Unbreakable Ella

01/01/2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF MY FELLOW THOROUGHBREDS 🥳

💜and extra smoochies to my BFF for life, Killian

12/01/2023

This beautiful poem by Paul Mellon is perfect

THOROUGHBREDS
An original poem by Paul Mellon
The day my final race is run
And, win or lose, the sinking sun
Tells me it's time to quit the track
And gracefully hang up my tack,
I'll thank the Lord the life I've led
Was always near a Thoroughbred.

I've had my share of falls and knocks
Pursuing the elusive fox.
I've heard the stirring cry of hounds
From Melton to the Sussex Downs.
Each spring I ride a hundred miles
(My tail bright red, my face all smiles).

And I have seen the thrilling pace
Of many a cutthroat steeplechase
And watched with breath and mind
suspended
until a classic race has ended.
For those high days can end in pain,
Or in a bottle of champagne.

So if the downward course is steep
Where smoke and flames and devils leap
I'll hope I'm on a hellish steed
Running his heart out with no need
For voice or spurs or flailing whip
To guarantee he gets the trip.

But if about the sixteenth pole
God should have mercy on my soul,
I hope He'll raise me to the clouds
Above the grandstand and the crowds
And there I'll take my ease, and wait
Behind the pearly starting gate.

And long before I break God's bread
Or buy a halo for my head
Or sink into a starry bed
Or say the prayers I should have said
Before the donuts, rolls, or coffees,
I'll find the secretary's office.

In my first interview, of course,
I'll ask St. Peter for a horse.
He'll lead me down the heavenly sheds
Past miles and miles of Thoroughbreds
And say,"Since you've escaped Old Nick ...
They're on the house; just take your pick".

So when old Gabriel's golden horn
Echoes from cloud to cloud each morn
And "It is post time" rings out clear
I will be ready with my gear;
My horse and I will not be late
(Though I'll be slightly overweight).

Then free from every mortal sin
(Including Butazolidin!)
We'll gallop through celestial fields
Where neither mist nor mud conceals
The graceful movements of the horse,
The wide and green and endless course.

Though some may think and I'll agree
That only God can make a tree,
Before God thought of trees, it's said,
His mind was on the Thoroughbred.

Show some love for the breed by commenting with a photo or a memory of your experience with one ♥️

11/27/2023

11/15/2023

I have a HUGE but SMALL favor to ask.

Go to my Business Page- Triad Horseplay

Go to the 3 little dots on the side of page, Hit “invite friends”

Select "invite all" & done

You've SUCCESSFULLY supported my Small Business for $0.00 and less than 30 seconds of your time.

Thank YOU for supporting small and local buiness.

(Copied) but wanted to share as this is an amazing way to help us small business owners!

10/17/2023

Equine Care, Wellness and Therapy is a rapidly growing profession that is beneficial to the entire Eq

10/15/2023

Wow - wow wow wow

10/15/2023

We are amazing through it all 🏇🏇🏇

Wow. This is powerful, eye opening and a little sad. This is why I’m not in the business of buying and selling horses...instead, I would much rather educate equine enthusiasts about just how sensitive horses truly are...

“Most horses pass from one human to another - some horsemen and women are patient and forgiving, others are rigorous and demanding, others are cruel, others are ignorant.

Horses have to learn how to, at the minimum, walk, trot, canter, gallop, go on trails and maybe jump, to be treated by the vet, all with sense and good manners.

Talented Thoroughbreds must learn how to win races, and if they can't do that, they must learn how to negotiate courses and jump over strange obstacles without touching them, or do complicated dance
like movements or control cattle or accommodate severely handicapped children and adults in therapy work.

Many horses learn all of these things in the course of a single lifetime. Besides this, they learn to understand and fit into the successive social systems of other horses they meet along the way.

A horse's life is rather like twenty years in foster care, or in and out of prison, while at the same time changing schools over and over and discovering that not only do the other students already have their own social groups, but that what you learned at the old school hasn't much application at the new one.

We do not require as much of any other species, including humans.

That horses frequently excel, that they exceed the expectations of their owners and trainers in such circumstances, is as much a testament to their intelligence and adaptability as to their relationship skills or their natural generosity or their inborn nature.

That they sometimes manifest the same symptoms as abandoned orphans - distress, strange behaviors, anger, fear - is less surprising than that they usually don't.

