Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue

SCTR volunteers attend livestock/horse auctions in Southern California. Through these livestock auctions several hundred horses per month, including thoroughbreds, are sold by their owners. Some horses sold at auction find new homes with individuals, families, on ranches, and at riding schools and horse rentals facilities, for example. Others are purchased by horse dealers, who in turn resell them into new homes. However, some horses purchased by horse dealers are resold out of state. It is through interstate commerce by horse dealers that California horses are found in slaughter pens, slaughter auctions, and feedlots outside of the state. 

Our primary goal is to purchase, rehabilitate as needed, and find permanent loving homes for thoroughbred ex racehorses that are at high risk of shipping out of state to slaughter. Monitoring consignments of thoroughbreds at local livestock auctions, and purchasing as many of these wonderful horses as we are able to support, both from auction and sometimes directly from dealers' lots, is how we "rescue" at risk thoroughbreds. 

Whenever possible, we also attempt to acquire racehorses directly from the racetrack that are in urgent need of new homes and provide them with rehabilitation and retraining services.   

Following our initial purchase of any throughbred from auction, we transport the horse to a temporary foster home where it is quarantined. Each horse rescued must undergo a 30-day minimum period of quarantine at a foster home, since their vaccination histories are unknown and they have been exposed to other horses at auction whose vaccination histories are also unknown. During the quarantine period, the horse is handled daily, its temperament evaluated, and subject to a thorough veterinary examination. The veterinary examination includes an assessment of the horse's soundness, and of its broad suitability for specific riding disciplines. During the period of foster care, we also vaccinate our horses and resolve their podiatric and dental needs. Once our horses have a clean bill of health they are advertized for rehoming. To the extent that our resources allow us to, we also "re-start" our thoroughbreds under saddle with a qualified trainer.  

All prospective homes are carefully screened for suitability (of rider/owner to horse), knowledgeability, compassion, and the likelihood of generating a permanent and loving placement for the horse. Prospective facilities where the horse will be maintained are visited, and must be approved, prior to the transfer of the horse. Horses are transferred through a rehoming contract, which transfers care, custody and control but not ownership of the horse, so that ultimate ownership remains with us throughout the lifetime of the horse.

The reason that we use contracts which transfer care, custody and control of our horses , but which preserve our ownership of the horse, is simple: we wish to protect our horses. Our rehoming contracts ensure that the horse cannot be transferred in the future to an unkown party, and hence at some point in its lifetime once more be potentially at risk for slaughter. In addition, it specifies that if the custodian can no longer continue to maintain the horse satisfactorily, or the horse is no longer wanted for any reason by the custodian, the horse is to return to us for re-homing or retirement. Furthermore, it specifies standards of animal husbandry which must be maintained by the custodian, and therefore protects our horses from mismanagement, inadequate care, neglect or abuse. It is very difficult in the state of California, legally, to protect horses under contracts which transfer ownership.   

The rehoming fee associated with our contracts reflect the costs which we have incurred to rescue and rehabilitate the thoroughbred. All rehoming fees that we receive are recycled into future thoroughbred rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming costs.