Rescued equines find new start at horse park (KY)

God bless John Nicholson. God bless Kentucky Horse Park.

Here’s why.

Cross-posted from the Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky.com

Doomed horses now part of education, adoption program

By JANET PATTON

When the Kentucky Horse Park trumpets new equine arrivals, they tend to have famous names like Funny Cide, a Kentucky Derby winner, or Cigar, who won just shy of $10 million on the racetrack.

But now the state park dedicated to horses is going in a new direction, taking in two unwanted pregnant mares, a couple of young never-ridden fillies and a would-have-been racehorse that broke down before he his first start.

The horses came through a new partnership with the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, a shelter in Nicholasville that takes in horses of all breeds.

Cutter was training to be a racehorse when he broke both of his front legs. He would have been euthanized if the Horse Park hadn't stepped in. Picture-Lex Herald-Ldr, photographer unknown.

“Cutter,” who was sired by champion Macho Uno, broke sesamoid bones in both front legs while in training and likely would have been euthanized if the Horse Park hadn’t stepped.

Likewise, the future of the pregnant mares, which were surrendered by their owner, was uncertain.

Now, all the horses not only have shots at a bright future but will also help provide a class of horsemanship students with valuable experience in foaling, rehabilitation, breaking and training, and, eventually, adoption.

“The easy choice would have been to make excuses not to get involved, or to look the other way and hope that someone else would help these mares,” said John Nicholson, horse park executive director. “The more difficult choice would entail taking on several new high-maintenance horses, thus significantly increasing the work load for our already-overworked staff. We made the right decision.”

For information on the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, including adopting horses, go to http://www.KyEHC.org or contact Lori Neagle at (859) 881-5849 or LNeagle@KyEHC.org.
For information on the Kentucky Horse Park’s Professional Horseman’s Course, contact Laurie Brown at (859) 259-4290 or lbrown@kyhorsepark.com, or Ellen Hamilton at (859) 321-6982 or ehamilton@kyhorsepark.com.

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