No one expects a child, or even a dog to develop its intellectual capacities living in a box 23 hours a day and then doing controlled exercises the remaining one.

Mammal minds develop through social interaction and stimulation.

A horse that seems "stupid", "slow", "stubborn", etc. might just have not gotten the chance to learn!

Take care of your horses and treasure them.”

- Jane Smiley

📸 Kaly Madison Photography

10/14/2023

Here is our regular hope and prayer that you will consider donating towards yesterday’s $720.00 round bale purchase. Every 💵 counts to sustain our herd of rescues, rehabs, and retirees. THEY NEED YOU! And thank you for your continued support!

10/14/2023

Animals’ Angels investigators returned to the weekly Sugarcreek Horse Sale. In its prime, the auction sold well over 300 horses per week and was frequented by multiple kill buyers from surrounding states. A lot has changes since then – Auction owner and former kill buyer Leroy Baker retired, and his son Brady took over the auction business in 2020. Brady renamed the auction to “Sugarcreek Stockyards” and added a sleek new website and social media pages to attract customers.

The number of horses sold each week has also decreased drastically to 20-50 horses on average. On the day investigators visited, there were 32 horses and donkeys inside the pen area.

Long time kill buyer Fred Bauer, in his 80s and barely able to walk at this point, sat prominently in the front row. Frankie Spitznogle, a young horse trader from West Virginia who is affiliated with Arkansas kill buyer Blake Wilf, was also in attendance.

Overall, the observations that day confirm what investigators have been noticing all across the country – the slaughter horse industry and the auction market for slaughter horses continues to slowly fade away.

Read more here....
https://www.animalsangels.org/investigations/horses/sugarcreek-horse-auction-oh

10/14/2023

So - we LOVE the OTTB MAFIA 🏇

10/05/2023

So - I am deeply in love with my new barn owner

10/05/2023

If you're looking for a great OTTB - look no further than Blue Line Farm

Sales horse Tony is turning into a fancy dancer! Smart, well-balanced, and athletic, this guy would be a great project for anyone to bring along! Easy in the barn with no vices or limitations! And, he passed a PPE in Aug with all negative flexions!!! Check out his new video at https://youtu.be/8Q4HAfoX9ME?si=rkYEaDiiMxSbgOx7 Find his info (along with our other great horses) at https://bluelinefarmnc.com/halos-dance/

10/01/2023

David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group DCMLG follows David’s lead on all we do. David toured the country and all around the world. David also had a deep love for thoroughbred horses. Starting in 2024 DCMLG will be on a tour of our own spreading the word about thoroughbred aftercare and TAA accredited organizations as we go out to speak about thoroughbred aftercare. We will also pass out the TAA aftercare takeaways as we do at our annual events when we go out to speak. It will be a new way to BREAK THROUGH THE BUBBLE and let the public know about the existence of thoroughbred aftercare. We also will
COLLECT STATEMENTS from any TAA organizations that wish to send us a statement. We will compile a booklet to hand out when we speak. This booklet will include each aftercare organization’s website and physical address for those who wish to to donate. This ensures direct link donation to the aftercares. We must get the word out about the amazing people who give of themselves 365 days a year to help the retired thoroughbreds.
We are dedicated in our mission to help the aftercare organizations as they work to save and take care of retired thoroughbreds.

10/01/2023

❤️❤️❤️

Man O’War Remembered ♥️
Graphite artwork

09/21/2023

"Forget the highs and lows of Saratoga. Forget the upcoming Breeders’ Cup. This is about the true meaning of Thoroughbred racing and the special bond between a foal and a young boy that defied the odds and took them on an unforgettable journey." ~ Steve Haskin

Read Haskin's column about "a bottom level horse at a bottom level racetrack. But most of all it is about a 9-year old boy’s love of a horse and his belief in him despite the astronomical odds of him ever getting to the races." https://www.secretariat.com/askin-haskin/09/19/2023/spencer-and-luna-a-love-story/

Photo courtesy Tiffiney Veloudis.

09/16/2023

09/14/2023

We’re over here in NC loving life 😁

Dance for Zack
Miss Shoppin’ Diva

The Jockey Club will begin a project to trace recently-retired horses as part of an attempt to improve traceability of first exit from racing.

09/14/2023