More about Pious

On November 9, 2010, in a blog entry entitled Saving Pious, you saw the first chapter in the story of the rescue of Pious. Here is a photo of Pious when he arrived at Tranquility Farm one day after being found at a livestock auction by Caroline Betts of Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue. Pious was depressed, severely dehydrated, and facing god knows what fate that night. We just couldn’t leave him there.

If you have any doubts that horses have knowledge of their fate, take a good look at Pious. Little by little we pieced together his past. A $250,000 Keeneland yearling in 2006, by the popular sire Forestry, and out of a stakes producing mare, Pious had legitimate star potential. But something happened to him as a two year old and he never made his mark on the track. He dropped from sight for two years and until that November night when he suddenly reappeared at a killer sale.

We know from his condition that he was well cared for in the interim. His hooves were good, his coat was still brilliant, and he seemed to bear human beings no ill will for the terrible betrayal he had suffered. Pious was a total sweetheart. How anyone could simply abandon a horse like this is the cruel mystery that horse rescue people face every time they summon the courage to walk in to another auction to save Thoroughbred horses. No matter how many times you do this, it is impossible to comprehend why.

Here is Pious after two months of love and care at Tranquility Farm. He will soon be leaving us for a home where his wonderful qualities as a stallion will be appreciated forever. His stay here was inspiring, and to Taylor Made Sales and everyone who contributed toward his rehabilitation, we thank you so much. Look what we did.

2011 SPRING ADOPTION PREVIEW

Tranquility Farm's website is being freshened and updated, and while that work is going on we have had a lot of inquiries regarding horses that will be offered for adoption this spring. Here are a few of the adoptable horses we will be featuring on our updated website! Please give us a call or e mail if you are horse shopping as we have many more lovely young horses that will soon be photographed and posted.

BuckySue, 2007 16 hand mare by Touch Gold out of Way Up. BuckySue is a most kind and naturally quiet young mare who simply was not cut out to be a racehorse. She will make a wonderful all around pleasure horse for someone who wants a true pet as well as riding horse, and she has no physical problems that would prevent her from any challenge.

Callthewindmariah, 2007 16 hand filly by Kasparov out of Ventilation. Mariah has beautiful sleek lines and a catty way of going that make her a natural for the hunter ring. She is a friendly, extroverted filly who is already a "pocket pony". Born and raised at Tranquility Farm she will make a fabulous prospect.

Margaret's Image, 2007 16.2 hand dark bay filly by Skimming out of Margaret's Native. This gorgeous young mare has been raised with lots of love right here at Tranquility Farm and she is now ready to go into training for dressage or eventing. Margaret is a kind and classy filly with a wonderful kind dispositon, one of a kind!

Tanta Pasion, 2002 15.3 hand Chestnut Mare. This Chilean bred beauty is very lightly raced, and she has taken time out to have one foal prior to her donation to Tranquility Farm. Tanta is a very friendly,athletic, and agile mare who would undoubtedly take to hunter work or all around pleasure riding.

Switch It Up, 2006 16.2 hand, dark bay mare by Lido Palace out of Call an Audible. This mare is a big impressive mover and would make a great prospect for dressage. She is kind, calm and very well mannered, and she is relaxed and friendly with other horses. All in all an extremely pleasant horse!

Deification, 2006 15.2 hand gelding by Empire Maker out of Adoration. This little man is one of the most playful, affectionate and congenial horses you could ever imagine. If you are looking for a horse to be a family member, trail partner and all around pleasure horse please come to meet Deification, he is waiting so patiently to be your best friend.

HOMAGE TO ZENYATTA

No one could have been more suprised or honored than to have a quote from Tranquility Farm's In The Presence of Champions calendar read as a part of Jerry Moss and Team Zenyatta's Horse of the Year acceptance speech.

For all of Zenyatta's many fans who have called and wished to order calendars today to have the whole text of our piece honoring Zenyatta, we deeply regret that 2011 In the Presence of Champions has sold out. Below you will find the complete piece, which was written on the evening of the Breeder's Cup.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Calm has returned to Tranquility Farm this evening. It is a crisp, clear night and I can still hear some of the retired gelding trotting happily away in the darkness, savoring the mountain air. Walking through the barns and paddocks there is everywhere the familiar comfort of horses munching their evening hay. The phone has finally stopped ringing. The tears have dried. Zenyatta has lost, or so they think.

If you love Thoroughbred horses you go through life hoping that you can see just one more in whose presence the clouds fall away to reveal the mountaintop. It can take a generation or infinitely longer for such a horse to arrive, a horse that is capable of carrying the human heart. For the last one hundred years we know them all by name, but Zenyatta brought to us a beauty that was a tonic for the soul. She allowed us to believe in the impossible, and it was the light of her being as much as the thrill of her races that got us dancing. Zenyatta was transformative.

And what do we take away from this? In the year ahead there will be thousands of young horses who will come away from racing and they will not be legends. Many will be injured, most will be unwanted, and unless we who love the Thoroughbred act in concert for their protection, there will be no storybook ending.

To join together to insure that retiring Thoroughbreds everywhere can have a future could be the final and perhaps the greatest legacy of America’s love affair with Zenyatta. She showed the world without question that Thoroughbreds have great depth of feeling and a true affection for humankind. She proved beyond measure that horses are worthy of our respect. It is impossible not to believe that because of her there are young people all across this country waiting with open arms to bring one of these marvelous creatures into their lives. It is our duty to make that connection.
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If we can rise up, and we can rally, and we can be fearless in overcoming the tremendous obstacles to achieving this goal, then we can perhaps be worthy of the marvelous gift that Zenyatta was to all who saw and loved her. We owe it to her, but of course she is a horse, and it was all for free.

CALENDARS ARE SOLD OUT!

Thanks so much to everyone who supported our 2011 In The Presence of Champions calendar fundraiser for their support! We had a great response to our 2011 calendars and will not be able to accept further orders at this time. If you have already submitted your order you will receive your calendar. Thanks again to everyone who sent in donations or purchased our calendars for making the holiday season bright for the horses of Tranquility Farm!