Tranquility Farm Today

January 2012

2011-12-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

WE HAVE THE YOUNG HORSES BELOW CURRENTLY IN TRAINING AND READY FOR ADOPTION FOR SPRING 2012, AND MANY MORE NICE PROSPECTS SOON TO BE LISTED. PLEASE CALL THE FARM FOR INFORMATION OR AN APPOINTMENT TO MEET ADOPTABLE HORSES.

CALLTHEWINDMARIAH has entered training with Lindsay Mumm of Ojai, CA. Mariah is a 2007 16.1 hand bay mare who was born at Tranquility Farm from a rescued broodmare. She is a long catty mover with beautiful gaits and an affectionate, intelligent personality. She is a natural for the hunter ring! Watch for updates as Mariah begins her saddle work.

BION 2007 16 hand grey gelding. Bion has progressed very well with basic trail work and is looking for a home where he can be outside with room to freely exercise when he is not at work. He is a friendly, fun loving horse who gets along very well with other horses. Bion will make a great ranch horse and trail pal.

MINNAHUNI, 2007 15.3 solid seal brown mare, unraced. Minnie has taken to the trail like a duck to water! She is only in her second month of work under saddle and has performed beautifully as a trail horse both solo and in company. She has one of the nicest dispositions you can imagine, and she has the potential to make a lovely show horse with future training.

BUCKYSUE, 2007 16.2 hand solid bay mare. Buckysue did very well in her retraining as a trail horse and went quietly in company and by herself. She has physical limitations that make her suitable for light trail riding but not arena work or jumping. If you are looking for a quiet, loving horse for pleasure rides and to be your best friend, please give us a call about Buckysue.

SEATTLE MOONSHINE, 16.1 hand 2007 bay mare, has entered training as of December 7, and will be ready to be schooled for hunter work or eventing early in 2012. Moonshine was born at Tranquility Farm from a rescued broodmare, she is unraced, and has a warm heart and a willing mind. She is a lovely long mover with great natural agility. Call for updates or to make an appointment to see her in training!

McCOUGHALLAH 2008 16 hand solid black gelding. Rarely a Thoroughbred comes along that looks and acts for all the world as if he wants to be a western performance horse. Meet McCoullagh! McCoullagh is unraced, he was raised at Tranquility Farm from a rescued mare, and he is about to broaden his horizens and meet some cows! Fancy enough to show but has the desire to be a serious working horse. Call for updates.

HAPPY WARRIOR, 2009 15.3 hands and growing! bay gelding. Happy Warrior came from the rescue of the Ben Warren mares in 2008, and he was sired by the excellent stallion Mongol Warrior, a son of Deputy Minister. Happy Warrior is a total sweetheart, he loves everybody and has been a perfect gentleman in his training. He is being started as an all around horse but he definitely has the potential to go hunters with some further training. He will be perfect for a junior rider who wants a pocket pony.

2011 STALLION SEASON AUCTION

2011-11-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

Tranquility Farm wishes to thank all of the donors of 2012 stallion seasons for helping to make our 2011 Benefit Stallion Season Auction a success. We deeply appreciate your generosity!

There are still some seasons remaining for those who missed our auction event. To see which stallions may still be available from the list below, call or e mail:

Auction Chairman Barbara Corey:
909-887-9067 or friendshipfarm2@verizon.net

ALYMAGIC
ATHLETE
ATTICUS

BEDFORD FALLS
BEHRENS
BEST MINISTER
BIGBADLEROYBROWN
BOLD CHIEFTAN
BRAVE CAT

CHATTAHOOCHEE WAR
COUNCIL MEMBER
CYCLOTRON

DECARCHY
DESERT CODE
DRUM MAJOR

E Z WARRIOR

FLAME THROWER
FOREST COMMAND
FULLBRIDLED

GAME PLAN
GIACOMO
GLOBALIZE
GOOD JOURNEY
GOTHAM CITY

HELD OVER AGAIN

LUCKY J.H.
LUCKY PULPIT

MANY RIVERS
MARINO MARINI
MASON THUNDER
MC CANN'S MOJAVE
MONSAJEM
MUD ROUTE

PAPA CLEM
PEPPERED CAT
PIOUS

RENDEVOUS
ROCKY BAR
ROYAL MEMORY
RUN BROTHER RON

SEA OF SECRETS
SIERRA SUNSET
SILIC
SINGELTARY
SLEW'S SAGA
SOUGHT AFTER
SOUTHERN IMAGE
SPENSIVE
STORMIN FEVER
STORMY JACK
STREET THEATER
SURF CAT
SWISS YODELER

TALE OF THE HILLS
TANNERSMYMAN
TEN MOST WANTED
THE PAMPLEMOUSSE
THISNEARLYWASMINE
TIZBUD
TOUGH GAME

UNCLE DENNY
UNDER CAUTION

VRONSKY

ARIZONA:
BELLINGHAM
MAGNIFIC

INDIANA:
RAZOR
CAT DREAMS

NEW MEXICO:
BACHELOR BLUES
IRISH ROAD

PHONE OR FAX BARBARA COREY AT 909-887-9067
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

LATEST ADOPTION NEWS!

2011-09-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

NOVEMBER ADOPTION UPDATES

Below are photos and bios of adoptable horses currently with trainer Lindsay Mumm of Ojai, CA. Lindsay has done wonderful work in the past with Thoroughbreds rehabbed by Tranquility Farm, and we are delighted to have her assistance with adoptions. Please contact Tranquility Farm for updates regarding the training progress of any adoptable horses that may interest you, or if you wish to set up an appointment to see the horses.

SEATTLE MOONSHINE, 2007 16 hand bay filly. Moonshine is unraced, and she was born here at Tranquility Farm out of a rescued broodmare. She is a long catty mover who is a natural for hunters and trail riding, and she could easily develop into an eventing prospect as her training progresses. This is a very self-confident and intelligent filly, and she will be started under saddle in mid-november.

MINNAHUNI, 2007 15.3 hand solid seal brown mare who has a wonderfully sweet temperament. "Minne" was born at Tranquility Farm and in her first month of work under saddle she is already taking to the trail like an old pro. She will make a wonderful pleasure horse and has lovely gaits that could develop into many talents with future training.

BION, 2007 16 hand grey gelding. Bion had a case of the slows at the racetrack, but he is now relaxed and happy going out on trails. He is a very bright, friendly horse who will enjoy mental challenges and fun.

BUCKYSUE, 2007 16.2 hand solid bay mare who is a kind and gentle soul. Bucky did a wonderful job with 30 days of trail and arena work. She went out in company and alone on the trail and was quiet and forward. Buckysue's final vet check revealed a previously unknown former injury from the racetrack, and she is approved for trail and pleasure work, but not for jumping or strenuous dressage. She is now back at Tranquility Farm awaiting adoption.

CAPRICHO, 2007 17 hand bay gelding. Capricho is unraced, and he was born and raised at Tranquility Farm from a rescued mare. He has been started under saddle and knows basic arena skills and some trail riding. Capricho has huge gaits, a strong floating uphill trot and rockinghorse canter that together with his size and presence make him a truly outstanding prospect for dressage. ADOPTED!

DEIFICATION, 2006 15.3 hand gelding with a puppydog personality. Here is a kind, sensible horse who wants to be your best friend, pet and trail buddy. ADOPTED!

TWOTURNTWO, 2007 16.1 hand gelding with a quiet personality and huge gaits for future dressage. He is a naturally uphill mover with tons of potential for a rider who can develop his talents. ADOPTED!

Zenyatta Tribute Benefits Tranquility Farm

2011-07-15T13:27:00.001-07:00

Equine artist Nick Martinez has recently released a new glicee print entitled "A Tribute to Zenyatta" which captures a beautiful image of the racing legend at Santa Anita with Mike Smith up. This delightful print is available signed or unsigned, and it sells with 50% of the profits dedicated to helping the horses of Tranquility Farm. To purchase this print as a special gift for the Zenyatta fan in your life, or to treat yourself to a wonderful memory of the champion,PLEASE ENTER OUR E BAY GIFTSHOP!

Honoring Fly to the Wire

2011-05-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the Gr.3 Laz S Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park, a seven furlong race that Fly to the Wire finished a close second to Blazonery in 2003. Fly to the Wire was bred in Florida by Adena Springs, and he raced a total of twenty- eight times, with an astounding record of 11-9-2. This was a serious racehorse, and he finished off his amazing career with a series of 5 consecutive wins in the 2006. Ironically, one of the horses he narrowly defeated in that winning streak was his now pasture mate, Full Moon Madness. Small world.

Fly to the Wire was donated to Tranquility Farm in 2006 by his trainer Robert Hess, after bowing a tendon trying for six in a row at Del Mar. Since that time he has been living very happily with our retired geldings, and he can always be counted upon to go out of his way to impress our visitors. It seems that some horses just never get enough of showing off for their fans!

In memory of the Turlock horses.

2011-05-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

If you followed the story of the Turlock horses and tried to intercede on their behalf, the end of the story will be hard to take. They are gone, and without a doubt at this moment they are in tansit to a Mexican slaughterhouse or have already left this cruel world. The news report and subsequent flurry of phone calls to law enforcement yielded nothing but mental anguish for everyone involved. It is not a crime to load up a bunch of horses and drive them across the state line, a very courteous detective sadly explained. Not having the manpower to chase a trailer to the border to document the sale of these unfortunate horses for slaughter, there was really nothing that they could do.

It happens every day. The only consolation in this case is that the killer buyer has felonly animal cruelty charges pending against him in another county. Small comfort. Until we close our national borders these monsters will continue to operate in plain sight. There is in fact no enforceable protection for our horses. So please keep following this issue. When actions are pending in Congress please respond and bring an ever-wider group of outraged citizens to demand an end to the export of American horses for slaughter. That is all we can do. Having to helplessly watch the fate of these horses unfold was extremely painful to everyone, but it can only serve to strengthen our resolve. Only when our borders are closed to horse traffickers will we finally see justice for the Turlock horses and the thousands of others that meet the same terrible end every year.

URGENT: 40 horses in Turlock CA at risk of slaughter.

2011-04-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

This EYEWITNESS REPORT was published April 28 in Turlock, California, which is located in Stanislaus County.

Urgent action is needed to make sure that these horses do not ship to Mexico to slaughter as is reportedly the intention of their owner. Possession or shipment of horses for slaughter is a felony offence in the state of California according to California Penal Code Section 598 C. This law was approved by 55 percent of the voters in Stanislaus County!

To voice your opinion or to inquire as to any actions being taken to protect these horses please contact the office of Stanislaus County Sherriff at 209-525-7047, and the Stanislaus County District Attorney Ms. Birgit Fladager at 209-525-5550. THE HORSES THANK YOU!

Spring Adoption Preview

2011-04-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Spring is arriving slowly to Tehachapi this season, and it is taking a while for many of our new adoptable horses to shed their winter hair for their "glamor shots". Here is a preview of one of our new adoptables for 2011, Twoturntwo, as he enjoyed his turnout time. Twoturntwo is 4 year old 16 hand gelding by Old Topper out of Echoes of Love. He raced one time in January of 2010 and has since that time been rehabbing at Tranquility Farm. He has passed his final exray check and is now approved to train for dressage and pleasure riding. Twoturntwo is a very friendly and enthusiastic young horse that will be a pleasure to work with!

