How very amusing. Is this a blog created to deflect the questions this blog and readers of this blog have on horse rescue? Is this meant to deflect from Barbara Luna and Turning for Home being able to answer questions about how they dole out horses to Off the Track Thoroughbred Rescue and this rescue’s founder/owner Jessica Basciano? Lordy, can it be said all it does is raise more questions about how this all works and more questions on the who and why of those Craig’s List ads that started all this curiousity locally in the first place? What’s that they say about horse manure?
Tag Archives: turning for home
a few words about manure
In November when I first saw the ads on Craigs List and wrote about them, I had no idea we’d be talking about it now months later. Shall we review a couple screen shots of these ads again first ?
And wow people, this is my blog. When a person enters comments on a blog for the purpose of public display, he/she can be construed giving an implied license at least for that display and the incidental copying that goes along with it. So, if you don’t want everything published, don’t comment. If you don’t want everything published, don’t write threatening comments. If you don’t want to be known you are commenting…don’t comment. But you can’t expect to write in and think we are just going to be pen pals. When people deal fairly, I have no issue. But I will not tolerate threats or bull twaddle.
I did not go looking for all this stuff about horse rescue, it was stumbled upon. I have no interest in horse ownership or riding at this point. I just happen to like horses and admire those who care for them well. I also know a thing or two about how legitimate rescues work. I have people commenting left and right so how can there not be something wrong? If this was a giant non issue would everyone be talking about it?
You know what I want? For this issue to be put to bed. I know traditional media and others are looking at this, so it is only a matter of time until it all comes out.
I want Barbara Luna and Turning For Home and Parx Racing to stand up and explain how they are caring for horses and to show that every horse that leaves the track for any rescue is o.k. After all, what legitimate animal rescue doesn’t have copious records? She gets paid to do a job, so this should be no big deal, right?
I so wanted to give Jessica Basciano and Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue the benefit of the doubt, and can it be said part of me still hopes she can explain it all? I still believe she got into rescue for the right reasons, but is she now in over her head? And if she is in over her head, isn’t it o.k. to say so and call in other horse rescues to help her out?
And why can’t she open up to the public on the horses she has rescued? Where did they all go? Do they have all their paperwork and records? Are they all safe and cared for? Did she check references on those adopting horses? Were home visits conducted to see if the horses were doing o.k. after moving through the rescue? Is there paperwork for a non-profit? Is there incorporation of this rescue as a straight up business? How does this rescue train their volunteers and prospective adoptive families? How many rescue horses leave her organization and cross state lines? How are out of state adoptive families vetted? Are there special rules for shipping animals like horses across state lines?
Animal rescue is serious business, and the larger the animal the more expensive and often all the more serious. If horse rescue were all so hunky dory, people like that Deborah Jones I have read about would have nothing to do but sit home and eat bon-bons.
But as the weeks go on, there are no answers out of either of these rescues. But people are getting harassed and threatened for asking questions aren’t they? And that would be on the blogs, bulletin boards and in real time, isn’t that correct?
If horse rescue were so cut and dry, Joe Drape from The New York Times would have nothing to write about. I mean do you think they are only talking about horse rescue in Chester County and on this blog? Ok, then check out this article from January 23rd out of Lousiana:
Rescuers rally behind starving horses
Written by Vickie Welborn Shreveporttimes.com
NATCHITOCHES — Dozens of emaciated horses are in the care of the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association after being surrendered by the owner of a Natchitoches Parish horse breeding farm.
For two, the rescue was too late as they died at the organization’s quarantine facility shortly after arrival. Others are in such poor shape their survival is questionable, according to Sunny Francois, volunteer director of the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association.
Could more have been done to prevent the deaths of those horses and perhaps dozens more evident from skeletal remains and shallow graves on the grounds of Ryder River Ridge Farms? That’s the question of rescuers who have bombarded local, parish and state agencies in recent days with complaints about the horses’ condition and lack of enforcement action…..The day before is when photographic evidence was provided to investigators by Donna Keene, owner of Remember Me Rescue in Burleson, Texas. Keene rented a helicopter and flew over the Ryder property to document emaciated horses standing in the pastures, along with scores of intact and scattered horse skeletons. The ground was marked with what appeared to be shallow graves, some of which had skeletal remains partially exposed through the dirt.
If these two horse rescues, Turning for Home and Off The Track Throughbred Rescue are on the up and up and every horse can be accounted for with all proper paperwork, all those coggins things, medical records and so on and so forth, why do people keep complaining out there? Is it really a giant conspiracy theory come to life and attack of the zombie mean girls or is it where there is smoke there is fire?
