During a routine welfare check last week, the Kentucky Humane Society found a former racehorse half dead at an old mine site in Kentucky. In addition to being “severely emaciated and covered in rain rot,” says KHS, 17-year-old Make It Kate had “a partially detached lens in her left eye, corneal disease in her right eye, and cataracts in both.” Evil.
At this point, it’s unclear who her final torturer was or how she got there. We do know she was raced over 200 times during an 8-year “career” and then she was dumped – to just anyone. Racing’s “retirement program” writ large.
Make It Kate:
(Here is KHS’ full post.)
Sorry, Rick, not Robert.
Robert Bowman, MAKE IT KATE was found at an old mine site in Eastern Kentucky on a remote mountain top according to what comes up on an internet search.
I don’t know if that would be in Harlan County or not. Some of the mines there have tours, according to what it says on the internet. I wonder what lead up to the Kentucky Humane Society doing “a welfare check” and then finding this horribly neglected, emaciated, and abandoned Standardbred mare. Someone might have called the local law enforcement office first and then they enlisted the help of the Kentucky Humane Society??? I’m only speculating on the chain of events.
It says on the search I read that the area she was found in has a history of horses being abandoned there.
Does anyone know where this poor animal was found? Newspapers and the district attorney need to be made aware.
Who knows how long she went without a drink of clean water or some decent hay?! Many thanks to the Kentucky Humane Society and hope she makes a full recovery. Also, I wonder what condition her teeth are in?
To avoid this ever happening to our horses we have been making arrangements with a 501c3 to take over the care & operation of our small farm in the event of our passing or disability. This is very important to do when no one in your family has no interest in your horses or farm! So glad that the plight of harness horses you are covering! We have handled them. They are kind & gentle even after being raced & hauled all over the country as the ones we were involved with were outside of Seattle, Washington were.
Treated like royalty, loved like children, my ass.
She was a harness racer very successful. Her owner passed away so they say who knows how many hands she was pawned off on in her retirement. There is a way to make a donation for her long road to recovery. If the “human” who allowed this animal to suffer reads HRW or the papers in your area, hope you are just proud of yourself. Disgusting.
OMG. Please, please, tell me that the authorities are actively trying to find out who did this. This is so sick. That poor, poor, mare. Thank you to the Kentucky Humane Society folks. I will be following her progress.