A Special Message To Adopters

2011-04-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Adopters and Potential Adopters,

If you have just been to the feed store and came home to have a little cry, don't feel alone. This is a scary year for horse owners and horse lovers, and it is more important than ever for those of us who rescue and rehome horses to have the support of the horse community. No one, no matter how hard they try, can keep abreast of the rising cost of caring for multiple horses. For Tranquility Farm, timely adoptions are critical to our ability to help the horses, and we are caring for far too many wonderful adoption candidates who need your help to find homes!

And so, to give everyone some much needed cheer and inspiration, we would like to share a video of first-time horse owner Doug Johnson of Washington, and his rescued mare, Warren's Sassy Cat. Here is Doug's reward for compassion, faith, and the abiding knowledge that a Thoroughbred deserves so much better than to be treated as a running machine. ENJOY! If you are accessing this blog through the Tranquility Farm website you will have to enter "Sassy Leo Sayer Remix" when the YouTube search box comes up. Please visit Tranquility Farm soon for your new dancing partner!

Honoring I Love Silver

2011-04-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the Grade I Santa Anita Derby and a good time to honor our retiree, I Love Silver, whose outstanding efforts in graded stakes company earned him great respect and affection from California race fans in the early years of the last decade. Silver ran head to head with Kona Gold, Point Given, Mizzen Mast and many of the stars of his day, and could always be counted on to give his best effort.

I Love Silver is the kind of horse that always seems to need an exclamation point at the end of his name. I LOVE SILVER! Doesn't that look better?

A foal of 1998 by Silver Ghost out of Lost Love, by Codex, I Love Silver raced 20 times in his accomplished career. His record is 20 Starts: 4 - 5 - 4, with earnings of $437,142. Trained by Dean Greenman, I Love Silver at at 3: Won Skywalker H. (SA)$75,000; 2nd San Felipe S. (G2); 3rd Santa Anita Derby (G1); Ancient Titel Breeders' Cup H. (G1); Malibu S. (G1), and at 4 ran 2nd Morvich H. (G3); 3rd Pat O'Brien H. (G2). Congratulations Silver Boy, at Tranquility Farm you are still a star.

In Memory of Marvin's Faith

2011-04-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Marvin's Faith (Ire)was euthanized yesterday at Tranquility Farm because of his declining health due to cancer. He was 20 years old. Marvin was a fabulous runner in his day, and raced 29 times with six wins including the Gr.2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland where he established a new record for a mile and an eighth on the turf; the Gr.3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar; and the Gr. 3 Bay Meadows Derby.

Marvin was the kindest horse and he spent twelve years in happy retirement here at Tranquility Farm. Farewell old friend, you will be missed.

Tranquility Farm Giftshop Now on E Bay!

2011-03-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

"Ladies First" by Nick Martinez.

We are happy to announce the opening of Tranquility Farm's E Bay Giftshop which we hope our friends will support to help us fundraise for the horses. Our initial offering is a selection of beautiful prints of your racing favorites and past champions from Saratoga artist Nick Martinez. If you are shopping for a gift or something special for your home, please considering supporting our horses with a purchase of one of these beautiful items!

ENTER TRANQUILITY FARM'S E BAY GIFTSHOP AND WATCH FOR MORE ITEMS SOON!

Thank you Hollywood Park !

2011-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Tranquility Farm wishes to thank Hollywood Park Racing Charities for their contribution to our horses. Among the former stars of Hollywood Park that now make Tranquility Farm their home are:

Invited Guest, winner of the 1987 Gr.2 Dahlia Handicap.

Southern Wish, winner of the 1994 Gr.1 Citation Handicap

Mananan Mclir, who ran 2nd in the 2002 Gr.1 Hollywood Derby.

Areyoutalkintome, who ran 2nd in the 2005 and 2006 Gr. 3 Los Angeles Handicap.

Publication, 2nd. in the 2002 Gr.1 Triple Bend Handicap.

Geronimo, 2nd, 2003 and 2004 Gr.3 Hollywood Turf Express Handicap.

Many thanks to Hollywood Park for remembering and appreciating these great competitors!

More about Pious

2011-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

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!

Tranquility Farm Thanks CARMA

2010-12-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

The Board of Tranquility Farm would like to express our thanks to the hard working people of CARMA who have done so much to support the non-profit organizations caring for California's retired Thoroughbreds.

The retired horses of Tranquility Farm have participated in 2,011 races and earned more than fifteen million dollars in purses. We deeply appreciate CARMA's effort to secure a portion of each horse's earnings for their retirement.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T07:57:00.001-08:00

This was too good not to share! Thanks to Sandy Milby for the cute photo of her adopted horse, Don'tbeatattletale. Happy Holidays to everyone!

IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS 2011!

2010-11-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

IN the PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS 2011 featuring Zenyatta, Boys at Tosconova, Super Saver, EZ's Gentleman, Pretty Unusual, Stevie Wonderboy,Papa Clem, the Keeneland 2010September Sale Topper,Caracortado, and beautiful scenes from the world of quality Thoroughbred racing.

ORDER ONLINE NOW! CALENDARS WILL SHIP THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 15.

A GIANT THANK YOU!

2010-11-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Tranquility Farm wishes to thank everyone who contributed to our stallion season auction, all of our season purchasers, and most especially Auction Chairman Barbara Corey for a successful auction. Thanks to all of you for helping us to continue to provide for the 110 horses in the care of Tranquility Farm. In a year which has been difficult for everyone in the horse world, we are most particularly grateful for your help and support!

2010 STALLION SEASON AUCTION

2010-11-19T14:15:00.001-08:00

2010 Annual
Stallion Season Telephone Auction
To benefit the 100 horses in retirement, rehabilitation or awaiting adoption at Tranquility Farm will take place on:

Nov. 21 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Nov. 22 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Nov. 23 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

To donate a season or submit a bid contact Auction Chairman Barbara Corey by phone or fax at: 909-887-9067.

2011 SEASONS OFFERED:
ALYMAGIC
ATHLETE
AWESOME GAMBLER
AWESOME SPIRIT
BEDFORD FALLS
BEHRENS
BLAKES PASSION
BLAZONRY
BOLD CHIEFTAIN
CAPSIZED
CHATTAHOOCHEE WAR
COMIC STRIP
COUNCIL MEMBER
CYCLOTRON
DECARCHY
DEFY LOGIC
DRUM MAJOR
FLAME THROWER
FORMAL GOLD
FREESPOOL
FULLBRIDLED
GAME PLAN
GLOBALIZE
GOLD KNUCKLES
GOOD JOURNEY
GOTHAM CITY
HELD OVER AGAIN
IRON CAT
LASERSPORT
LUCKY PULPIT
MANY RIVERS
MARINO MARINI
McCANN’S MOJAVE
MR. NAPPER TANDY (GB)
MUD ROUTE
PAMPLEMOUSSE
PAPA CLEM
PURE THRILL
RIVER GAMBLER
RIVERGRADE BOY
SOUGHT AFTER
SOUTHERN IMAGE
SPENSIVE
STORM WOLF
STORMY JACK
SURF CAT
SWISS YODELER
TANNERSMYMAN
TEN MOST WANTED
THISNEARLYWASMINE
TOUGH FAME
UNCLE DENNY
UNDER CAUTION
VRONSKY
WESTERN FAME

Saving Pious

2010-11-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday, as the racing world held it’s breath for Zenyatta, a lovely 5 year old chestnut stallion named Pious passed through the ring of a southern California livestock auction that is often the last stop for horses before a Mexican slaughterhouse. Even on Breeder’s Cup Day, the attrition of former Thoroughbred racehorses continues unabated. Pious is a son of the great sire Forestry, and he was sold at the January 2006 Keeneland sale for $240,000. He raced three times without success at Del Mar and Oak Tree as a two year old in 2008, and yesterday afternoon he was rescued for $300.

Pious arrived safely at Tranquility Farm today thanks to Caroline Betts of Southern CA Thoroughbred Rescue who spotted him at the sale, and to Denise Smith who bid for him and provided transportation. We can only save horses like Pious because of the donations of our supporters, so PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TODAY TO HELP PIOUS Pious is a gentle soul and he seems to be quite sound. With a few months of rehabitation and gelding he will make someone a wonderful horse!

Honoring our Cal Cup Stars

2010-10-29T08:46:00.001-07:00

Saturday is Cal Cup day at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park, and time to remember and appreciate the stars of past years who have made this such a special day in California racing. Tranquility Farm was the retirement home of the very first Cal Cup Sprint winner, Valiant Pete, and throughout the years many more horses who have reached the pinacle of California racing have joined us. With the exception of Lennyfromalibu, whose retiremet is sponsored by his owner, all of our retired Cal Cup stars are entirely dependant upon Tranquility Farm and our supporters for their retirement. CALIFORNIA'S HORSES NEED TRANQUILITY FARM AND TRANQUILITY FARM NEEDS YOU! Please help us continue to provide these California racing champions with the long and happy life they so deserve!
Lennyfromalibu, Winner, Cal Cup Mile.

Hemet Thought, Second, Cal Cup Mile.
Areyoutalkintome, Winner Cal Cup Sprint.
Full Moon Madness, Winner, Cal Cup Sprint
Patriotaki, Placed Cal Cup Mile.

Running Free, Second, Cal Cup Mile.

Saving Mananan Mclir

2010-10-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Today is Oak Tree Derby Day, and we honor the career of our retiree Mananan Mclir, who placed in the Gr. 2 Oak Tree Derby in 2006. It is a perfect moment to reflect upon the fate of racehorses who are literally abandoned at the racetrack every day. Mananan Mclir started 47 times, and his record was 9-8-4. He was already a stakes winner in England before embarking upon his American career that earned him more than half a million dollars. Among his achievements were winning the Gr.2 American Derby, and placing in the Gr. 2 Oak Tree and Hollywood Derbys. But it seems there was no way Mananan Mclir could do enough to earn the loyalty of any of his former owners, and in the end he was traded down the claiming ranks until he broke down at Hollywood Park on July 4th of 2008. Cast aside and "unwanted", Mananan Mclir became a ward of charity.

Mananan Mclir at Tranquility Farm.

To prevent the exploitation and abandonment of horses at the racetrack is the challenge of our time. But until this is achieved the only thing that horses like Mananan Mclir have to depend upon is charity. The kindness of strangers. California's horses need Tranquility Farm, and Tranquility Farm needs you. We are caring for more than one hundred former racehorses, and the great majority of them have shared the fate of Mananan Mclir. No matter how difficult, they have done everything that was asked of them, because that is the nature of a Thoroughbred. What we have yet to determine is how much longer racing will allow the abandonment of injured horses to be considered nothing more than just the unfortunate nature of a human being?

