Old racehorses will be slaughtered but you can save their lives

New Jersey has some beautiful areas for horses. In fact, we have more horses per capita than any other state. We have over 25,000 in the Garden State, or four per every square mile. The horse is the state animal.

So when I tell you the sad fact that over 20,000 horses were killed last year in foreign slaughterhouses maybe it will bother you like it did me. Horse slaughter is illegal in the United States, so they’re shipped away to meet their end.

Many are racehorses. Often Standardbreds like the kind used in harness racing at Freehold. They retire out to often become workhorses, perhaps pulling carriages, then when they’re usefulness is outlived, it’s lights out.

Scott Lewis

I recently read about a great organization that is rescuing horses from this fate. It’s the Standardbred Retirement Foundation which is a nonprofit operating out of a farm in Cream Ridge.

Over time this group has placed more than 500 horses with caring people on farms throughout the country. There are at present 75 horses being cared for by the group and looking to be adopted.

Judith Bokman is the organization's founder and executive director.

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

Scott Lewis

Keeping horses fed and cared for while awaiting a forever farm doesn’t come cheap.

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

Anyone who wants to donate can get twice as much impact the next few days. Seems a recent anonymous donor says they’ll match a total of $20,000. This will be offered from Thanksgiving Day through Sunday November 30. Learn more here.

To donate to a very worthy cause either for this matching offer or anytime during the year, you should email to srfhorsesandkids@gmail.com

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