Brenda Hemphill isn't saying how two thoroughbred fillies from Florida ended up at her notorious farm in Maine. But what we do know is that horses who are unlucky enough to land there often end up on a one-way truck to a Canadian slaughterhouse. And if it were not for emergency intervention by Pure Thoughts Rescue's Florida Thoroughbred Rehab & Placement, these young horses would have met the same fate.
On March 16th, Pure Thoughts founders Brad Gaver and Jennifer Swanson were tipped off that the former Florida horses were in harm's way at the Hemphill farm. They became alarmed after having read a recent Boston Globe article in which Brenda Hemphill admitted that she makes her money by marketing horses for meat.
But when they called her, Hemphill tried to pass off the fillies as "camp horses" who had been living in Maine for some time. It was the first of many lies the Rescue would be told. "Knowing that one of the thoroughbreds had just turned three, had raced last summer, and that the horses arrived in the last 10 days, the story did not add up," said Gaver.
The people at Pure Thoughts knew they didn't have much time to save three-year-old fillies Heaven's Host, who'd last raced at Calder Race Course, which has instituted a no-tolerance, anti-slaughter policy, and Ilithyia, an unraced daughter of successful sire Siphon (BRZ). The slaughter truck was arriving in the morning, and if they didn't secure the horses' safety before then, both fillies, and Derby Trefaire, a nine-year-old gelding who had competed at Suffolk Downs, would be goners.
As Pure Thoughts scrambled to raise the funds to free the three thoroughbreds, Brenda Hemphill upped the ante. Realizing that these horses had suddenly become valuable commodities, she put exorbitant prices on their heads. "She knew who we were and what we wanted, so we knew she would put us through the ringer," said Jen Swanson. In the end, Pure Thoughts paid $850 for Derby Trefaire, and $1300 apiece for the fillies.
"These are by no means auction prices," explained Ms. Swanson. "They are extremely high but we had no choice, we had no option. The price started at $3000 for the two mares but Brad was able to negotiate it down. This is what happens, and your only choice is to pay it or pray for a miracle, and since our prayers were answered and we had raised the funds to pay it, we did."
But that was only the beginning of the expenses the Rescue is facing. On March 18th, they were delivered to New England Equine Surgical & Medical Center in Dover, New Hampshire, where Dr. Jackie Bartol and a team of vet techs were waiting. It was determined that the horses are very ill. In addition to being dehydrated, they have elevated fibrinogen and white blood cell counts, compounded by respiratory problems. They will need to stay in isolation stalls until their PCR blood test results have been processed, to rule out infectious disease. Only then will they be able to travel to new homes.
Because all three horses are in much worse condition than had previously been known, the cost for their care will be more than double what Pure Thoughts had anticipated. The Rescue is reaching out to anyone who reads this story for help in supporting Ilithia, Heaven's Host, and Derby Trefaire through their ordeal.
If you can contribute, please visit the Pure Thoughts website or Email Jennifer Swanson at Jennifer@PureThoughtsHorseRescue.com.
Comments
The FOIA shows horses bound for slaughter in the U.S. endured shockingly cruel treatment. Photographs documented horses with legs ripped off, eyeballs hanging on their cheeks and other severe injuries.Earlier GAO documents raise additional disturbing humane issues. A 2004 GAO report found horses were slaughtered while conscious, and ineffectiveness of laws in preventing documented cruelty and inhumane practices. It seems clear from the USDA FOIA, earlier GAO reports, ours and others’ investigations, that horse slaughter is a predatory business whose economics require cruel and inhumane practices. It is definitely not, as horse slaughter advocates would have the public believe, a service motivated by altruistic concerns or humane practices.
AMERICAS DIRTY COWARDLY BIG SECRET IS THE HORRIFIC ABUSE HORSES SUFFERED IN US SLAUGHTER HOUSES . NOW SHUT DOWN- OUR PEACEFUL TRUSTING HORSES ARE STIIL BEING BRUTALLY ABUSED BY BRUTAL COWARDS WHO BRUTALLY ABUSE THEM AND SHIP THEM IN TRUCKS TO HELL ITSELF -SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN CANADA AND MEXICO. BLM, and groups pretending to care about horse welfare -but that really are greedy, brutal, CORRUPT-predators of horses and are now attempting to reopen slaughter houses in the US- these predators are : AQHA, United Oganizations of the Horse, Unwanted Horse Coalition, Equine Health & Welfare Alliance (this one is behind kentucky slaughter effort). Lets STOP these SCUMBAGS and fight their state efforts at slaughter and pass federal laws that will protect all horses from these brutal predators -pass Hr 503, HR 305 and S727. These laws will protect our beloved trusting horses from all cruel predators and those that would cruelly abuse and slaughter them in our country or any other !