Our Morvich Handicap winner Geronimo

2010-10-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

Rescue takes many forms, and sometimes even the best and brightest in the racing world find themselves in need of a friend. So it was that Geronimo (Chi)came to Tranquility Farm after being vanned off in his forty-fourth start in a claiming race at Del Mar in July of 2006. Geronimo had a record of 11 wins, 10 second place finishes and 6 times third with earnings of $464,150. Among his many accomplishments are running in three consecutive Gr.3 Morvich Handicaps, which will be run tomorrow at Oak Tree. Geronimo placed third in the 2003 Morvich Hcp, forth in 2004, and he won it by a head in 2005.

Geronimo and his pals Stormin Away and I Love Silver are living the good life today at Tranquility Farm thanks entirely to the help of our supporters, which include the Oak Tree Foundation. We thank them so much for their faithful support of these former stars.

Update: Pregnant Mare Rescue

2010-10-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

There has been a very good response to the plight of the 20 Thoroughbreds that were sold to a Chino, California feedlost from the Euclid Auction last Saturday night. Many rescues and private individuals have stepped forward, but there are four broodmares and one nice four-year-old-bay colt by Compelling Sound that still need homes. Please see below:

PLEASE forward this posting to as many people as possible who may be able to provide a home for one of these horses. Thank you.
CONTACT: CAROLINE BETTS, Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue at 661-305-9021

Lochanara (1986 mare?, possibly in foal to Chachacharlie) - sold for $100 at auction
Unnamed 06 bay colt (Compelling Sound - Whisper Wildley) - sold for $185 at auction
Bay mare, 7yo, pedigree unknown - sold for $175 at auction
Chestnut mare, 10yo, pedigree unknown -sold for $75 at auction
Dark bay mare, 10yo, pedigree unknown -
These mares are believed to be in foal to the stallion ChachaCharlie. The paperwork for the unidentified mares is being researched.

Eventing prospects

2010-09-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

We get lots of calls for eventing prospects from people wanting a big, "slow" horse with no previous injuries. But they are calling a farm that takes horses off the racetrack, so the answer is often good luck with that.

Meanwhile the World Equestrian Games in Lexington is stoking the fire for future event riders in the US, showcasing world-class athletes that go from racing cross-country to composed elegance in the dressage ring. What hope does a rider of average means have to find a horse with this much athleticism and talent?

The answer is obvious. You find a young horse with good conformation and a good mind, and you train it yourself. From day one. Training is faster, easier, and often more rewarding than "retraining", especially for a horse that is destined to perform at the highest levels. This seems to be a well-kept secret.

With this in mind, Tranquility's adoption page will soon feature many beautiful young Thoroughbreds that were raised here, and with very few exceptions they are all the offspring of rescued broodmares. The foal crop in California has dropped 50% in the last five years, so for serious riders preparing for the future, the time to look for a young horse is now!

Urgent. Act to End Horse Slaughter

2010-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Please act to help bring HR 503 to the House Floor for a vote!

Representative James Moran needs your help to get H.R. 503 to a vote in the House!
U.S. Representative James Moran is circulating the letter set out below to all members of the House of Representatives for their signature. Once signatures have been gathered, Rep. Moran and members of the House of Representatives will present the letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The letter calls on Speaker Pelosi to bring the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503, to a vote by the full House of Representatives immediately.

Tranquility Farm, Equine Welfare Alliance, and Animal Law Coalition urge you to call on your U.S. representative to sign this letter now!

Click Here to find the name and contact information for your U.S. representative in Washington: You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your U.S. representative. The letter must be signed by Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010. It is best to call or fax your representative. Tell your representative that you urge him or her to sign on as a co-sponsor and contact Rep. Moran and sign the letter calling on Speaker Pelosi to schedule a vote on the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503. Be sure to tell your representative that you live in his or her district and ask for a copy of the letter with your representative's signature! Go here to find out if your rep is already a co-sponsor and, if so, urge him or her to sign the letter!

H.R. 503 will put an end to the slaughter of American horses. Only a federal law can stop this tragedy.
Read the bill here

PLEASE FORWARD THIS APPEAL, AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE HORSES!

REPRESENTATIVE MORAN'S LETTER TO CONGRESS:

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Office of the Speaker of the House
H-232, The U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Madame Speaker:

We write to you in strong support of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503), legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and prevent the export of live horses for the same purpose. With 183 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, 28 in the Senate, and tremendous public support, we urge you to allow this bill a vote in the House.

Equine slaughter is inhumane by nature. Horses have a fractious reaction to the stress induced by chutes, kill boxes, puntilla knives and captive bolt stun systems, causing these animals to suffer immensely and die an inhumane death. These animals are subjected to brutal transport conditions on their way to slaughter facilities. In addition, the consumption of horsemeat poses a serious public health threat as this meat contains substances banned for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Since 2005, Congress has repeatedly voted to shut down the cruel practice of horse slaughter and included appropriations language to defund the USDA inspection of horses and horsemeat as a stopgap measure until a permanent federal ban is passed. The last three horse slaughter plants on U.S. soil were closed by enforcement of state law in Texas and a recently enacted ban on horse slaughter in Illinois. As you know, California overwhelmingly banned horse slaughter over a decade ago, and the state legislature just passed a resolution in favor of passing the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.

Still, American horses continue to be sent over the border for human consumption. Since January of this year, approximately 53,850 horses have been transported across our nation's borders into the cruelty of slaughter in Mexico and Canada. This number amounts to about 100,000 horses annually, 1,500 per week, or one every five minutes.

As cosponsors of H.R. 503, we, along with millions of Americans and animal protection organizations such as the Animal Welfare Institute and the Humane Society of the United States, urge you to bring this bill to the House floor for a vote.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this critical legislation.

Best regards,

Lava Lil finds a home!

2010-09-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

Spunky Lava Lil has packed a whole lot into her eleven years. She raced forty times with a record of 3-2-11, and earned $48,466. A daughter of Stage Colony, it is not suprising that she retired sound and full of zest for life. In a Jockey Club survey of American sires rated for the soundness and longevity of their runners,former California sire Stage Colony got very high marks.

For an encore to her racing career, Lava Lil produced a beautiful filly,and she was an excellent mother. But when her foal was weaned it was clear that Lil needed something to occupy her active mind.

So it was off to take a short course in hunter work with trainer Darcy Edwards in Lakeside, CA. Lil took to her retraining with her characteristic enthusiasm, but due to her diminutive stature she was overlooked many times by potential adopters at Tranquility Farm.

At last re-schooling is paying off for Lava Lil and she will soon leave us for the dream job of being adored by the kids she will give riding lessons to, and having a whole lot of attention and fun. Lil has finally found an adopter who realizes very good things can come in small packages, especially a perky pony that has been so successful at everything she has ever put her hoof to!

Areyoutalkintome!

2010-09-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the Del Mar meet,with the traditional running of the Pirates Bounty Handicap. What better day to honor our retiree Areyoutalkintome, who competed in this race three times, winning it in 2006 and running second in 2005. Here is a horse who knows what it is like to have skin in the game. He was a fiercely competitive racehorse who ran a total of 52 times with record of 10-15-7 and amassed earnings of $985,417.

Photo by Anthony Andrews

Even today, after two leisurely years in retirement at Tranquility Farm, Areyoutalkintome prefers to be in a private paddock without the bother of other horses in his space. So be it, he has earned all the happiness we can give him. And he also earned the right to some of that incredible money he made running his heart out on the racetrack, so that he could retire with dignity. If ever there was a poster boy for mandating funds for retiring Thoroughbreds it is Areyoutalkintome.

An Appreciation of Fly to the Wire

2010-08-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

As Del Mar winds down we appreciate another of our past stars, Fly to the Wire, who placed in the 2003 running of the El Cajon Stakes early in his stellar career. This sturdy son of Birdonthewire raced a total of 28 times with 11 wins, 9 places, 2 shows, and total earnings of $318,000. Fly to the Wire was rarely out of the money, and he culminated his fabulous career as a six-year-old running at Del Mar for his sixth straight victory when he bowed his tendon and was retired from racing.
Photo by Anthony Andrews

Since 2007 Tranquility Farm has been Fly to the Wire's home, and he loves to socialize with everyone, human and equine. Although he is a massive horse and as tough as they come on the racetrack, he has never met a stranger.

Celebrating Full Moon Madness

2010-08-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

As luck would have it the day we picked to honor another of our Del Mar stars, Full Moon Madness, coincides with the full moon! And like "Moonie", tonight's moon is extrodinary as Mars will be so near to earth as to almost appear to be a second moon. What better day to celebrate our fabulous retiree who ran third in the Gr. 2 Pat O'Brien Breeders Cup Handicap at Del Mar in 2003, on his way to earning more than a million dollars over a nine-year, seventy-two race career.

But Moonie is yet another horse who arrived at Tranquility Farm with nothing from that great big bag of money that he won. And so tonight I'll be wishing on that star for Moonie and asking his friends and fans to HELP KEEP MOONIE HAPPY!

Two more stars of Del Mar

2010-08-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today we honor our retirees Stormin Away, who won the Harry F. Brubaker Stakes in 2006, and Geronimo, winner of the Green Flash Handicap in 2004. Both of these horses contributed stellar performances to past Del Mar meets, and thanks to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and our many supporters, they are now living the good life at Tranquility Farm. Our retirees rely on each and every one of us for their future. Please HELP! The horses THANK YOU!

Against all odds

2010-08-18T12:16:00.001-07:00

We have another wonderful adoption to celebrate, Brighter Stars and Winston, two young geldings who survived rejection by the commercial breeding industry and were raised at Tranquility Farm, have found a loving home. Every year the sales for young Thoroughbreds get worse, and every year there are more and more fabulous young horses looking for homes outside of racing. Right now opportunity is everywhere to adopt horses like Brighter Stars and Winston, seen here in their first evening at their new home. It seems like they are having a soulful talk about leaving Tranquility Farm and finding their very own family. It seems like they are saying, "We can't believe our luck."

Honoring Marvin's Faith

2010-08-13T09:33:00.001-07:00

This Sunday Del Mar will run the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap, a race that was won by Tranquility Farm retiree Marvin's Faith in 1994. Bred in Ireland, Marvin raced 29 times in North America with six wins including the Gr.2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland, where he set a new course record for a mile and an eighth on the turf, and the Gr. 3 Bay Meadows Derby.

At age 19 Marvin is still a fit, happy horse, living the good life with his friends in Tranquility Farm's pastures. We call their run-in shed "millionair's row", but like most of our retired stars, Marvin didn't arrive here with a bag of all that money he made racing. For Marvin, and for all his many friends, we ask for your SUPPORT.

Fire Lookout Adopted!

2010-08-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Fire Lookout has found a super home in Arizona as a dressage and pleasure horse, destined ultimately for the show ring. A son of the champion mare Riboletta, Fire Lookout was bred and raced by Aaron and Marie Jones, and won three of his six starts. Tranquility Farm thanks Mr. and Mrs. Jones for sending us this extordinary horse for adoption.

Celebrating new adoptions!

