Thoroughbred retirement program still going strong

By Bob Silbernagel, for the Grand Junction Sentinel

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to a story from The New York Times, discussing alleged problems with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, an organization more than 20 years old that helps care for and adopt out thoroughbreds that have retired from the racetrack.

The posting was seen by members of the foundation, who contacted me to say there were several problems with the New York Times article, and they wanted to give their side of the story. So here it is.

Earlier today I had a telephone conversation with Tom Ludt, chairman of the board of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which is based in Lexington, Ky. He pointed to three things he said were glaring errors in the article.

First, a veterinarian hired by the Mellon Foundation to inspect many of the horses in the care of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation said over 25 percent of the horses inspected needed urgent care. But another veterinarian, hired by the first vet to help with the inspections, disputed that claim. He inspected 260 horses at a facility in Oklahoma, and found only three in need of urgent care — and none of them was life-threatening, Ludt said.

Also, the first vet said many of the horses were malnourished, but again, the second vet hired by the first one disputed that claim.

Additionally, The New York Times writer reported that, as a result of these problems, the Thoroughbred Retirement Fund was in danger of losing funding that it received from the Paul Mellown Endowment Fund. But money from that fund was specifically bequeathed to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Ludt said, and the organization continues to receive 5 percent of whatever is in the fund on Jan. 1 of each year. It drew its funds at the beginning of this year.  The endowment fund is separate from the Mellon Foundation, he said.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation cares for more than 1,150 retired racehorse at nine facilities operated by the organization and numerous satellite facilities — mostly private farms and ranches whose owners care about the fate of the horses. It also works with prison inmates to retrain racehorses that are sound enough to take on other jobs when they retire. It is continuing its inspections of all of those horses and expects to complete the work by the end of next week.

There are untold numbers of racehorses that retire from the track each year. Many find welcoming homes, but too many don't.

"We need more people who care for horses," Ludt said. "We're trying to draw the industry together to come up with a more formalized plan to address a growing need."

 http://www.gjsentinel.com/blogs/horseplay/entry/thoroughbred-retirement-program-still-going-strong