07/30/2025
This handsome horse just arrived at Northeast Equine Sanctuary. Given the insulting racing name “Ima Nuisance,” this 15 year old boy spent years racing and earned his owners $159,640 in prize money (he ran 205 races, coming in 1st 30 times, second 21 times, and 3rd 24 times)… only to end up discarded when he couldn’t race (or couldn’t win) anymore. His father and both grandfathers made his owners MILLIONS of dollars.
His story is similar to so many racehorses who start racing young before their bones are fully developed, leading to injuries and future mobility problems. Even though their bones aren’t done growing until they are six, horses in the racing industry often start intensive training at only a year and a half old and start racing at two. This is incredibly taxing on their developing bodies, leading to injuries and degenerative joint and bone problems. Because of the intense demands put on their bodies, drugging and doping horses is common to keep them running and brining in the money.
Each year, roughly two thousand horses die on racetracks here in the US (https://horseracingwrongs.org/killed-in-action/) due to severe, painful injuries, cardiovascular collapse, and other medical emergencies. For those who can no longer perform up to par, they often get passed around and end up in bad situations, or they end up getting slaughtered. Even though horse slaughter was technically outlawed in the U.S. in 2007, tens of thousands of U.S. horses are still being shipped to slaughter in Canada and Mexico each year (https://awionline.org/content/horse-slaughter-statistics) meeting a brutal and terrifying death. The racetrack-slaughterhouse pipeline is part of the dark side of horse racing.
We’re working hard to build a safety net for vulnerable equines here in Maine. Whether they are coming from state cruelty seizures, local starvation cases, or are former workhorses and racehorses destined for slaughter when their bodies give out, here, everyone is valued for who they are, not what they can do for us. Everyone here is retired. No more working for people. It’s a freedom place.
We’re the largest equine shelter in Maine (44 horses and 30 donkeys), and one of the largest in New England, but not enough people know about our work yet. Please help us spread the word about our work and if you’re able to donate to help us fix up this sweet boy (who is waiting for the perfect new name), we would be forever grateful. Thank you!
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