And just to be fair, check out these comments about Turning for Home off that Deborah Jones’ public Facebook posts:
So I don’t know this Deborah Jones person but she seems to be a major media outlet darling, so I have to ask, is she being unfair? Is she making stuff up? Are all of the other posters of comments about these rescues anywhere and everywhere making it all up??? Really??? And what about the people who have supposedly have court things pending against these horse rescues? Are they making stuff up too? Will everything be deemed made up when the following things move to court:
- Docket Number: MJ-15306-CV-0000001-2013, Civil Action Hearing 02/12/2013 1:15 pm,Magisterial District Judge Michael J. Cabry III
- Docket Number: MJ-15306-CV-0000205-2012,02/05/2013 10:00 am,Magisterial District Judge Michael J. Cabry III
(These came right off the public docket sheets, did not pull them out of thin air)
Prior posts on the topic and all the glorious comments:
wading into a potential manure pile
the funny thing about asking questions about horse rescue…
more ad naseum about horse rescue: along came a comment from oklahoma
but wait….there’s more happy horse scheisse
I have to ask is there so much drama surrounding ferret and cow rescue? And oh yeah who is confusing this whole drama with the coziness of who do you know in Caernarvon Township? File under ToTo you’re not in Kansas anymore or on the board of auditors whatever that is?
but wait….there’s more happy horse scheisse
UPDATE 1.28.13 Wowza! SOMEBODY DOESN’T LIKE BARBARA LUNA TODAY
Sigh….when it rains it pours. I have received another horse comment that deserves it’s own post….again it is about a certain local-ish horse rescue: Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue and I guess also about that elusive Barbara Luna from Turning for Home which feeds horses coming off the track and into Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue and Jessica Troxell Basciano’s care, and are we surprised?
As is the case with the more ad naseum post of earlier I did not solicit what I am about to post, it did not originate with me. I don’t rescue horses, don’t own horses, don’t currently ride. If the rescue la la types have a hissy fit over this comment, they also sold this person a horse so they also know where to find them. I do not.
The heat is on in horse rescue in Chester County I would say, wouldn’t you?
Here is the comment. The X-Rays are posted as photos within the body of this post as you can see. The comment comes from a lady named Lisa who comments regularly on these horse rescue posts:
Here is what the people of this rescue think a removed bone chip looks like. Didn’t know a removed bone chip required screws? My vet calls it a fracture not a bone chip removal and that this horse, my little girl’s horse that I got from Jessica Basciano, is not going to be able to do much when it comes to riding. I have invested a load of money in this horse and to find this out has been heartbreaking for myself, not to mention my little girl whose horse this is!
Oh yeah, I got this horse at the end of August and am now just finding all this out now. You think maybe in an almost 5 month spread I could have been told about this?
Also I am still trying to get my other horse’s vet records. In fact I contacted Barbara Luna a few weeks ago requesting them, as my vet is going to now have to a check on him as well, since I don’t know if I was told the entire truth about his injuries. I still haven’t heard a word back from Barbara about his vet records!
Hey Barbara, if you are reading this, my vet still needs Hi Card Gambler’s vet records! Can I please get them for the 3rd time in asking for them?!
Here is the horse before this lady Lisa started caring for him:
Here is is AFTER she bought him and has cared for him:
Here is some sort of discharge papers from when he was a racehorse:
Discharge_Orders-condylar_NDP_simple_riding
Goes to show that someone will still care for an animal even when it ends up being more special needs than pleasure riding so why wasn’t eveyone just up front about this with all vet records? These horses unlike the majority of dogs and cats who go into rescue have paperwork, have vet records — it is all supposed to go where they go so why doesn’t it?
1.23.13 UPDATE:
Yowza! There seems to be a flurry of activity and phone calls and facebook messages and all sorts of Tom Follery. Of course more people are asking where Barbara Luna and Turning for Home are in this hot mess. Follow this LINK for the 990 on Guide Star in 2010. Barbara Luna must report to the board and they are listed on page 33 of the report.(also found here: Turning For Home 990).
So anyway, hope this all gets sorted out. But this sure is one hot mess. Who the heck knew finding odd Craig’s List Posts in late fall would lead to so much drama?
more ad naseum about horse rescue: along came a comment from oklahoma
I will admit up front I am waaay past cranky. I have been sick for a week and I am tired of being sick. Anyway between being sick and life in general I did not pay much attention to some outreach this blog received which was very interesting. It came in a few days ago, I forgot about it, did not approve it and came back to it today.