2010-08-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate finding a great home for Yourway Highway! This lovely granddaughter of Secretariat raced eleven times with a record of 1-1-2, and earned $23,000. In 2008 she was rescued from the Euclid Livestock auction. She was starved, neglected, and she had nearly died from foaling. In the two years that she has been with us Yourway Highway has become healthy and beautiful, and she has always been sweet-tempered and kind.

Yourway Highway left us today to become the treasured pet and pleasure horse of Lara in Bakersfield. She is one of the lucky ones, and wonderful horses like her are the reason horse rescuers struggle all over this country to give as many as possible a second chance. We hope her story will inspire people to rescue and adopt. There are so many like her out there right now, simply victims of circumstance who wound up in the wrong hands. Please give them a chance.

Tehachapi Fire Update

2010-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who has called in to check on the horses here at Tranquility Farm! Thankfully, we are all safe and the fire is on the opposite side of the mountain from Cummings Valley where the farm is located, with no probability of spreading in our direction. The air is good, the horses are fine, and we really appreciate everyone's concern!

More hitting the trail

2010-07-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Charity Fillmore of South Carolina for sending this beautiful photo of her adopted horse Fete in the Atlantic Ocean. What a bit of horse heaven this must be. If you missed reading about the rescue and adoption of Fete here is a link to the story written by Jay Hovdey in the Daily Racing Form,Old Warriors Two of the Lucky Ones.

Hitting the trail

2010-07-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

What better way to see the world than through the ears of a beautiful Thoroughbred horse? Yet for some reason, there is a pervasive myth that you cannot ride trails safely on an OTTB. Not so, as I and many of Tranquility Farm’s adopters have discovered.Send us your trail photos!

These lovely ears belong to Shine for Priscilla, a filly that had just one start at the racetrack and basically had no idea what her job in life was going to be until she was adopted. Lots of Thoroughbreds that you will find for adoption have a very similar story, so do not assume anything about training a Thoroughbred for trail other than the fact that the horse will never have been down one before.

Trail training is the same for all horses. First partner with your horse in the arena and in safe open areas so that you are confident that you can control him in all situations and that he trusts you. Second, partner with a friend who has an experienced trail horse who can mentor your horse when you go outside the confines of a familiar area. Go slow and make the experience easy and enjoyable for your horse. If your horse will pony it is an excellent way to get started.

The best way to prepare for trail riding is working to negotiate obstacles at home. Provide your horse with challenging puzzles to build his agility and confidence and he will be much better prepared to THINK before he moves his feet out in open country! Happy Trails!

Adventures in racehorse retraining

2010-06-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Samantha Miller adopted the beautiful gelding Wise One from Tranquiliy earlier this summer, and has decided to create her own blog about his progress in retraining. Each horse and human pair is unique, with their own challenges and their own rewards. Here is a link to SAMANTHA'S BLOG and I hope all adopters and potential adopters will find encouragement and comraderie in her stories. And here again is the lovely Wise One, now known as "ARES", its his blog too.

New Adoptable Fire Lookout!

2010-06-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Tranquility Farm has many new adoptables for summer 2010, and among the most beautiful is Fire Lookout, 5 year old 16.3 hand gelding by Forest Camp out of the great champion mare Riboletta. Fire Lookout is a friendly, sensible horse that will make a stunning dressage horse for an experienced rider. Come and see this lovely horse in action!

A Spa Day for Invited Guest

2010-06-08T07:45:00.001-07:00

When we are fortunate enough to have volunteers at Tranquility Farm it is the perfect opportunity to bring some of the retired horses out of the pasture for a day of spa treatment and pampering. Here is volunteer Lauryn walking the bathed, groomed and and ever-so-proud Invited Guest, who at age 26 still wants us to remember that she is a big time race horse.

New Adoptable Anna's Mishi

2010-06-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Anna's Mishi had a warmblood foal last year, and she is now offered for adoption as a sport horse prospect. Anna is 7 years old, 16 hands, unraced, and she has no history of injury or unsoundness. Anna is broke to ride but she will need some preliminary work to start a new career. This pretty mare has one of the sweetest dispositions imaginable and she is naturally quite and sensible.

If horses had holidays.

2010-05-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

If horses cerebrated holidays the first days of going out into their summer pasture would certainly be IT! This is Christmas and New Year all in one big party for the retired geldings who have to wait all winter long to go out into the fields that were reseeded last fall.This year we put up an electric tape line to divide the pasture into two sections so that part of the field can be rested and irrigated to extend the grass season for the entire summer.

Tranquility Farm sends a special THANK YOU to the Amerman Family Foundation for a grant to till and reseed other pastures that suffered badly during the incredibly long and wet winter this year!

In a few short months we will be having a block party for the horses on the other sections of the farm, but today we celebrate a high holiday with our superstar geldings.
Southern Wish
Running Free
The Happy Campers
Stormin Away looks like he is thinking "Is this for real?"

Precious moments

2010-05-18T06:57:00.001-07:00

The first time I met Now My Precious she had just been unloaded from a caravan of horse trailers with the forty Warren broodmares that Tranquility Farm rescued from a hell hole in Arizona. It was 114 degrees, and the mares were all dehydrated and stressed. Quite a few of them also had untreated cuts and other injuries that would require veterinary care. We unloaded them into a big shady corral with feed and clean water where they could all be sorted out.

This proved to be no small feat as some of the mares had decided they had seen enough of human beings, and who could blame them? But out of the crowd a beautiful bay mare walked up to me with the kindest eye and when she saw the trouble I was having catching some of her sisters, she pitched right in to help. She went with me to the mare I wanted and stood by to quietly reassure her, and sometimes she blocked one that tried to walk away. At first I thought it was coincidental, but the bay mare stuck with me all day and saw to it that every mare was caught and taken care of. That helpful mare was Now My Precious. I took her home.

Precous had a beautiful colt last year, and since weaning him I have been hoping for the right home for her, where she could be a part of a real family and have all the love she deserved. Finally, her people arrived, and this week Precious will go home with a little girl named Jordan to be the love of her life.

Jordan's mom explained to me that it was so important to both of them to adopt rather than buy a horse because Jordan had been adopted, so they knew that giving a home to a rescued horse would be the very best thing they could ever do.

Six degrees of Preakness

2010-05-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

I always liked the movie Six Degrees of Separation, and in the world of Thoroughbred racing it seems we are all just getting closer every day. Hardly a major race goes by that one of the horses at Tranquility Farm, or a graduate, does not have a connection. And so to celebrate the Preakness Stakes this weekend, here is a photo of our own Preakness contender, Menacing Dennis.

This very weekend Menacing Dennis is probably out carrying the young lady who adopted him around the hunter ring somewhere in Southern California. But on the third Saturday of May 2002, our own Dennis was setting blazing fractions in the Preakness Stakes, defying the likes of War Emblem, Medaglia d Oro, Harlan’s Holiday and Proud Citizen to come and get him. Well unfortunately they did, but Dennis put on a brave and spectacular run for three-quarters of a mile, taking his best shot at history.
We found a great home for Menacing Dennis in 2005, and since that time he has been living happily ever-after as a well-loved pet and show horse. It was a thrill to have given this amazing horse his happy ending, and to have been even a small part of his admirable career.

On Mother's Day

2010-05-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

When Tranquility Farm opened in March of 1998, among the very first horses to take shelter at the farm were six rescued pregnant mares. And so it went for ten long years which culminated with the rescue of the forty Warren broodmares from a feedlot in Arizona in 2008.

This spring the reckless breeding of horses seems to have finally abated as the numbers have dropped nearly 40% in our state over the last five years. For the first time this spring our barn has not been converted into an emergency nursery, and the relief is enormous. To honor some of the wonderful mares who have come to us over the years, here are some favorite photos to celebrate Mother's Day. If you have donated to Tranquility Farm in the past, here are a few of the horses whose lives you have saved. If you are considering a donation to Tranquility Farm, here are a few of the reasons we need your SUPPORT
Ventilation and Callthewindmariah
Lava Lil and Minnahunie
Rescued Mares 2007.
Grandjean and Brighter Stars
The incredibly patient Flightofthemonarch and colt.

Small victories.

2010-05-07T07:38:00.001-07:00

For every race there is a win picture, something you can cherish forever to remind you of the hard work and luck that went into the moment. Here in the world of horse rescue, we also have our own small victories to celebrate, sometimes against all odds, with an extraordinary amount of luck. For us there is no purse, only the memory to last a lifetime.
This beautiful chestnut is the Chilean racehorse Geronimo, a veteran 42 starts and graded stakes winner of $463,750, who arrived at Tranquility Farm penniless on three legs in 2008. He survived, and after a year and a half of rehabilitation he is finally able to go out into the pasture and live the good life. His new best friend is Stormin Away, a multiple stakes winner of $414,961 who was unwanted after having been given away at the racetrack to perform a new job that he could never do. Two lucky horses that would have surely been lost except for our confidence in our supporters. If you have ever donated to Tranquility Farm, or are considering making a donation to Tranquility Farm, this photo is our way of saying "Thank you", and the reason we ask for your continued SUPPORT.

Second careers for Derby Horses.

2010-05-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

It is Kentucky Derby Day! A good time to update readers on our own retired Derby contender, Buddy Gil. We know what second careers most Derby horses enjoy and rightly so, but hey, a few of us are geldings! And 2003 was the year for super-talented geldings like Buddy Gil and the awesome Funny Cide, the Derby winner. Here is a photo of BUDDY GIL working under his regular jockey Gary Stevens at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Derby. Buddy had a rough start but finished a respectable sixth in a field which also included such greats as Empire Maker, Peace Rules, and Indian Express.

After his illustrious racing career Buddy Gil originally retired to his owner’s Billingsly Creek Ranch in Idaho. When the ranch was sold Buddy moved to Tranquility Farm in 2009. When I spoke to the folks who took care of Buddy in Idaho they told me that he was sometimes turned out with the yearling colts to keep them company. That was a surprise because I knew what kind of racehorse he was, but sure enough, he is a horse you would call tough but tender.

Never was there a more kind companion for a lonely colt, and this year we have one yearling boy that Buddy has taken under his wing.
Here is Buddy Gil yesterday with his little friend Happy Warrior, who is now available for adoption. I guess you could say that Buddy Gil’s second career is “mountain man and mentor”.

We lose a friend.

2010-04-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

“I've seen the needle and the damage done, a little part of us in every one.” Neil Young

Over the past few months our retiree Denied has become steadily more uncomfortable on the ankles we hoped would ultimately fuse in a way that would allow him to live out his life here in retirement. First we hoped for the pasture, and later, just being comfortable in a paddock with our support and company. But it was not to be, the damage was too much, and lately this great horse made it clear that he could no longer go on. Always kind, ever courageous, it was hard to say goodbye.

Denied, 1998-2010, by Bertrando out of Granse Oaks.

