Our Rescues

Blue Barn Farm recently welcomed Ben, Minnie and Sarah. Three standardbred horses rescued from an uncertain fate. Stories and pictures further below.

This wonderful, gentle breed is a perfect companion for Blue Barn Farm. They came broken mentally and physically but now, a year later, they are loved and thriving.

An unfortunate reality….standardbred horses, like other American horses, are sent to slaughter primarily due to indiscriminate over-breeding within the racing industry and a lack of adequate retirement and aftercare provisions once their racing careers are over. When they are no longer profitable or useful for racing or pulling Amish buggies, they are often discarded and can fall into a pipeline that leads to slaughter in Canada and Mexico.

Let’s make a difference together… In return for your sponsorship, you help us help them. Spend time sharing space, grooming, feeding, cleaning, learning about horses and how to connect on a deeper level. Your involvement is up to you.

This program is a great way to learn about horses before buying. Maybe even rescue a standardbred yourself. It’s also a great way to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new, find a new mindful practice to de-stress from life. Horses have so much to teach us - at the top of that list is how to enjoy each day as it is.

  • Ben

    Ben, formerly named Arcane Seelster, is an 8 y/o Standardbred born in Canada. He was born on an incredibly successful racing farm for harness racing. After racing for 3 years and earning almost $200,000 in winnings, he was tossed into the slaughterhouse pipeline after they found he has ringbone. After dedicating his life, an advanced arthritis diagnosis at the young age of 8 sealed his fate.

    After purchasing him from the kill pen and sending him into quarantine, life came full circle when we googled his lineage. 15 years prior to us saving him, Christine had cared for his great grandfather during her time at New Bolton Vet Center! His grandfather, Artsplace, is the reason Christine fell in love with the Standardbred breed.

    Ben came to us very lame and uncomfortable in his front right leg. We instantly noticed his pastern enlarged and what at first seemed to be swollen. After the vet came and performed X-rays, we were diagnosed with ringbone. Ringbone is a degenerative arthritis that is a challenge, but .with ongoing pain management and bone supporting supplements, he is comfortable.

  • Sarah

    Sarah, formerly known as Strangle Hold, is a 13 y/o Standardbred from New York. Sarah never raced, but was used as a broodmare. We don’t know how many foals Sarah has had, and we don’t know where she came from, but we do know she was probably dumped in the pipeline due to an injury during her last foaling.

    Sarah was not originally on our list to bring home. She quarantined at the same facility as Ben and Minnie, and came home with Minnie when we realized Ben needed another month of quarantine due to having Strangles (a highly contagious infection that forms abscesses on the lymph nodes of horses). We were told Minnie is highly anxious and cannot come home to our farm without a companion, so we had a decision to make.

    The rescue mentioned that Minnie was turned out with Sarah and they had bonded, so the decision was easy. We loaded Sarah up and brought her home! When she got here we noticed the old injury she sustained from having a foal that was probably way too large for her.

    After giving the girls a few weeks to settle in to their new homes, we called the vet to assess the situation.. If the tear was extensive, she would need surgery. Thankfully, the vet deemed it a minor tear and nothing to worry about! Just some funny noise every once in a while.

  • Minnie

    Minnie, formerly Midnight Flasher, is a 9y/o Standardbred born in Indiana. She never raced so we don’t know what happened, or how she made her way into the pipeline.

    When we purchased Ben we quickly realized he should have a friend to come home with. Ashley would watch the rescue announce the horses that were still left in the kill pen, so when she noticed Minnie was still in there and getting pushed around by the other more dominant horses, she scooped her up as well.

    After Minnie and Sarah settled into their new home, we noticed Minnie was very stiff and sometimes had a hard time walking. The vet came out to assess both Minnie & Sarah for their multiple issues.

    After doing a thorough exam, the vet diagnosed Minnie with a broken heel bulb axis. It requires frequent hoof trims and joint support such as shoeing or oral supplements to alleviate pain and discomfort.

    Minnie and Sarah both have ulcers, which comes from an extended period of stress, hunger, and other external factors.. Given that they were both in a kill pen for over 4 weeks, and that they were incredibly malnourished and underweight, the ulcers came as no surprise. Minnie is doing much better with chiropractic visits, pain medication, and lots calm reassurance.