It’s from a woman who lives in Oklahoma named Kendall Pearsall who had problems with (drumroll please) a 
certain local-ish horse rescue: Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue . Furthermore I would not describe her words as kind or complimentary for those folks or that elusive Barbara Luna from Turning for Home which feeds horses coming off the track and into Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue and Jessica Troxell Basciano’s care, ok?
Anyway this woman Kendall with whom I have never spoken, and certainly never met, got a horse called “Wildcat”. Wildcat was mentioned by people in 
the comments on one of the posts. I don’t remember where.
Silly me, I had no idea horses in a horse rescue in PA would travel across the country to the great plains state of Oklahoma. But I don’t rescue horses so what do I know.
Her comments and name (and e-mail address) provided me with enough to find her 
Facebook page and photos that are public of this horse. I am NOT publishing her e-mail as she seems like a victim if that is what you call it. I did not solicit this woman, did not know she exists. But if people from clear across the country are complaining now, what next? And if anyone mentioned in her comment have issues with being mentioned, well heck you sold her a horse and you know where to find her.
Makes you wonder that is for darn sure. What I am posting is unedited and it is unsolicited by me. I don’t know her from Adam’s house cat. The only thing omitted is her e-mail address – no photos were embedded with the comment. But again, I found photos of the horse on her Facebook page that were public not private photos. (we are not Facebook friends as it were.)
Here it is:
Sadly, I have to add my name to the list of people who have been misled by Off the Track Rescue and Turning for Home.
Mid November- saw Wildcat Lake on OTTB Connect facebook advertised by Christina Hannan representing herself as working for Jessica Basciano. I quickly received a private message saying he had come off the track with a bow but released to ride by a vet.
<photo.JPG>
November 23, 2012- I received a fax with an adoption application from Christina Hannan and adoption agreement. All the paperwork was titled Off the Track-Jessica Basciano
November 24, 2012-I faxed back signed paperwork. The adoption agreement does not have a date, horse description, horse name or signature by anyone from adoption facility. I asumed all paperwork would arrive with him with the his description filled in along with a signature. Oddly, I received a private message cancelling the adoption saying Jessica didn’t want him to go that far. I then received another private message saying it was on again. We received several phone calls this same day from Barbara Luna, Jessica Basciano, Deb Jones and Bonnie Hutton confirming we were adopting him.
November 28, 2012 – Wildcat Lake was delivered to us in Oklahoma by a shipper we provided and paid for. No vet records, no rehab info, no signed adoption papers were delivered with him. We received a coggins but a couple weeks later discovered the tattoo does not match Wildcats tattoo..
Early December, 2012-I checked with our three references provided to Christina/Jessica and found no one had been contacted on my behalf.
Late December & Early January- I asked Christina for his vet records as she quoted he had been approved for riding in her advertisement. She again in a private message told me he had been approved to ride by two vets. She sent me a private message (see below) later telling me Wildcat had been released by Jessicas vets and that we should contact her. She said she had only spoken to her personal vet on the phone about it and he had not seen him. I called the vet that did his coggins and it was confirmed that he only did a coggins and did not discuss the bow and its rehab with Christina.
<photo2.JPG>
January 7, 2013 – . I then contacted Barb and Jessica for Wildcats vet records. I received both of their interpretation of supposed vet records but didn’t get the actual physical paperwk Barb said the vet that did track eval and followup eval with Jessica was Tom Lurito. I received this from Jess but no actual vet records were sent to me as requested:
<photo 4.JPG>
Then I received this from Barb Luna-her interpertation of the vet records but no actual paperwork was received from her either:
January 8, 2013 – I left messages for Dr Lurito several times over the past two weeks
January 17, 2013- I contacted Barb Luna again telling her that I wasn’t having any luck with Dr Lurito and she responded that she couldn’t do anymore for me.
January 18, 2013- Dr Lurito called and said he couldn’t remember a horse named Wildcat.
I still have nothing on Wildcat except my personal vets evaluation which is he is NOT ridable now, has a really bad case of rain rot, and underweight. No shot records were provided either.
For those few of you who are defending these ladies, you need to ask yourself a few questions:
what if I wasn’t a good person that received a horse in this condition? what would have happened to him? My references were never checked! I can only assume he was never vetted after the track so if jessica received money for him as she admits in an earlier post (approx 2000.00), what did she spend it on for him? we know it wasn’t for vet care, rain rot meds, ulcer meds, etc etc etc so what did she do with it? Christina stated she was “thinning the herd for health reasons” yet she is advertising as of today with more horses.. I see in earlier post where Christina says she adopted him from Jessica – then why was the adoption application titled OFF THE TRACK with Jessicas name if she no longer owned him? None of this makes any logical sense.