Thirty one lifetime starts: 10-8-7. Retired at age ten.
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Honoring Elkhorn Stakes winner Marvin's Faith

2010-04-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Gr.2 Elkhorn Stakes which runs today traditionally closes Keeneland's spring meet with a mile and a half competition that draws some of the world's premiere turf horses. Tranquility Farm retiree Marvin's Faith (Ire) not only won the Elkhorn Stakes in 1995, but he established a new course record in doing so, beating the great competitor Hasten to Add by a nose. It must have been quite a sight to see a young Marvin streaking to victory over the grey stallion against the beautiful spring display of Keeneland's dogwood and redbuds in bloom. In 29 lifetime starts Marvin's Faith won six races, including the Gr.3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar and the Gr. 3 Bay Meadows Derby.

We have a lot of happy horses here at Tranquility Farm, but I think Marvin is among the most contented. He is always ready for a pet, and he is a perfect gentleman with the other geldings, never one of the rowdy ones who think they are retired prize fighters instead of runners. This summer when the grass is green and the shining horses take a victory lap around the pasture, I'll try to catch a photo of ninteen- year-old Marvin's Faith doing what he loves so well.

Wise One finds his person

2010-04-14T06:55:00.001-07:00

An adopter recently wrote to TF with some questions about her horse, and she said “I see that he was there for adoption for a long time.” Welcome to the new economy. Adoptions are becoming ever more problematic as people struggle to survive. But if your dream is to share your life with a fabulous horse don’t give it up. Your can never get it back.
And so it was that a young lady named Samantha walked out into the pasture where Wise One was free to play, long-haired and muddy, his wild mane flying in the wind. “Exactly the horse I have looked so long for,” she said, and her eyes were glowing.

There are more than 100 horses at Tranquility Farm. With a few exceptions they are all available for adoption. They are best friends, grannies for your kids, companion horses, and they are sport horse prospects that are as good as you can find anywhere. All refugees, all exceptional, all waiting… call us.

Our Apple Blossom Queen

2010-04-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend the great Zenyatta, perhaps the only living being on the planet I would address as “Your Majesty”, will make her regal presence felt in the Gr.1 Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park. This race seems to bring out the greatest mares of their generation, and so it was in 1988 and 1989 when a red comet of an Irish filly named Invited Guest flashed her brilliance.

Invited Guest placed in two consecutive years in the Gr. 1 Apple Blossom in the midst of a stellar racing career that began with several grade three wins in England and France. She went on to win the Gr.3 Dahlia Handicap, the Gr.2 San Gorgino, and the Gr.3 Golden Poppy Handicap in the US, with a lifetime record of 36 starts, 10-7-3 and earnings of $619,942.To honor Invited Guest today we share a photo taken in all her glory at age eleven as she went through the Keeneland Sale as a broodmare.

Photo courtesy of Gayle Van Leer.

Life is long if you are one of the lucky ones, but Invited Guest nearly outlived her luck. At age twenty- five she was advertised as a giveaway horse, and if that tiny ad had not mentioned her racing career, who knows what cruel fate might have awaited her? But the angels had other plans for Invited Guest, and she is here with us today,a queen in her own right, and a cautionary tale.

Honoring Three Peat

2010-04-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today as Gary Contessa's good horse with the funny name won the Gr. 3 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct,another good horse with a funny name probably didn't think much about it as he munched grass at Tranquility Farm. Three Peat is one of our senior retirees here, and he has been with us since our doors opened in 1998.

A foal of 1989, Three Peat had a stellar year as a three-year-old, winning the Gr. 3 Bay Shore Stakes in March, running second in the Gr.2 Riva Ridge Handicap in June, going on to defeat Agincourt to win the the Gr.2 Dywer Stakes in July, and then running a close second in the Gr.2 Pat O'Brian Handicap at Del Mar in August. Three Peat raced a total of 20 times, and retired with a record of 6-5-1, and earnings of $324,522. At age 21 Peat is still going strong, an old-school horse who made his money the hard way, and we honor him today as one of the iron warriors of Tranquility Farm.

Honoring Labirinto

2010-03-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today the Gr.2 San Luis Rey handicap will be run at Santa Anita, and it is a good day to honor our retiree LABIRINTO, who placed second to Meteor Storm in 2004. Of all of our retired stakes horses, Labirinto has had one of the most international careers. He won the Gr.3 Stockholm International Gold Cup in Sweden; three stakes races in France; the Copa de Oro de San Sebastian in Spain; and then placed in the Gr.2 San Luis Rey and the Gr.3 Carlton Burke Handicaps here in the USA. His career spanned 35 races in the US and abroad, with a record of 8-7-3 and earnings of $348,966.

Today Labirinto travels between the pasture and the loafing shed at Tranquility Farm, but I have to think that his Cal-Bred buddies must be very impressed with his sophistication and continental manners. I know I am.

Saving Ginobili

2010-03-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

Nearly a year ago a sad, skinny, broke–down, four-year- old bay gelding was bid away from a killer buyer in a livestock auction by Southern CA Thoroughbred Rescue at the request of Tranquility Farm. His name was Ginobili, and he was the veteran of 14 races with earnings of $157,448, who was vanned off in his last race at Hollywood Park on Dec. 20,2008. It would have been a crime to let this honest little horse go to slaughter. Of course,in California,it is actually a crime to let any horse go to slaughter. But that is a story for another day,a day when the state judiciary and racing authorities decide to enforce our laws responsibly. A day when the excuses and denials of those who abandon their injured horses to slaughter are finally stripped away. But Ginobili’s story is told today not because of his rescue, but because his stay at Tranquility Farm has come to a happy conclusion. Over many years we have worked closely with Plasvacc in Templeton, California,a veterinary supplier that produces the plasma transfer products which save the lives of countless newborn foals and ailing horses every year. Here healthy horses that are not adoptable can still lead useful, normal lives. Ginobili has been accepted as a donor horse there, and today he is headed for the green pastures and long life that he so deserves.

Ginobili will join an elite band of nearly thirty former racehorses rescued by Tranquility Farm that are now living out their lives at Plasvacc. Among them are: Speak Firm, a son of Affirmed who raced 112 times with earnings of $177,000 who was saved from starvation on a pack string in Arizona; Sabalucious, the veteran of 55 races with earnings of $181,707 who was rescued from Los Alamitos; Speedy Pick, a stakes-placed winner of $211,000 who became an “unwanted horse”; and Force of Nature, who after 43 races with earnings of $119,000 and was a starvation case rescued from Los Angeles County Animal Control. He is about to make some great new friends.

Honoring our San Felipe Stakes winners.

2010-03-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

This weekend the Gr. 2 San Felipe Stakes will be run at Santa Anita Park, and Tranquility Farm salutes our retirees Buddy Gil, winner of the San Felipe in 2003…

And I Love Silver, who ran a blazing second to Point Given in 2001.

Hardly a weekend goes by that we do not have the opportunity to honor one or more of our retirees for their outstanding performance in a graded event in southern California. “Buddy” and “Silver” are with us to live out their days playing in the paddocks and pastures of a piece of rare earth called Tranquility Farm. One has only to read the daily reports of horses being abandoned after racing to know that their life here is truly exceptional. And Tranquility Farm can only be here because you CARE.

Saving Jitterbug Jan

2010-03-07T08:07:00.001-08:00

On March 3rd a press release appeared in the California Thoroughbred Breeders website that reads : “Warren’s Jitterbug is the lone California-bred entered in Saturday’s $250,000 Grade I Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. Warren’s Jitterbug is by Affirmative, out of the Peaks and Valleys mare Jitterbug Jan, was bred by owner Benjamin Warren and is trained by Jorge Gutierrez. She has one win in nine starts, earnings of $121,668 and is coming off a maiden win Feb. 4.”

And nothing would suggest that as this delicate chestnut filly stepped out on to the track to race in the prestigious Gr. I Santa Anita Oaks, that she was in any way distinguishable from the field except for her status as a California bred. But here you would be wrong.

This is Jitterbug Jan, a mare who raced 24 times with a record of 4-5-5 and earnings of $91,000, on the day of her rescue from a feedlot along with thirty- nine other pregnant broodmares in August of 2008. Jitterbug Jan is the dam of Warren’s Jitterbug, and in spite of a one month ordeal on a feedlot that nearly crushed many of her companions, she emerged proud and strong. It would appear that she passed on her fighting spirit to her overachieving daughter, who finished a valiant forth today in the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks.

I’m happy to report that Jitterbug Jan went to a wonderful home where she is truly appreciated, and that she will go on to have more foals and live a long a happy life. The big lie put forth even by some organizations that claim to be about horse welfare is that slaughter removes the old, the lame, the sick, and the horses no one could ever want. The insidious tragedy of horse slaughter is that it targets whatever shakes loose.

In Memory of Sweet JC

2010-03-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Big Heart Ranch.

Yesterday we received the very sad news of the death of one of our adopted horses, Sweet JC, in a pasture accident. JC's short life had a special meaning, as he was unsuccessful as a racehorse and found himself unwanted and homeless at age three. But every horse has their gift if only the right key is found to fit the lock, and for JC, that key was the love he gave to disabled and autistic children at Big Heart Ranch in Malibu CA.

His owner writes "He was truly the sweetest horse I have ever known, and I miss him dearly. I am so sorry to report this to you. He touched the lives of thousands of kids and adults and made a real difference. I will never forget the great times we had together, he taught me so much and I will love and miss him forever."

To learn about the wonderful work that gave such special meaning to the life of a little rescued horse visit Big Heart Ranch in Malibu. I'm sure they will deeply appreciate any donations to their program in memory of Sweet JC.

Remembering Crystal Water

2010-02-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

This weekend the Crystal Water Handicap will be run at Santa Anita, honoring the great horse who was twice California Horse of the Year and also a prolific and successful sire of good racehorses.

Today we salute our retirees Lennyfromalibu, who won the Crystal Water Handicap in 2004,

and Running Free, who ran third in 2005.

But Tranquility Farm's connection to Crystal Water goes deeper, as several of his last daughters were donated to us for safekeeping a few years ago.One of these was Love the Water, who found sanctuary here to have her last foal in 2007. Love the Water showed all the class you would expect from the daughter of a champion, and the filly she produced was one of the finest and most sensible horses ever raised here at Tranquility Farm.

As Thoroughbred pedigrees go in and out of fashion yesterday's champions are often swept into the dust bin of history and forgotten in a generation. Not so with Crystal Water, and it is wonderful to see him celebrated and to know that his fine qualities live on in hundreds of decendents today.

Saluting Oceanus

2010-02-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

This weekend Santa Anita will feature the Gr.2 San Carlos Handicap, a race that our retiree Oceanus finished a close third to Surf Cat in 2006. The beautiful stallion Oceanus raced a total to forty-six times with five wins including the Gr.2 Gran Premio Conde de Hertzberg in his native Brazil. In the US he was a tough and durable competitor until the age of nine.