Greedy breeders and groups like AQHA that promote overbreeding, fees, tax scams and throwing away of horses to abuse and slaughter need to be outlawed and prosecuted as the corrupt thugs they are !
Why arent charges being pressed against Hemphill Farm for neglecting these (and other?) horses?
Why would Hemphills abuse horses if they're trying to sell them? Has anyone considered this thought. Even if they are selling them to slaughter houses there needs to be some sort of weight on the horse or else it would be useless the slaughter house anyway. It's not that Hemphills abuses horses, it's frequently the condition they get them in at AUCTION. I've purchased more than 15 horses from there and they have all been excellent animals. So yes, they do send some horses to slaughter houses...but what about cattle? Why is it okay to send them away to become food but not horses? Livestock is livestock and business is business.
@ MaineR are you kidding me with this??!!Being a Vegan I see no differance between equines and bovines...I don't eat either one.Why don't you visit a nice slaughterhouse and later sit down to a nice dinner of HORSE!
I can guarantee that Hemphills bought them in that condition. They only had them for 10 days, they were feeding them, loving on them. Handling them daily and knowing they were valuable thoroughbreds had every intention of getting them to health and re-training them or getting them healthy to be sold to a thoroughbred trainer and or breeder. In 10 days of owning them they did all they could for them! They were not intended to go to slaughter, Hemphils are not cruel people. I can not count on my fingers and toes how many horses I have seen come in from auctions sick and near death and not be able to call a vet immediately due to financial issues but do my best to fix them up the way my family has for years and watch them turn into amazing healthy strong animals. I don't call a vet every time my horse is sick, I fix her up my own way. Hemphills are knowledgeable people who were simply in the process of helping these young horses who in no way were going to slaughter! I have been to Hemphills a million times and seen the barns, there is one barn that does have horses in it aimed for slaughter but those horses are old, lived full lives, can no longer be ridden or used for any work. All the other horses at Hemphills are healthy, fat, and loved. They get a lot of horses in from auctions that have been neglected and abused. To judge them on the horses appearance after 10 days is the same thing to go to a horse rescue and look at a neglected horse they have had for 10 days and want to
I think Hemphills should be charged with selling sik horses.........
First off if these horses were in such bad shape they must have come to Maine in even worst shape... So if hemphills hadnt taken them they probably would have died in Florida... Now lets find out who sent them to Maine... Before people start flipping flap over charging somebody start at the begining and find out who got these horses in bad shape in the first place...
Now for this outfit that has posted this Bull~~~ if it was me instead of hemphills I would be talking to my lawyer about suing you and this florida outfit....
I can see both sides of this picture, having served on a humane society board for years and seeing the difficulty wherein someone must make decisions for the best intentions of an animal, under the most difficult conditions. I do believe that it's necessary to make choices that are most difficult, humanely. If auctions are where many horse dealers get their horses, then perhaps beginning with the auctions might be a better place to start. Going backwards from that position step by step is sometimes the better solution, taking the problem right back to its beginnings. Yes, it takes a ''society'' to do something of this huge an undertaking, a very real responsibility. First, find out the source, then, move in on that. Verifying every bit of information along the route. Beginning at the beginning is the best approach to getting a real handle on this problem. IF Hemphill's is sending to slaughter just those animals so very ill or unadoptable for very real and verifiable conditions beyond their control? And NOT sending those whom they can adopt out? Hemphill's is not held responsible for making that humane choice. Sell...to good homes those that can be supported as normally as is possible. Then find a very humane manner to relieve these animals unable to survive, as humanely as is possible.
I just recently purchased a horse at Hemphills an she is a very nice animal but has some issues that have to be worked out. There is nothing that a person cannot do to help an animal if they are willing but if they are not then they should not have animals because they will end up either in a humane society to be put down or a slaughter house for dog food or someones table in Europe when it comes to horses. If you are going to have animals then you had better make damm sure that you have the capacity to take care and love them until they die of old age an even then you need to be responsible their last days,hours, and minutes because they cannot do it for themslves.
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