Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue

On the first Saturday of February 2008, we purchased at auction a dark bay thoroughbred mare, bidding on behalf of Tranquility Farm as part of a joint auction rescue effort. As is almost always true, the mare's identity was impossible to discern at the time of the auction; although she had a lip tattoo, it was difficult to read and the Jockey Club is not available to read tattoos on weekend days. In addition, and as is very common, she was sold without the Jockey Club registration papers which preserve every thoroughbred's identity and life history.

Only two bidders were interested in the mare; our member, and a local horse dealer that conducts interstate commerce, including the sale of California horses at slaughter auctions in other southwestern states. Although she appeared depressed and anxious at auction, once rescued by our member, and safe at Tranquility Farm, her beauty and wonderful spirit became apparent. Here she is in the snow at Tranquility Farm a couple of days after the auction: 

Priscilla Clark, President of Tranquility Farm, determinedly read the faded lip tattoo a few days later, and discovered that the mare was Isabel's Pearl, a descendant of Seabiscuit! She immediately contacted the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation, who are now the proud adopters of Isabel's Pearl. This lovely mare is to live out her days, with other Seasbicuit descendants, at the site of the ranch of Seabiscuit's owner, Charles Howard, in Ridgewood - where Seabsicuit himself lived and stood at stud many decades ago. To learn more about this story, you can click the following link to read a great article by Jay Hovdey, published in the Daily Racing Form:  http://www.tranquilityfarmtbs.org/news/2008-02-24-drf-hovedy.htm .

And here are photographs of Isabel's Pearl as she left Tranquility Farm for her celebrated new life. Question - does a horse know when it's rescued?  Answer - look at Isabel's smile!

On the first Saturday in October 2007, one of our members attended the Euclid Stockyard Horse Auction and found in a pen together six thoroughbred broodmares that had arrived from a local breeding farm, many of which appeared to be pregnant. Our member had limited funds, and no foster home was available at such short notice, but when she called Tranquility Farm, President Priscilla Clark generously offered donations to, and space at, the retirement and transitioning farm in Tehachapi for as many mares as she was able to rescue. She had sufficient funds to spare two of them: Leah's Silverado and Creekarosa Run.

At the auction, Leah's Silverado appeared anxious, unhappy, and phsyically uncomfortable, indeed lame as the result of a having had her hoofs excessively pared by a farrier. However, within just a couple of weeks, Leah had relaxed, she was no longer lame, and through the efforts of Priscilla Clark had been adopted! As it turned out, Leah was not pregnant, although she had been bred in 2007.  Here is a photograph of Leah within a short while of her arriving at Tranquility Farm - and didn't she turn out to be just a beautiful mare!

While "Rosa", from the same auction save as Leah, has not yet been adopted, she was pregnant at auction, and we thought that you might enjoy seeing photographs of her, and the beautiful filly that was born to her this spring! If you can offer Rosa or her beautiful filly, once weaned, a home, please contact Priscilla Clark at Tranquility Farm, info@tranquilityfarmtbs.org .

Here is the exceptionally cute Rosa upon her arrival at Tranquility Farm:

and here are Rosa and her 2008 filly, a few days after Rosa foaled at Tranquility Farm: