Bright Futures Farm is a sanctuary for retired Thoroughbreds.  We find homes for many horses that have the potential for a new career as a trail horse or family pleasure mount.   Our focus is to save as many horses as we can before  they are faced with neglect or auction. 

We are always in need of foster homes.  When you foster a horse you help us save one more from harm.  Fostering expenses are tax-deductible.  If you have room, please ask us about our foster program.

FRICK & FRACK

Frick & Frack (continued from page, "Permanent Residents")...

After searching for awhile, Becky Shope from New Beginnings Equine Rescue (NBAR ...a now questionable rescue in my opinion) said she would take them.  In an email to me, she said they would be perfect for her "kids" program...for kids that didn't know how to ride.  There were a number of people I trusted who had vouched for her.  One of these people, Amanda G. from KY, had even been to NBAR more than once.  Based upon those recommendations, and the fact that I could not find anything negative about her or her rescue in public records, I decided that this could be a good place for Frick & Frack.  So, I made it a point to tell Becky what Frick & Frack needed in order for them (and the people caring for them) to have a peaceful existence... (they needed to be stalled either together or side by side where they can still touch each other...they needed to be slowly introduced to other horses, or otherwise, be pastured alone... and always, no matter what, where you take one, you must take both as they cannot be separated).  Becky said none of this was a "problem" and she would make sure they were comfortable in the way they were handled.  They left in late October 2009 for NBAR.

Late December 2009 (LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AFTER Frick & Frack ARRIVED at NBAR), Becky called me.  She must have thought I'd seen a post on a forum somewhere that stated that she had a list of horses that were destined to be shot and Frick and Frack were on the list.  I had not seen the post (although I found out later that it did exist!).  Becky had actually sent an email to Deb Moore of USERL in November telling her that they had Frick and Frack on "the list".  I now have a copy of that email.  Deb Moore NEVER bothered to contact me and let me know, yet she knew we had sent Frick & Frack to NBAR  under contract).   Becky went on to say that they had "thought about" shooting Frack.  Not because he had a quality of life issue....rather because one day, when someone approached the round pen they were turned out in, it either startled or agitated Frick, which startled or agitated  Frack, and subsequently, Frack lost his bearings, ran into the round pen hard enough to knock himself down, and Becky told me that she felt he was "suffering" and the best thing to do was shoot him.  It sounded to me like the horses were more of a burden that she hadn't expected, rather than the situation of a suffering animal. 

Becky admittedly didn't follow the guidelines that would provide a reasonable comfort level for Frick and Frack, and as a result, admittedly often had difficulties with them.  At that point, I asked her to return them.  The arrangements were made and Frick and Frack arrived at Bright Futures Farm on 1.10.10.

These are 25+ year old horses, of which one is blind. There was no reason to offer to take them and less than two months later, say you're going to shoot at least one of them because the horse is no longer 'convenient' to have around.  

They are here.  They are now safe.  They will now live their lives on their terms.  With Frick and Frack "their way" of being cared for will take longer than it would if they weren't "special needs" horses.  But they are special needs horses, and as such, whatever gives them the most peace of mind is the way things will be done for them.