When Oceanus retired to Tranquility Farm in the spring of 2008, you might say that he was a formidable horse. If you have ever seen a lively production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew you have an idea what it was like to care for Oceanus in the first few weeks of his rehabilitation. Things often went flying out of the stall, including the grooms. But there were reasons, I told myself… it was March, it was snowing, and this glorious athlete was stuck inside with an injured leg. It would be enough to make anyone cranky. And then there was that issue of his Latin temper…
One day after a particularly harrowing session came the realization that Oceanus simply expected a fight, it wasn’t personal, and if he could not identify any combatant there would be no object for his aggression. We became his shadow enemy, not allowing any confrontation whatsoever to take place. A big bag of carrots was placed outside his stall (the cowboys snicker) and each time a human walked by he got some. Cleaning his stall and wrapping his leg was done without restraints, just carrots. I reasoned that a horse would probably not try to eat you with his mouth full, and little by little Oceanus came to view his new set of humans with a more positive attitude.

Two years at Tranquility Farm have worked their magic, and Oceanus is now a happy horse and a perfect gentleman who has learned to treat humans kindly. Like other difficult horses I have cared for in the past he has become my great favorite, probably because he has so much to teach us.

First Signs of Spring

2010-02-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

Winter has been a long cold muddy mess here at Tranquility Farm, but looking out over the pasture that is the summer home of our retired geldings there is finally the feeling that spring is in the air. Fragile new grass is gaining strength with the returning sun, and soon the horses will shed their winter hair like butterflies coming out of their cocoons.

The fabulous geldings who call this pasture home are supported entirely by the donations of supporters and the fundraising efforts of Tranquility Farm. Here are a just a few:

Areyoutalkintome: 51 Starts, 10 wins, inc. Cal Cup Sprint.
Geronimo: 42 Starts, 10 wins, inc. Gr.3 Morvich Handicap.
Full Moon Madness: 61 Starts, 10 wins inc. Cal Cup Sprint.
Fly to the Wire: 27 Starts, 11 wins, placed Gr. 2 Las Barrera Hcp.
Publication: 25 starts-7 wins inc. Gr.2 Arlington Washington Futurity
Mananan Mclir: 47 starts-9 wins inc. Gr.2 American Derby

These great horses and many others depend entirely upon your SUPPORT for a peaceful retirement after running their hearts out on the racetrack. Please help us give them the happiness they deserve. The horses thank you!

Two Tranquility Yearlings to Neigh Savers.

2010-02-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Two of Tranquility Farms yearlings that are the offspring of rescued Warren Mares have been adopted by our sister non-profit Neigh Savers to be raised and trained at their Kimberlee Farms facility in Somis. Scythian Gold and Valerie’s Gift were both chosen for their outstanding potential as future sport horses.
VALERIE'S GIFT

Scythian Gold recently developed a juvenile cataract that will require surgery, and we particularly appreciate Neigh Savers adopting him at this time. If you would like to donate toward his surgery please contact Neigh Savers directly.THANK YOU!
SCYTHIAN GOLD

Imagination.

2010-02-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

Imagination is something all horse people share,although some are better at it than others. It doesn’t take much imagination to see the star power in each spring’s new foals, in fact it is almost impossible not too. But to imagine that a half-starved, sore-footed, washed-up race horse could have a great future takes whole lot more effort. But he did. And saving Fete gave us a valuable lesson here at Tranquility Farm, where we have almost come to expect happy endings.

We get a lot of calls from people who are discouraged and want us to take on a horse that they have “rescued” from the racetrack. Because we could never fit all these horses into our farm we have tried to offer some useful advice in our
"Guide to Retraining your Racehorse". But there is a footnote that we forgot to include. And that is not to give up.

Fete didn’t give up although when he came to us he was a bag of bones that could barely walk. And Charity Fillmore didn’t give up believing that the horse she had once loved as a two- year- old could one day come to live with her family, although he was years and a continent away. And so ends our story, with another lesson learned. No matter how horses come into our lives they all have something to teach us. If you feel that you are hitting the wall with your horse it may be that you are just looking for the door.

More Adoptions!

2010-01-31T07:51:00.000-08:00

The past week has been very busy at Tranquility Farm, and we have had lots of people visiting us looking for good horses. They came to the right place, and everyone has had a hard time deciding which of our many beauties to take home and make their own. I tell everyone the same thing, to let their heart make the choice. This may seem counter-intuitive in a time when so many horses are considered to only to have value based upon how fast they can run or how high they can jump.

SEA KRIS
But I have been blessed to live with horses long enough that I have seen the love that lives forever in the old one's eyes, and to me it is the ultimate reward, long after their races are run. Its a well-kept secret, how much horses care for humans, and visitors to Tranquility Farm marvel when we walk out into a pasture full of retired horses and they literally get mobbed for pets and affection.You see horses never give up on humans,so there might still be hope for us.
SEEKING PERFECTION
Congratulations to the lucky new owners of Sea Kris and Seeking Perfection, who made the wise choice and followed their hearts.

Help the horses!

2010-01-23T07:23:00.000-08:00

We had a magnificent sunset tonight after a week of raging storms, and walking out among the horses as I do each evening I marveled once again at the collection of beautiful souls that have somehow found their way through the minefield of horse existence to reach safety at our farm. And when I returned from the evening chores, this e mail was waiting….

A hearing on HR503 The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act is on the agenda for the House Judiciary Committee Feb 2,2010, at 4:00 pm.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
It means if this legislation is ever enacted that horses will not be trucked from across the entire western United States to be hacked to death by machetes in Mexico. I’m sorry people but there is no genteel way of describing the horrific death of horses that are sold through our southern border for slaughter.

It means that horses from the east coast will not be trucked for days without food and water to meet their doom in a Canadian slaughterhouse. When you combine these statistics we are talking about more than 100, 000 American horses every year.

Above all the passage of this legislation would mean that the will of the American people, who have overwhelmingly supported a total ban on horse slaughter in the US at every asking, would finally have their voices heard in the halls of Congress.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
Once again, my friends, we must overcome cynicism, apathy and despair. We can CONTACT OUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TO LEARN HOW THEY HAVE VOTED IN THE PAST AND TO ASK FOR THEIR SUPPORT FOR HR 503.

And we can CONTACT THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE to ask that they allow this simple and straightforward bill to come to the floor of the house for a vote. We can make them abundantly aware that any American horse that is killed for consumption in a foreign culture, for foreign profit, is an outrage to the fundamental values of our society. Make your voices heard!!

Update from Don'tbeatattletale

2010-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

I had a very nice suprise this morning checking e mail as I looked out the window into the ferocious rain and wind where I'm soon headed. Here is an update from Don'tbeatattle tale who is doing wonderfully in his new home learning dressage. We have many more horses for adoption who have star potential, and all you have to do is wait for some decent weather and show up to see them.

His new owners write "Don'tbeatattletale is doing Fantastic, we are so happy with him, Whitney is now riding him on her own. We love him so much, thank you very much for this wonderful horse and all you do for the Thoroughbred breed."

Well that certainly makes trudging in the rain all day a little easier, just thinking about all the talent we have in the barn waiting for their chance to shine!

First Adoption of the New Year!

2010-01-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

Today we are absolutely under water at Tranquility Farm, we have three barns full of horses and the rain and wind are pounding relentlessly. But yesterday, as the first storm clouds were rolling in, the handsome Moonlit Moment found his forever home. He has gone to live with three generations of adoring women, mom, daughters and grandkids, and we know that nothing could make him happier. Although it has been wonderful having him with us we know he was just here waiting for the the chance to use his talents and have a family to fill his loving heart.
We have two more adoptions pending and I wonder who will be the next lucky horse to leave with his own special person?

Our Newly Minted Yearlings: The colts

2010-01-11T09:28:00.000-08:00

We had a rare day of true sun yesterday and I was able to get some photos of the now yearlings. Every day they look bigger! They have become model citizens, walking in and out of the barn in an orderly fashion, and they truly enjoy their barn time every day. Each of these is going to make someone a wonderful horse, we have two colts and three fillies to offer this year to approved homes. Here are Scythian and Happy Warrior, both by MONGOL WARRIOR.
SCYTHIAN
HAPPY WARRIOR

Do you have your 2010 In the Presence of Champions calendar?

2010-01-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

ZENYATTA SAYS DON'T BE LEFT OUT! ORDER YOUR BEAUTIFUL 2010 IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS CALENDAR STARRING ME TODAY! ALL PROCEEDS GO TO FEED THE HORSES OF TRANQUILITY FARM!

And here is what some other folks have to say about our calendars...
"I received my calendar and it's GREAT!!! You guys did an awesome job, it was more than I expected. This may become a yearly tradition for me. Everyone who has received one so far has said the same. I like the creative approach your organization has taken to bring awareness and help the horses."
Matt Galbreth, TVG

"Many thanks for the calendar for 2010, which, let's hope, will be a banner year for Tranquility Farm. Love the photos and, like last year's calendar, this one will hang right above my computer." Jack Shinar, Bloodhorse

Who will be our first 2010 adoption?

2010-01-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

January is always an exciting month. The weanlings are suddenly yearlings, and the yearlings from last year have turned two and are finally getting to the age where adopters begin to take a real interest in them. There is a lot of patience involved in gettting horses adopted, whether you are raising young ones to training age or working through a long rehab, it is just never quick and easy but seeing these beautiful healthy horses makes it worth the wait. Here are our brand new shiney two-year- olds, Brighter Stars and McCoullagh. These beautiful boys have been recently gelded and they are going to make gorgeous sporthorses. Now is the perfect time to begin their training!
Brighter Stars by High Brite out of Grandjean, born Feb. 2008.
McCoullahg, by Race For Glory out of Celize, born Mar. 2008.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T07:56:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone and Happy Birthday to all of our equine friends! It looks like our friend Lukas, aka the world's smartest horse, may have had a few too many carrots.

Lukas photo courtesy of Karen Murdock.

Counting our blessings.

2009-12-27T07:18:00.001-08:00

Tranquility Farm thanks the Thoroughbred Owners of California CARMA fund for the wonderful support we received in the form of an annual grant that was awarded to us yesterday at Santa Anita Park. The contributions of California owners to the CARMA fund will help us tremendously in the coming year as we are caring for over one hundred horses on this busy little farm, with horses waiting in the wings. Owners are realizing in ever-greater numbers that with just a little help and planning, life after racing can be very good for the horses. To all who support, we thank you!

We would also like to thank all the wonderful individuals who sent donations and goodwill to Tranquility Farm this holiday season for their kindness.There are carrots in their feed tubs every day thanks to you folks!

Today is the Gr. 2 San Gabriel Handicap at Santa Anita, and as we thank our wonderful supporters we also remember the accomplishments our retiree Denied, who ran third in the San Gabriel Handicap in 2003. After racing thirty one times and retiring at age ten with earnings of $434, 674, Denied depends entirely upon the contributions of charity to insure his retirement. Here is a perfect example of why we need a community fund to care for horses at the conclusion of their racing careers. I wish there was a way to explain to Denied how many wonderful people are standing behind him today, but since he is a horse I guess we will just have some more of those Christmas carrots, and once again, send out a big thanks to all of our supporters.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
FROM ALL YOUR FRIENDS AT TRANQUILITY FARM!