People, can this whole horse manure pile get resolved? What does Barbara Luna think? Is she ultimately responsible in some way since she appears to be the link between the tracks and the horse rescues?
It is time for the players in this drama to get together and get this figured out. I see names in her comment that mean nothing to me, but I have to ask is the Deb Jones she refers to the big deal horse rescue lady Deborah Jones mentioned in the media? ( See this article and this article for example) Is this the lady from savinghorsesinc?
Giddy up y’all. Just Giddy up.
1.25.13: This message was purportedly sent to this Kendall lady by someone in the rescue. Kendall isn’t very tech savvy so I believe she doesn’t know how to screen capture private messages very well and copied and pasted this to herself or something? I don’t know but whatever, here:
UPDATE 1.27.2013 Received this document from Kendall Pearsall in OK. It is in native format “as is”
giddy up y’all
Sigh….do people really think that what they write on the Internet is private? And when they yickety yack no one will dish on them?
And I so love (yes love) when I am referred to by those who just ummm…doth protesteth too much.
Here’s the 411: I did not go looking for irregularities in horse rescue. I am not rescuing a horse, have never rescued a horse, no longer ride. This all started because of strange postings on Craig’s List. Not really knowing many in the horse community, I had no idea how this issue would literally explode. I still have no clue who put up those Craig’s List postings. But whomever they are, they exposed a seedy underbelly.
All these people rolled up and started commenting. Apparently this is a HUGE issue in the racing and horse community. Once Pandora’s stall was opened more stuff was found on the internet and more and more people left comments.
This is not an advertised blog. Yet here are all these people caring about the same thing.
So it ends up this horse hurricane is centered around a non-profit called Turning For Home and as I understand it a woman who helps dole out these horses leaving the professional life named Barbara Luna? As I have come to understand it based upon the MANY MANY comments of others left on these posts she works with horse rescues? The one that piqued my curiosity, was the one that kept cropping up as a topic on those Craig’s List ads was Off The Track Rescue run by a woman named Jessica Basciano . Until the Craig’s List ads I had never heard about ANY of this.
Off The Track Rescue unless someone can tell me differently does not appear to be a non-profit or even a formerly formed business, does it? Can anyone find anything other than a fictitious name registration? Note, that is nothing illegal, but most rescues I know of are non profits so they can accept donations for which people get a tax write off and so they can apply for grants. Because why? Rescue is EXPENSIVE. Comments on these posts from people involved with this Jessica and from Jessica herself seem to indicate that the Barbara Luna seems to give like an allowance per horse she places with them? Is that enough money and quite honestly without a non-profit status or falling under the umbrella of another non-profit isn’t that a taxable nightmare?
Anyway, the fur has been flying since I first mentioned funky Craig’s List ads. Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Some of the comments left by those PRO-rescue can indeed be interpreted as harassing or threatening and the tales of what 
happens when the horse sets complain about this rescue is a little odd isn’t it?
And also odd the Where’s Waldo of it all as far as locations of this rescue. They say Glenmoore, but then there are also references to Phoenixville and Oxford and then lots of refuting a couple of the locations like they don’t exist but people see these rescue horses in these fields so what is up with that?
And then there is the chatter between some of this crew on Facebook after they read things here and comment. And they do things LOL like refer to “that blogger” and “everyone who thinks they are a writer”. (Oh honies, silly youse gals, I am a writer)
Yes, if I perceive something as a threat, harassment, or anything else I will indeed publish the name, e-mail addy and I.P. address publicly. Duh. It’s my blog and maybe in the further reaches of Chester County bullying and harassment is ok, but not where I live. And I want it to be clear who is saying what. This is all something very ordinary, and if they were talking to a reporter in traditional media do they seriously think they would all be unnamed sources? And who the heck is making them verbally regurgitate all over the Internet?
I said it before, will repeat it again: if everyone is on the up and up and all these horses have a proper paper trail in and OUT of state – if they all have tattoos that match those coggins things (never knew what that was until this started), if all the prospective homes for these horses have been properly vetted like they do for other animal rescues, if ALL the vet records are made available for prospective families and those who have already adopted horses, why fuss? If it is all on the up and up, no worries necessary, right?
