Want to save an old racehorse from being slaughtered? Help this Monmouth County farm

UPPER FREEHOLD - Barny is a friendly, tranquil 16-year-old horse who was headed for a slaughterhouse. In June he was spared by the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, a nonprofit rescue operation based at a Cream Ridge farm.

The gelding’s journey from racehorse to workhorse to what is known as a “kill pen” would not have been unusual. According to U.S. government statistics, about 20,000 horses met their end in foreign slaughterhouses in 2022 (horse slaughter is illegal in the United States).

Barny came from Pennsylvania. He was severely underweight and there are numerous scars on his legs, almost certainly from falling in the street while pulling carriages or wagons.

“When we got him, he was in really poor condition. He had a lot of muscle atrophy,” said Cara Ippolito, the Standardbred Retirement Foundation’s horse manager. “We put 200 pounds on him; he’s come a long way. The best thing for him will be a nice trail-ride kind of owner, someone who will give him some TLC.”

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Most of the 75 horses at this Upper Freehold Township farm — the foundation has placed a total of 500 rescued horses at different farms throughout the country — are former standardbred racers, what people know as harness racing, the kind seen at Freehold Raceway. That’s not to be confused with the thoroughbreds seen at Monmouth Park Racetrack and in Triple Crown races like the Kentucky Derby.

“Totally different animals,” said Judith Bokman, the Standardbred Retirement Foundation’s founder and executive director. “These horses have a different (calmer) temperament, which is why a lot of them go into therapeutic riding programs.”

In an effort to find folks willing to adopt, foster or sponsor Barny or other residents at the farm, the foundation hosted an open house Saturday and drew a good-sized crowd. One of the highlights: Six “alumni” horses, who were adopted from the farm and now serve with mounted police in Newark, Philadelphia and the New Jersey State Police, came back and paraded with their law-enforcement handlers.

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“The horses here are so attractive to people once they get to meet them,” Bokman said.

Arriving just last week was Frazzleberry, an accomplished 6-year-old standardbred who raced frequently in the Poconos. Already, someone is interested in adopting him.

It’s not something that will happen overnight. Frazzleberry has some post-career decompressing to do, and the adoption process is a thorough one. The foundation keeps track of the horses who have left its auspices. During the pandemic there was a spike in adoptions, “but then as people went back to work, a lot of these horses came back to us,” Bokman said.

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The foundation relies on generosity to keep the horses fed and healthy.

“This is all on donations and has been for 35 years,” Bokman said. “Unfortunately we don’t get a whole lot of support from racing. We do get some.”

Over the weekend, a generous donor offered a $25,000 matching opportunity. Donations earmarked for the match from now through Giving Tuesday (Nov. 28) will be matched by the donor, dollar for dollar.

As for Saturday’s open house, Bokman said a dozen attendees began exploring the adoption process. And yes, Barny was one of the horses who caught a prospective owner’s eye.

“He’s an absolute doll,” Ippolito said. “A teddy bear.”

To adopt, foster of sponsor a horse through the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, or to donate toward the Giving Tuesday match, email srfhorsesandkids@gmail.com or visit www.adoptahorse.org.

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Standardbred Retirement Foundation needs help to save old racehorses