by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — The USTA has identified and made donations for the first two horses in its less than two week-old SOS — Support Our Standardbreds — program. The program provides financial assistance to Standardbreds in the custody of animal control authorities.

An emaciated 5-year-old mare in Connecticut and an 18-year-old with 292 starts that was left in a filthy stall for months in Massachusetts are the first to benefit. Both are in the legal custody of animal welfare authorities as a result of neglect.

Connecticut Dept. of Agriculture photo

Horseshoe Bay is currently at a farm under the control of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

Connecticut Animal Control Officer Linda Wenner was the first to ask for SOS assistance for the 5-year-old pacing mare Horseshoe Bay (Sealed N Delivered-Pacific Flirt-Western Hanover), seized at a Canterbury, Conn., farm on May 5. The mare is emaciated, has severe thrush, has rubbed off large portions of mane from the itching lice and has no hair on parts of her legs, also from lice.

Horseshoe Bay, who attempted to qualify two years ago but did not race, was at a farm with other horses, a donkey, llama, dogs and cats. Criminal charges are expected and are pending evaluation of the animals. Coverage of the seizure appeared in the New London Day newspaper and can be read by clicking on this link.

Veterinarians treating Horseshoe Bay calculated her condition to be a 2 on the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System, a rating system in which 5 is normal and 1 is so thin as to be near death. The system is commonly used in legal proceedings to quantify condition of horses. She weighed 874 pounds by a scale measure and is about 15.2 hands tall.

Horseshoe Bay and the other seized horses have been transported to a farm under the control of the Department of Agriculture in Niantic, Conn. Her recovery is expected to take many months. Officer Wenner reports that after two weeks of care, Horseshoe Bay seems, “brighter and peppier.”

This mare and the other horses with her may be adopted to nonprofit groups when they recover or sold at a public auction conducted in conjunction with the University of Connecticut. Bidders are screened and horses are followed up as long as they reside in Connecticut. Those that might like to donate to the care of Horseshoe Bay or the other horses found with her can do so by making a check out to “Animal Abuse Cost Recovery Account,” attention Ray Connors, Dept. of Agriculture, 165 Capitol Ave., Room G-8A, Hartford, CT 06106.

Nonprofit groups interested in the mare or individuals who would like to be notified of her sale date can contact Officer Linda Wenner at linda.e.wenner@gmail.com.

In Massachusetts, 18-year-old pacing mare Trendy Ann (Prize Sarnel–Trendy Lin–Bret’s All), now known as Zoey, was taken in to custody by authorities in January. Though she was fed and watered regularly, her elderly owner did not move her from her stall or clean the stall for months. Manure in the stall was approximately two feet high when she was removed after a neighbor alerted authorities. Charges were not filed because of the owner’s mental status.

Trendy Ann was found to have severe thrush and a canker infection in all four feet. She started recovery at the Massachusetts SPCA’s Nevins Farm in Methuen and required months of oral medications, as well as regular packing and wrapping of her feet with medication.

During her nine year racing career, Trendy Ann competed from Illinois to Maine, starting 292 times, with 47 wins. Only one out of 500 Standardbred mares has raced as many or more times as Trendy Ann. Her mark of 1:57.2 is accompanied by $116,068 in earnings.

Trendy Ann’s feet are now largely healed and she has been moved to the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s farm in Dedham, Mass. Officials caring for her report she is well mannered and enjoys being regularly ridden on trails, but does not enjoy the riding ring. She is available for adoption through the Animal Rescue League by clicking here.

For more information on the SOS program or to get a brochure on the program for your local animal control authorities, contact Ellen Harvey at HRCNews@ustrotting.com or call 732.780.3700.