PLEASE HELP US TO FILL THEIR STOCKINGS WITH CARROTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

AND ZENYATTA SAYS DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR 2010 IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS CALENDAR STARRING ME!
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO FEED THE HORSES AT TRANQUILITY FARM!

Today we celebrate the Feast of Epona

2009-12-18T07:34:00.001-08:00

For centuries the Feast of Epona has been celebrated today, to honor the Celtic Goddess of the Horse, a powerful and significant presence in ancient European mythology. Epona is most often depicted as a white mare, sometimes with a lady upon her back, who is surrounded by foals, branches of ripe apples, and garlands of roses. Epona symbolized fertility and abundance, and around her silken neck she carried the keys to a happy afterlife for her mortal subjects. The horse and human happiness were forever wedded in the psyche of our ancestors, and those who revered Epona were given the keys to the kingdom.

In Great Britain, the birthplace of the Thoroughbred, there are fourteen hill carvings of white mares like the Great White Horse of Uffington. These enormous landscape features date from 1,000 BC or earlier, and they pre-date the worship in the British Isles of the European Goddess Epona. Clearly, the love and lore of horses has been with us from the earliest times.
Today there are those who love the Thoroughbred even though they may have never flown across the earth with a grace unknown to any who have only felt the cold insentient speed of steel. And yet they understand, here is a beauty worth protecting, and a taproot that returns us to the very threshold of our culture. We celebrate the horse today, the wild and the purebred, and remember that they have all been passed down to us for safekeeping from every generation since the dawn of time.

My Girl Siyah, adopted from Tranquility Farm in 2005.

Its Calendar Time!

2009-12-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

ZENYATTA SAYS DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR 2010 IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS CALENDAR STARRING ME! ALL PROCEEDS GO TO FEED THE HORSES OF TRANQUILITY FARM!

A Good Direction.

2009-12-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

It has been a very quiet week here at Tranquility Farm. We have had lots of snow, then lots of mud, then lots of rain and nary a soul has ventured out. Tis the season. The horses have all become used to being tucked in early and having their breakfast in the stall before they go out into the wet paddocks for the day. Contentment reigns.
Good Direction is about to leave us for a wonderful home with a woman who simply wants a beautiful and lovable horse in her life. Watching him happily munching his hay it is incredible to think that just last December he was discovered on a feedlot in Fallon, NV, standing miserably in the mud with a bowed tendon. Good Direction was a throwaway, doomed for the price of a few months rehabilitation.
The cycle of abandonment and salvation endlessly repeats itself to the point that the stories are nearly unbearable to write. The ultimate irony is that the ones we cannot save become the grim statistics of studies and surveys that are slyly thrown back in our faces by those seeking to reinstate horse slaughter in this country. People who turn horse ownership from a priviledge into a pathology.

My last post announced the excellent position taken by the New York Racing Association to ban owners and trainers who would do to their horses what was done to Good Direction. It is a great step forward, but the flip side of that golden coin is that tracks with an anti-slaughter policy must create a fund to channel horses to appropriate non-profits for rehabilitation and adoption. Without that we once again have hollow promises, and no gain for the horses. It's time to get to work.

Good news to share.

2009-12-10T10:53:00.001-08:00

This is just in:
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced an anti-slaughter policy that introduces harsh penalties to offending horsemen while encouraging them to support horse rescue and adoption initiatives.
The newly created policy is as follows:
Any owner or trainer stabled at a New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) track found to have directly or indirectly sold a horse for slaughter will have his or her stalls permanently revoked from all NYRA tracks. NYRA requires its horsemen to conduct due diligence on those buying horses and encourages them to support rescue and adoption efforts and to find humane ways of dealing with horses unable to continue racing.
“We are fully committed to protecting our sport’s equine athletes,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward. “This policy sends the message that horse slaughter will not be tolerated and that those participating in this practice, either knowingly or for lack of due diligence, will not be welcome at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, or Saratoga.”

ZENYATTA SAYS PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR 2010 IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS CALENDAR STARRING ME! ALL PROCEEDS GO TO FEED THE HORSES OF TRANQUILITY FARM!

Blizzard!

2009-12-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

We had our first real blizzard of the season last night, a beautiful whiteout that brings all the horses from the individual paddocks into their stalls. We had 38 horses in the barn last night, and today there are 38 stalls to clean, but who counts? The horses looked really surprised to see it snowing so hard.
Early this morning they all waited eagerly for their breakfast. Even with their shelters I always worry about the pasture horses when we have a really bad storm, but they seem to thrive in the weather.
After all the pasture horses were fed it was time to take the rest out of the barn..
There were some lovely dances….FABULOSO And bedlam when the weanlings went out the door. For their own good we put them in a small paddock today instead of the pasture.
I really didn’t need to see how fast they could run in the snow before they figured out it took ten lengths to stop.

Fete, A Love Story.

2009-12-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Fete was rescued because he needed us. As simple as that. He was one of the very good racehorses that somehow fell into neglect at the end of his racing career, in the shadow world between "wanted" and "unwanted". Fete was a project.

Not too often can we share with you a story with a fairytale ending, but here thanks to Jay Hovdey and the Daily Racing Form, is the story of Fete.
Old Warriors Two of the Lucky Ones, by Jay Hovdey
Fete at Tranquility Farm, December, 2009.

Tranquility Farm deeply appreciates the sponsorship of Dell Hancock and Adele Dilschnieder for Fete's transportation home.

Bonanza Two goes home.

2009-12-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

The handsome Bonanza Two left us today with his new family, Tom and Canda Parker, and he will soon be headed with them to their retirement home on a ranch in Utah. As aristocratic as this son of Two Punch appears to be, he is in fact a big, solid, down-to-earth, sensible horse that is sure to thrive in a ranch and family environment. Bo will be living with their rescued paint mare, and somehow, I think it won't be long until other horses join their little herd. Thank you Tom and Canda,for giving Bo his forever home, and thank you Petfinders.com for connecting us with such wonderful adopters!

Honoring Mananan Mclir

2009-11-30T07:34:00.001-08:00

Yesterday as The Usual Q.T. blazed to victory in the Gr. 1 Hollywood Derby, far from the crowds and glory stood a horse that has truly flown with the eagles. He was dozing in his paddock, enjoying the Tehachapi sunshine.
Named for the Celtic Lord of the Sea, Mananan Mclir ran a punishing second to Johar in the 2003 Hollywood Derby. The horses he faced on the racetrack were legends, horses like Inesperado, Moscow Burning, Geronimo, Sunday Break, Sarafan and Star Over the Bay. He won the Gr.2 American Derby, placed in both the Hollywood and Oak Tree Derby, and competed in ten graded events in his forty-seven race career. Mananan Mclir was a fierce competitor against the best, and he retired with earnings of $506,127.
Photo by Andy Padilla

How he came to enjoy dozing in the sun at Tranquility Farm on Hollywood Derby Day is a cautionary tale. You see Mananan Mclir fell into the claiming ranks, and on July 4, 2008 he officially became an “unwanted horse” when he was pulled up in a race at Hollywood park and could run no more. But for the chance passing of a friend of Tranquility Farm he was about to be traded away for scrap.

Year after year there are papers published, committees formed, rules enacted and general hand-wringing over the plight of horses like Mananan Mclir. Until one of these efforts hits the mark all these horses have are chance rescues and public support for retirement farms.Mananan Mclir is just one of the one- hundred reasons that we need and appreciate your support.

Capricho goes home.

2009-11-29T07:14:00.001-08:00

Capricho left for his new home today, and took his first ride in a horse van. Because he had never been loaded into a trailer before his adopter Kelly and I decided to give him confidence by doing some exercises to teach him to load. Since the actual trailer he was leaving in was unavailable to us, we schooled him by breaking down the loading process into a series of simple tasks that he could easily master.We built an obstacle with a series of poles and rubber mats that we arranged in different patters on the ground, and set up a portal in the center of the obstacle.
His first reaction was to get a little clingy.He also wanted to do what many young horses tend to do when asked to load into a trailer for the first time, which is to look off in another direction.
This is probably a low- key flight mechanism, just checking to see if there is an alternative.

What we needed for him to do was to step forward keeping his head down so he can see precisely where his feet are and concentrate on the obstacle. With a few false starts he soon picked up confidence and began walking easily forward to carefully negotiate the pattern.
We did two sessions with this exercise, changing the pattern and heights of the poles.
At the end of each session we practiced “doors”, by stopping to stand in the obstacle, and also walking through our breezeway barn and arbitrarily going in and out of open stall doors, stopping for a few minutes until Capricho stood quietly inside each new stall.
This completed the trailer-loading task, which was broken down for him into three distinct parts:
1. Walking forward on to an unfamiliar floor.
2. Tracking straight through a door.
3. Standing still once inside.
Finally the big day arrived for him to put together his practiced tasks in a smooth sequence.Drumroll........!!!He waked right up the ramp and into the trailer and stood quietly inside like he was an old pro.I’m sorry I couldn’t get a “win picture” but I was busy loading the horse! We are so proud of Capricho and Kelly, another pair of horsefriends with a good beginning at Tranquility Farm.

Honoring Citation Handicap winner Southern Wish

2009-11-28T07:04:00.001-08:00

Today is the Grade I Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park, and a very good day to honor our retiree Southern Wish, who won the Citation Handicap in 1993, and retired with earnings of over half-a- million dollars. Over the years his coat has turned snow-white and he now ambles more than he gallops, but Southern Wish is still young at heart and dearly loves to visit with his little friend Eva.Extra carrots today old boy, you are still a champ.

ZENYATTA SAYS PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR 2010 IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS CALENDAR STARRING ME! ALL PROCEEDS GO TO FEED THE HORSES OF TRANQUILITY FARM!

We are thankful.

2009-11-26T06:56:00.001-08:00

Tranquility Farm has supported a record number of horses in 2009, and they represent every aspect of the world of Thoroughbred racing. We have racing superstars, hard- knocking claiming horses, rescued broodmares and their foals, and a wonderful array of young horses waiting for homes. Twice each day the feed rounds are made, delivering quality hay, grain, supplements and treats to all of these horses. This does not happen by accident. We are profoundly grateful to the organizations and individuals who have made it possible for us to care for our horses this past year. You are all heroes.

Mr. and Mrs. John Amerman
Madeline Auerbach
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Biszantz
Blue Horse Charities
CARMA
The Donald and Carol Chaiken Foundation
Barbara Corey, Auction Chairman
Daily Racing Form
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Fort Dodge Animal Health
Mr. and Mrs. Eoin Harty
Hollywood Park Racing Charities
Jay Hovdey
Mrs. Beverly Lewis
Mr. Donny McFadden and the Buddy Gil partners.
Magali Farms
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss
Marsha Naify
Valerie Naify
Oak Tree Charitable Foundation
The Phillip D. Pitchford Foundation
Mace Siegel
Thoroughbred Charities of America
Larry and Sheila Ullmann
Gayle Van Leer
Winstar Farm
The Wrather Family Foundation
Arnold Zetcher
And to EVERYONE who contributed sponsorships, stallion seasons and support for Tranquility Farm, WE THANK YOU!!!