But is all the right stuff happening or just more questions and layers and layers of innuendo and comments I sure as hell didn’t seek out? And there are so many questions now that yes, the traditional media is looking at all of this as I understand it. Apparently what happens to horse once they leave race tracks is somewhat of a hot button topic across the country, isn’t it?
Also at issue here for me is what this group called LAPS actually does. After all if they actually did their job would there be so many darn comments on horse rescue???? And what about this Barbara Luna and Turning for Home?? Of all people, she can explain what the heck is going on. She can definitively state what horse went where, what monies went with, what records went with and one would also think she would know the ultimate destination of these large, expensive animals, right?
Lurking media? Please cover this and settle this issue once and for all. I am tired of much ado about horse rescue. And yes, if I think of something as being menacing, threatening, or harassing, I will post a comment in its entirety including e-mail and IP addresses. Truthfully I can do that with ANY comment.
(To avoid any belly aching about the screen shots from Facebook, if you don’t have your privacy settings on and the little globe is showing, it means you are showing these posts to the world. )
If nothing bad is happening, then the record will be corrected, but posturing is not proof is it? So when this gets back to being about the horses, let me know ok?
At the end of the day people, I did not originate this topic. It was out there with plenty of stuff publicly available. But hey, I am just a ninny, right? So what do I know?
I see this as a made for Lifetime TV Moment of Truth Movie some day there is so much yackety yak…..
wading into a potential manure pile
groundhog day came early…
And here I thought horsegate would calm down. Apparently not. It is kinda like 
groundhog day…except with horses.
It appears that the mysterious Craigslist ads of a few weeks ago have disappeared. But a techno geek non horse loving source sent me a link to check out: http://offthetrackrescue.tumblr.com/
Ahhh yes, who knew? They have yet another website. So I took a quick gander and 
have more (or more of the same) questions for the owner Jessica Troxell Basciano regarding Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue of which she is owner/head/president/grand poobah…and Barbara Luna too (she is the one who supplies the horses to OTTR from the non-profit she works for called Turning for Home. )
I truly so want to have a comfort level with this because in theory it is a wonderful idea, yet every time I might reach a comfort level something else pops up, doesn’t it?
So there is this tumblr page right? I have a couple of questions.
First there is the “donate” word/tab again. Is Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue a 501(c)(3) or a 501(c)(4) within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania? I can’t find anything can any of you? So is there an official non-profit status? Does this rescue even have a charter or any kind of incorporation documents? As per the helpful multi-state filing website I found, does this Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue do any of what Pennsylvania requires? OR if they are in fact NOT a true non-profit and they are soliciting donations are they doing that disclosure? If it is NOT a non-profit, is it a LLC, sole proprietorship or what? Horses are big critters and they have a lot of expenses, so one would think someone owning a business that does this kind of thing would want some sort of protection for themselves, right? It’s a big financial risk at a minimum, right?
I found this regarding donations to organizations that are NOT non-profit:
The “donations” will be considered income and you will not be able to offer a tax deduction to those donors. The other issue is whether certain states where you solicit donations will require a registration before doing so. This is a state by state analysis……There are no specific prohibitions or regulations about accepting monetary contributions, but you should be careful to advise any potential “donors” that you are not a registered non-profit and therefore their contribution is not tax deductible. You of course could not make any misrepresentations. It would simply be business income.
Also, be careful with your accounting. Donations aren’t necessarily immediately final, as in a sale. If you received a large amount of donations you might want to hold a certain amount in reserve in case of an issue, in which case you might have to refund it.
Then there is the post where she (I presume it is this Jessica posting herself on tumblr?) says they have farms in Glenmoore and Phoenixville? Where in Phoenixville? I thought the other location was in Oxford, PA? So are there
three locations now? Or is this like many other rescues where critters are fostered in multiple locations due to overflow?
And this site is still used given the Christmas Eve posting. And again, I am trying to be fair, but it is VERY hard.
Rescue is a tough business, but I know the ones that I know which have non-profit statuses have pretty strict guidelines. And they get inspected a lot too. Is it LAPS that inspects horse rescues in these parts for the state, or does the state conduct their own inspections? Is this a non-profit or a for profit business and if it is for profit does that work with the whole concept of rescue? Does anyone know of other animal rescues that are actually for profit or have no non profit statuses? Or does Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue since I can’t find a non-profit status fall somehow under the umbrella of Turning For Home?
So here is some of what I found on GuideStar about Turning for Home:
I can only find the Form 990 for Turning for Home through 2010 on Guidestar. Other than 2009 and 2008.
