The offers to help came pouring in when caring people heard of the Standardbred Retirement Foundation’s trouble. The burden of finding a new home large enough for 42 standardbreds and an office eased as 10 permanent homes were secured, some within the racing community, others with equine background that learned about the non-profit’s troubles through social media.
Trainer Ron Burke made room for two retirees on his farm in Western Pennsylvania; Hickory Lane Farm in Ohio opened its door; Fair Winds has already taken two, and Arden Homestead and Jeff Gural quickly expressed their concern and offered to help in many ways. Reynolds Hay and Feed, which provides all the grain for the SRF horses at the farm through a joint gift with McCauley's Feed, quickly called to assist. There were also enough foster home offers to empty the farm in a day, but the logistics would prevent that from working. Horses would be trailered a good distance and still need to come back once SRF settles in somewhere new. Even other adoption organizations reached out with offers to take a few horses, but they would be adopted under their contract conditions which do not include the rigid follow-up that SRF implements. Once SRF finds a new home, standardbred owner, and Mayor of Millstone Township, NJ, Nancy Grbelja and SRF volunteer Denise Gonsiewski offered to help with shipping.
Owners Jeff Bamond and Pat O’Brien were the first two owners joining SRF's program to assist financially through sharing the winnings of their horses, thanks to Peter Grandich's challenge, whose horse, Orange Biji, won at Yonkers on Saturday night. “This is very helpful, as a new home will cost SRF between $25,000 to $50,000 more annually," Judy Bokman stated. "We knew we would be facing a huge increase. It was a matter of time whether we stayed at the present farm or moved on. The current situation would cost us 75 per cent more in rent and still we would be maintaining the facility --- that makes no financial sense. This is the reason for our departure, we just didn’t want to have to do it in 30 days."
SRF’s administrator, Dana Letual, further explained that “It is becoming more manageable as we sort through all the wonderful offers. We may not be able to keep our office at the same facility as the horses in our future location. Most facilities offer use of the tack room for an office and that just won't work for us. With more than 90 per cent of our adoptions going through our main rehab/adoption farm, we need space to work. We employ an adoption director who screens the horses and potential adopters, and arranges all the necessary shipping, paperwork, and the follow-up for every horse since 1989. We have a horse trainer, an administrator/fund raiser, and an assistant/bookkeeper/volunteer co-ordinator who assists in every area. We also have someone who feeds, orders hay and grain, and arranges for the farrier, dentist, veterinarian, and who has been patching up the farm since the new landlord arrived.”
SRF values its staff and wants to avoid re-staffing and training, as it is costly. Dr. Bokman has been doing SRF’s work gratis since the doors opened nearly 23 years ago, a savings that is incalculable. SRF must stay within reach of this great gift. A location in central NJ is what is needed, either reasonable boarding or a place to call home with permanency so SRF will not be faced with this in the future.
Please contact Dana Letual at 609-324-1500 or email [email protected] if you can help with offering a permanent or temporary home for a horse, make a donation, or know of a facility that may be suitable.
(SRF)
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