Buddy Gil makes a friend.

2009-11-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

While Buddy Gil lived at this owner’s ranch in Idaho for the last few years he had a paddock to himself. But when he came to live at Tranquility Farm it was hoped that he might eventually like to go out in the big pasture with the other retired geldings. Depending of course on what Buddy thought about the plan.
Now that Buddy feels at home here we turned him out across the fence for a visit with the fabulous floating Good Direction, who is a very sweet but passive horse.Buddy Gil decided to show Good Direction his moves, or who had the ‘class edge”, as they say in racing.
Good Direction remained confident that some accommodation might be reached, and……
“If I can be in your dream I’ll let you be in mine.” Bob Dylan"All’s well that ends well.” William Shakespeare

STALLION SEASON AUCTION EXTENDED DATES AND HOURS.

2009-11-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

NEW EXTENDED DATES FOR TRANQUILITY FARM'S ANNUAL STALLION SEASON AUCTION

NOV. 28th and Nov.29th
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

NOV. 30th and DEC.1
10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Pacific Standard Time

Phone or Fax Barbara Corey 909-887-9067
SEE STALLION SEASONS OFFERED HERE

ZENYATTA SAYS PLEASE DONT FORGET TO ORDER YOUR NEW IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS CALENDAR STARRING ME AND MY FRIENDS RAIL TRIP, LETHAL HEAT, TIZNOW, BALANCE AND FOAL, SPRING AT LAST, GABBY'S GOLDEN GIRL, SUMMER FETE,BEL AIR SIZZLE, WELL ARMED, PRETTY UNUSUAL, AND THE DEL MAR JOCKEYS! HELP US TO FEED THE HORSES OF TRANQUILITY FARM!

Remembering Fortunate Betty

2009-11-21T07:10:00.001-08:00

Today is the Gr. 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes for two- year- olds at Hollywood Park, and in 1993 that race was won by a colt named Individual Style, who went on to be one of the best in California that season. Individual Style’s dam was Fortunate Betty, who was one of the retired matriarchs of Tranquility Farm. When friends came to see multiple stakes producers like Fortunate Betty and Victorian Heiress they would joke about paying admission to the “California Bloodstock Museum ”, and they were not too far off the mark. Retiring broodmares is difficult.If they go out of production early in life there are sometimes still options for them to be used as a pleasure horse, but the better they are at producing runners the later in life they will usually be retired. Mares like Fortunate Betty, Victorian Heiress, and Invited Guest were all in their twenties when they arrived at Tranquility Farm. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if breeder’s associations set aside a portion of the breeder’s awards to help retire these elderly matrons that need a non-profit to care for them in their golden years? That’s just me talking.
Fortunate Betty lived to the age of thirty-two and had a wonderful retirement with us.She was devoted to her little band of mares, and no-one ever had a better friend than Betty. This weekend Tranquility Farm will hold our annual STALLION SEASON AUCTION,and one of the fine stallions donated is Individual Style, who is throwing some very good runners in Arizona. Betty would be pleased. I guess what goes around, comes around.

Krystal and Lacey's Legacy

2009-11-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

When Krystal came to Tranquility Farm to explore the possibility of training her first colt she did not have a firm plan, only a dream of having a young, unraced Thoroughbred for her very own. We had three yearling colts that were recently gelded, two were very mellow and the third, a beautiful coal black by Royal Cat, was the more challenging. His name was Lacey’s Legacy, the last foal of the good mare Lacey Native, and he was a lot of horse. Undaunted, Krystal fell in love.Lacey loaded right up when the van came to pick him up and I waited anxiously to see how he would fit in with his new owner and a training program. Once again love, trust and patience gave a beautiful result. Without these, experience training horses is worth nothing, and with them experience can always be gained. There is no other glue to bond horse to human. Krystal and Lacey are just one of the happy human/horse pairs that began at Tranquility Farm.

Here's lookin at you Kid.

2009-11-18T07:35:00.001-08:00

If are not old enough to remember what classic movie that line is from I’m probably talking to you. You might be someone who feels too insecure or inadequate to start a young horse.
Why is it that when someone wants a really good dog they raise a pup, yet when they want a really good horse they feel they must have something that has been trained by someone else?
Meanwhile, from everywhere, come horrendous stories of truckloads of yearlings, Thoroughbreds and others, being run through livestock auctions and bought en masse by horse dealers, mostly for slaughter. Victims of a world gone mad with excess.
Yet the basic education these babies need is simple for anyone that has rudimentary skills with horses. There are books, videos, clinics, teachers, websights, horse whisperers, RFD TV and even animal communicators if you really need some help. How hard can this be? How did our forefathers survive for generations in a world where everyone needed a horse? Ever wonder about that?

It is so simple. If you want to have the best horsefriend you will ever own rescue one of these babies, never scare him, always be kind. When he trusts you anything is possible. If you want to start here at Tranquility Farm we have five beautiful weanlings and two yearlings from rescued mares. They love you already! Give it a try.
AND ZENYATTA SAYS PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR 2010 IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS CALENDAR STARRING ME!All proceeds from sales go to feed the horses of Tranquility Farm.

Capricho is Adopted!

2009-11-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

Two-year-old Capricho is the kind of horse who is sure to catch the artist's eye. Tall and elegant, he is hard to pass by without stopping to admire. And that is exactly how his adoption came about. Artist Kelly McLane was not really looking for a "baby horse". What she had in mind was one of our former racehorses that could be started in training for hunters. But then she saw him, saw his kindness and sweet, trusting eye, and she couldn't stop thinking about him. It took Kelly days to committ to the time it would take to train a horse from scratch, but when she left Tranquility Farm the day she met Capricho she took with her a video of him moving beautifully and being carefully mindful as he was worked. It did the trick. Capricho will soon be leaving for his lifetime home with Kelly. He might be the subject of a beautiful painting someday,but for now, it is enough that he will be well-loved.

AND Zenyatta says "PLEASE don't forget to ORDER your beautiful 2010 In the Presence of Champions Calendar starring me!"
All proceeds go to feed the horses at Tranquility Farm.

Calendar Puzzler Winner!

2009-11-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

Kari Lyman has correctly identified Jay Hovdey as the photographer of Zenyatta, which will be the cover photo for the 2010 In the Presence of Champions. This beautiful photograph was taken by the saddling paddock on Breeder's Cup Day, before she went out and did we all know what! Congratulations Kari!

In addition to Zenyatta, In the Presence of Champions 2010 features wonderful photographs of Rail Trip, Lethal Heat, Well Armed, Gabby's Golden Girl, Bel Air Sizzle, Tiznow, The Del Mar Jockeys, Summer Fete, Balance and her A.P.Indy foal, Pretty Unusual, and Spring at Last.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER your copies of our beautiful 2010 In the Presence of Champions!

New Calendar Puzzler!

2009-11-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a puzzler for our readers and also a sneak preview of In the Presence of Champions 2010. To win your copy of our 2010 calendar you must first identify this famous Thoroughbred champion, and second, identify our mystery photographer. Clues: The person who took this photo is a four-time Eclipse Award winner who did not win these awards for photography. He or she is also the author of some well-known books on racing, among them a biography of a famous racing personality known as “The Bald Eagle” and a horse known as “America’s Horse”. Can you name this person?

Buddy Gil Arrives at Tranquility Farm

2009-11-11T07:10:00.001-08:00

Santa Anita Derby winner Buddy Gil arrived yesterday to join our band of retired racing stars at Tranquility Farm. Buddy also won the San Felipe stakes, the Baldwin Stakes, and finished sixth in the 2003 Kentucky Derby. For the last three years Buddy has been at his owner's ranch in Idaho, so he is perfectly adapted to life here at Tranquility Farm where horses live in pasture and play in the winter snow. No hothouse flower is Buddy Gil.

Buddy seemed very happy trying out our grass and meeting his new friends at Tranquility Farm.

Candy is Quicker Adopted!

2009-11-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

Love at first sight, love from afar, meant to be? I'll never pen a romantic novel but I know a good love story when I see one. Linda Baxley saw a photo of Candy is Quicker strolling around his pasture and called to see what size blanket to buy for him. Not because he looked cold and she felt sorry for him, but because she could see he was a big,lovable moose of a horse and she knew she had to have him.

This weekend Linda arrived with husband and horse trailer, and Candy in person did not dissapoint. He loved her too. So off they went into the the early winter sunset, and yes, I think to live happily ever after. That was really an easy little story to write. Now about those other twenty-some adoptable horses........

Connecting the dots on Breeder's Cup Day

2009-11-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

Today is Breeder's Cup Day,and also the running of the Gr.2 Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita Park. To their great credit, for the first time, the Breeder's Cup has named Thoroughbred Charities of America as a sponsored charity for 2009. Although this would seem a logical choice, considering the Breeder's Cup is a global showcase of the best of racing, it is an important first and hopefully an indicator that the organizations who labor in the field of Thoroughbred retirement are growing in recognition and support within the industry.

Here at Tranquility Farm it just so happens that among our retirees are
Areyoutalkintome, who competed in the 2006 Breeder's Cup Sprint, and
Mananan Mclir, who ran third to Johar in the 2003 Oak Tree Derby. The retirements of both Areyoutalkintome and Mananan Mclir are entirely supported by charitable contributions. Without the support of Thoroughbred Charities of America it would not be possible for us to take in these and other gallant competitors when their races are run.

MANANAN MCLIR at Tranquility Farm.
To acknowledge Thoroughbred Charities of America today is more than an abstraction, and it is more than political correctness. What it means is that horses like Areyoutalkintome and Mananan Mclir can continue to thrive in their retirement, and that horses leaving the racetrack today will also find resources for their futures. Personally, I'm going to write a letter thanking the Breeder's Cup committee, and let them know how much it means that horses like Mananan Mclir and Areyoutalkintome are helped by their support of Thoroughbred Charities of America. I'm going to tell them that I hope in future Breeder's Cups the horses will never again be forgotten. And I hope you will too.

New Farm Security System

2009-11-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

Rodents are hereby put on notice that two new guard dogs are now in residence at Tranquility Farm. Lilly and London intend to show no mercy to mice, rats, and ground squirrels… in a few weeks, just as soon as when they outweigh them.

These new pups originate from Star Valley Russell Terriers, in Scotsdale, Arizona, and their learning capacity is absolutely astounding. In two days they have been crate trained, learned to go up the porch steps, and they have already met the horses. Rest assured our grain room will soon be well protected!

In memory of Diamonds at Dawn

2009-11-04T09:41:00.001-08:00

Sadly today we learned of the passing of one of the fillies that was born and raised here in 2004. Diamonds at Dawn was adopted as a yearling by Denise Constanide, who gave her a wonderful home. She lost her to colic yesterday. Our sympathies go out to Denise, who loved her tremendously. Although she lived a short life she had wonderful care and she knew that she was loved every day. Here is the lovely Diamonds At Dawn (foreground) as a yearling at Tranquility Farm in 2005. Rest in peace sweet girl.