They have big expense numbers. I guess that is because horses are just so darn expensive:
Now what you see above is all the info you can easily find if something is a non-profit. GuideStar picks most of this stuff up.
The only thing I can still find on Off The Track Throughbred Rescue is the fictitious name filing with PA in March 2012 it looks like:
Again, rescue is not an easy business. But I am not the only one asking questions. Check this out too:
I found a website that indicates they are also seeking sponsorships:
(Related solely because it mentions OTTR and TFH, it was just a little over a year ago that horses were rescued in Adams County. )
And on a super positive note, I found this really cool blog about thoroughbred rescue – I think it is out of Massachusetts called Off-Track Thoroughbreds
So to finish up, most of my questions remain over how a rescue can operate if it is NOT a non-profit? (Note I have not found anything illegal about that so I am not implying that at all.)
If it is NOT a non-profit and is in fact FOR profit is there an actual corporation in addition to the fictitious name? If people are donating to something that is NOT a non-profit how does that work? If it is a corporation is there a board of directors? If they are applying to become a non-profit is there a proposed board of directors or trustees or whatever?
I am still thinking at the end of the day that Jessica’s heart is in the right place for rescue, but if she is overwhelmed she should let the horse community know. That way they can help, not criticize or whisper, right?
I am not one of the horse rescue haters. I merely have questions. Once all the questions are answered there will be no more posts asking questions. I do think some of the answers need to come from Barbara Luna who distributes the horses to horse rescues don’t you?
A final note is a gentle reminder for the more shall we say spirited commenters. I am allowed to exercise my First Amendment Rights, am allowed to ask questions. I don’t suffer fools lightly and don’t cotton to threats or harassment. And oh yes, a lot of media and other assorted types read this blog.
horsegate…oh, the drama!
Photo courtesy of Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue and their public Facebook Page
Here I was minding my own business, moving onto other topics, taking care of my family, seeing a dog through chemo and WHAM! I get sucked back into Horsegate, not yet a movie. As in Much Ado About Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue.
When last I heard about all this stuff, I heard from the owner of Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue, Jessica Troxell Basciano. It was 12/8/2012. She sent me comments she asked me not to publish. I decided to honor her request for the time being (as in not forever). I am beginning to regret that as it seems this blog is being contacted by her posse, her protégés, her employees or her pals? (Just a hunch, yes?)
I am generally speaking an experienced blogger and tolerant and understanding when people get upset or heated about a topic. I also know when to call a spade a spade when comments cross the line.
Yesterday the comments on “the funny thing about asking questions about horse rescue” exploded. So I nosed around the horse community and someone tells me there was some sort of court date yesterday? Possibly near Oxford PA? (I am asking because I don’t have the docket so can’t say definitively – if I did have the docket which is indeed public information I would post it.)
Anyway, comments from a Christina, Alice, and I don’t remember who. At first I thought they were comments threatening towards me for writing about this in the first place. That in and of itself kind of pissed me off in the whole First Amendment of it all. I saw crazy ads on Craigslist, so why couldn’t I write about and ask questions about them and a horse rescue? But the comments as per a clarification by the poster Christina (thank you for apologizing to me by the way), were directed at someone else – someone who must have testified in court.
I said to “Christina”:
I wrote about this topic, I have moved onto other topics and for a topic that is purportedly such a “non-issue” it seems to be a problem. ….If you took in horses on the up and up, have all the records, have those coggins things people talk about and so on and so forth you are good, so why respond to anyone anywhere in a threatening matter?
I have been patient with people on both sides of this issue and have tried to be fair to whomever this Jessica is. As a matter of fact at her plea, I did not post some comments she left when obviously upset.
Then there was a post by someone named “Heather” who told someone else she wasn’t angry and couldn’t care less (but she still felt the need to comment.)
Alrighty, quite the tempest in the stable teapot don’t you think?
My Spidy Sense is tingling and if there wasn’t something funkalicious going on, why would people keep leaving comments?
Jessica Basciano and Barbara Luna what say you on this? The horses start with Barbara and Turning for Home before coming to Jessica and Off The Track Throughbred Rescue right?
Again, if this Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue ends up being totally legit with a good non-profit status, etc, etc I will update the posts. Just like if this Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue doesn’t end up being legit and isn’t really a non-profit, etc, etc I will update the posts.
But it is four days before Christmas and I am sick of the happy horse manure quite frankly.
I do not take threats lightly, and I live in a part of Chester County with very helpful and friendly law enforcement. More importantly, a lot of people read my blog, including fairly influential Chester County folks any rescue or rescue owner might wish to cultivate.
