purchased by a killer buyer (Josh McKay) for slaughter.  As we were told, he was hauled to a couple of other auctions by this man or an associate, who was hoping they'd re-sell him to someone who felt sorry for him because he'd won so much money at the track.  When no individual would purchase him, we were told he was taken to McKay's feedlot in WV where he was left standing on the truck - at least overnight - with approximately twenty other horses.  We were told he had no food or grain or hay then.  The anonymous donor then told us that [donor] made a trip to McKay's and bought Practice from Josh McKay and has him hauled to [donor's] farm in PA.  Practice was donated to Bright Futures farm in May, 2006. 

There are thousands of horses that aren't as lucky as Practice (hundreds of horses go through auctions every day and end up at slaughter plants - approximately 60.,000 - 100,000 horses are slaughtered each year in the U.S. at either Dallas Crown in Dallas, TX or Cavel in De Kalb, IL).  17% of them are Thoroughbred ex-racehorses (some injured but many are sound). The second highest percentage slaughtered are American mustangs that the BLM doesn't send to adoption locations - they are sold immediately to dealers and most head to slaughter. 

Please take a moment, write your state representative and tell them why we need to ban slaughter of all horses in the United States. Ask them to co-sponsor HR 503 if they have not yet done so.  Send along a photo of Practice or a horse just like him who was saved from slaughter.

Practice will receive some additional time off to fully recover, and then will be transitioned for a new career as a light riding horse.  Practice's is a very kind horse who just needs some more time to heal, relax and rest before starting to work at a career change.

http://www.pedigreequery.com/private+practice