Race horse retirement care proving harder than expected

State officials are frustrated with the difficulty of making retirement care for race horses happen, despite their commitment over the last year to the concept.

“Getting hard figures and proving where these horses are going is proving harder than we believed,” said Rob Williams, executive director of the state Gaming Commission.

The commission, which held its second annual symposium on equine aftercare Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton Sales pavilion, oversees horse racing in the state, but has no legal jurisdiction after horses are retired, Williams noted. The first forum was held a year ago in Saratoga Springs.

It’s even hard to determine how many retired horses there are, said Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stables, who has lead a commission-appointed task force to determine the scope of the need.

Trying to track down New York-bred horses that last raced between 2010 and 2012, he said the task force identified 3,894 horses, but could determine the fate of only 27.8 percent of them.

Some of New York-breds finish their careers in other states, Knowlton noted — and there are hundreds of owners and trainers involved.

“We’re still kind of frustrated we haven’t been able to get where we would like to get,” Knowlton said at the forum.

Some of the suggested ideas include implanting microchips or other identification technology in the horses, but those ideas have yet to be implemented.

Williams said the issue is one that needs to be addressed by the equine industry, not government.

The New York Racing Association is committed to aftercare, said NYRA President and CEO Christopher Kay.

NYRA has imposed a $5 per start fee to pay for aftercare, which this year will raise $80,000 to $100,000, Kay said.

NYRA is also letting aftercare organizations – six of which are in the Saratoga Springs area – promote their cause at Saratoga Race Course, and promoting the idea of second careers for the horses, he said.

Thoroughbreds typically don’t race after their fourth or fifth years, though horses can typically live up to 30 years.

Standardbred harness racing horses can race up to the age of 15, but also need post-retirement care.

A number of equine advocates say they’re concerned that some retired horses are sent to slaughterhouses in other countries or meet other cruel fates.

At the meeting Tuesday, the commission debuted a rough-cut video about the importance of aftercare narrated by NYRA track announced Larry Collmus. Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito is among the speakers.

Williams said the plan is to require seeing a short version of the video as a condition for trainers and assistant trainers to be licensed in New York state, and to have a longer version available to the general public.

Post-retirement careers for race horses have included working as therapy animals, police horses, horse show riding, and recreational use.

Saratoga Springs officials have also been working to make the city and area around it a center for equine retirement care.

A year ago, Mayor Joanne Yepsen announced that the city would work with the six local horse care organizations, ACTT Naturally, Heading for Home, Old Friends at Cabin Creek, ReRun Inc., Saratoga WarHorse Foundation and the Thoroughbred Retirement Fund. They formed a coalition called Saratoga Racehorse Aftercare Charitable Endeavor, or Saratoga RACE.

“We are pleased to make the city of Saratoga a model in advancing the stewardship of the horses that give so much to this community,” Yepsen said.

The coalition is hosting a charity 5K run, The Run for the Horses, this Saturday at the Orenda Pavilion at Saratoga Spa State Park. Those who would like to register should contact the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Saratoga Springs.

Reach Gazette reporter Stephen Williams at 395-3086, [email protected] or @gazettesteve on Twitter.

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