So rein it in ladies. I don’t do girl fights and intimidation. I am a lot of years out of high school, so let the mean girl of it all go.
If this is supposed to be about the good of the horses, then stop making it about the people and personalities.
And media out there that I know watches this blog a story on this would be nice as it is getting to be a bit much in the drama of it all, don’t you think? Besides since it is in some court room somewhere in Chester County there might be something to all of this after all, maybe?
And for you true horse rescue types, here is yet another Craigslist Ad that makes me scratch my head – it is out of Douglassville, which I have no clue where that town is:
For those wondering who is on first, let alone who is on third, here are links to the posts and comments….except the ones I am withholding for the time being that is:
wading into a potential manure pile
not snapped to anyone’s lead line
This looker lives in the Hamptons
You know something? I am not particularly naïve. Even if I do want to believe in the goodness of mankind sometimes. And I have a lot of friends involved in animal rescue. I have seen the good, the bad, and the very ugly when it comes to that. And I have known all along the bigger the animal the nastier it can get.
When it comes to horse country out here I am an ausländer. I don’t own horses, don’t ride any more. I do love horses. I find them magnificent and regal, which is why I love to photograph them.
I am one of those people who doesn’t patronize those people in cities like Philadelphia and New York City who have the carriage ride companies because I have never seen a horse hitched up to one of those rigs that looks happy and I want to throw up every time an abuse case linked to that part of the tourism industry surfaces. I also don’t go to race tracks. No offense, I find them seedy. I find almost anything having to do with gambling seedy and déclassé. Different strokes for different folks, but not my cup of tea.
When it comes to horses, I like to do things like watch dressage and polo. And my friends’ kids doing pony club and things like Devon. I also think carriaging is cool. Growing up, we had a neighbor who was a carriager, and I loved looking at all his carriages, carts, and even sleighs in his barn.
When I wrote my first post wading into a potential manure pile I had no idea it would lead to a second post (the funny thing about asking questions about horse rescue) and ALL the comments.
I think given ALL the comments some part of the system of horse rescue in Chester County is broken. And as a result I am calling upon the Chester County SPCA, LAPS, ASPCA, and The Humane Society to do whatever they have to do to check this out thoroughly and put this issue to rest.
And I don’t mean polite let’s have tea and check out horse rescues, I mean inspect them, look at paperwork, match paperwork up to horses, any kind of identifying marks horses might have (someone said they can be tattooed or microchipped?), and treat it like the rescues I know more about which are dog rescues. Put them through their paces. People with nothing to hide, won’t mind, will they? They will understand, won’t they as it is about the welfare of the animals, right? Dog rescues go out and check out potential forever homes and often do follow up once a dog is adopted out, does this happen with horse rescue? It should if it doesn’t.
I get that rescue is an often ugly business and again I feel the the bigger the animal the uglier it gets.
The volume of comments on this stuff has blown me away. But I am just a blogger who found something weird and asked some questions. I literally do not have a horse in this race.
But what I don’t understand (among other things) why there is a thing called Large Animal Protection if they aren’t doing any protecting? It’s their job, they have the jurisdiction, it’s their raison d’être, yes? They receive funding to not muck about, yes?
I am not going to go out and inspect barns, I am not going to rescue a horse. I might not know all the lingo but I know what an abused or miscared for animal looks like and I know what filth looks like. But I am not the authorities. So leaving comments on a blog post are just that: leaving comments.
What should you do if you have proof something is a non-profit and they are not? Call the State Charities inspectors and complain. Here are the numbers: 717-783-1720 or 800-732-0999. What should you do if someone is abusing an animal? Call any of the groups I have referenced above. And call the media. Go to the police. Let professionals handle it.
If you people are seeing things that are wrong, it won’t stop unless people come forward. On their own. I believe some of the people who have left comments are trying to do just that and God bless them for it. Sometimes the courage of convictions comes at personal cost, especially when something is of a sensitive, difficult, or emotionally charged nature. And when it comes to animal rescue issues, I find them often as emotionally loaded as issues involving children.
My curiousity with this began with odd Craigslist postings that continue to go 
up every day. I don’t know who you are who is doing this, but I think you need to contact authorities or media. Or both. You wanted attention? You got it, now take the other step.
I want to have faith in mankind this Christmas season, and animals that give us unconditional love and companionship should be protected. If you want to get all religious on me, that is indeed what Jesus would do. Period.
the funny thing about asking questions about horse rescue…
This is a happy horse I photographed this summer as it was playing with it’s handler while getting a bath
……The funny thing is this….a lot of people are talking. And yesterday I found a fresh ad on Craigslist dated 12/1/2012 so I tweeted it out at a couple folks on twitter to ask if THEY knew what was up and was there anything to this whole drama unfolding in Glenmoore. Funny thing is by this morning the ad had disappeared.
However, I found yet more ads today, dated 12/2/2012 and here is a screen shot:
So I am going to ask again if there is something to all of this? I do not know much about running ads on Craigslist other than whomever it is has a serious enough issue to keep doing this, so is this indeed a case of where there is smoke there is fire?
Is it time for people other than LAPS to not only do a throrough inspection of this place (or places because if it is a rescue there could be a couple locations where rescued critters are, right?) and check out where these horses are coming from, going to, vet records, reputation the vets checking these horse out, etc?? When horses are rescued and then adopted are their rules? Do they stay in Pennsylvania or do the go to lots of other places?
And since I can find no non-profit status on Off the Track Thoroughbred Rescue how do donations work? I rode a little bit when I was young, and what I learned quickly is horses are expensive. Proper care is expensive. So if this is an active rescue, how does it function? Small animal rescues are expensive enough to maintain, so how does this work? Do they use another non-profit as a pass through kind of arrangement on donations?
They seem to be linked with a horse rescue lady named Barbara Luna and a 501(c)(3) non profit called Turning for Home? Now Turning for Home is described on their own website thusly:
Turning For Home
Developed by the PTHA in May, 2008, Turning For Home is Parx Racing’s retirement program for its Thoroughbred horses who can no longer race, due to injury or lack of ability. Our mission is to provide humane and dignified retirement for any horse stabled at Parx with a trainer based at the Bensalem track for at least six months of the year. To date, we have helped over 825 horses into new careers through rehabilitation (including veterinary care and even surgery), then careful adoption to approved-only homes.
So does this rescue pay other rescues to help them out? Do they support the smaller rescues financially ?
I am really trying to to be respectful of the owner of Off The Track Thoroughbred Rescue because she is a mom and apparently a cancer survivor too. So Jessica Troxell Basciano, I don’t know you, am not buying or rescuing a horse, but I would like to know why someone is posting ads on Craigslist about your horse rescue? And is your rescue a non-profit or applied for non-profit?
Are people upset at your rescue unfairly or is there sometihng to this? If you are not a non-profit , what do you get out of this personally? Satisfaction of doing the right thing for at risk horses? A paycheck? The warm and fuzzy aroma of horses in a clean, hay filled barn? What???
a happy and well fed and cared for barn cat loving life
I am trying to be fair here, and I found her name on the Internet attached to the name of her rescue and whatever the other name she used to go under is. She put herself out there publicly with the whole rescue mission.
If she is in over her head because face it, animal rescue is hard, hard, work, she knows she can go to the big ones for help, right?
Honestly, I am just a person that likes horses and believes in animal rescue. If someone is taking the time to post on Craigslist again and again and again, is there something to all this?
I know from dog and cat rescues that one of the problems in PA is companion animals (which I would also consider horses to be) are property. Like a sofa or lawn mower, or as a dog rescue pal once said “an ear of corn”. And the thing I do know about horses is they come with a heck of a lot more paperwork, so horse rescues have to keep meticulous records or should, right? I also know that horses have to be transported with care, they aren’t like a dog or cat r rabbit that can go in a travel crate in the back of a car exactly are they?
People are very leery of what happens to horses when tracks and big stables, etc are tired of them. See this article on the Humane Society Website from this past June. Also check out this post on Throughbred Confidential, and the following links from the New York Times. The New York Times seems to write a fair bit about horses….
Rescuing Horses as Industry Bides Its Time
By JOE DRAPE
Published: November 1, 2012
Bronx Rallies to Save Mysterious Horse Left in a Condemned Stable
By WINNIE HU
Published: September 20, 2012
BreakdownDeath and disarray at America’s racetracks
Big Purses, Sore Horses, and Death
Large payouts to owners make it profitable for owners to field thoroughbreds that are past their prime, sometimes with fatal results.
By JOE DRAPE, WALT BOGDANICH, REBECCA R. RUIZ and GRIFFIN PALMER
Published: April 30, 2012 254 Comments
(Read the entire article HERE – they do talk about PA. And read the comments)
Is it getting so bad for these magnificent creatures that every time we see a horse transporter we have to wonder if those are horses going home or off to become dog food or people food in other countries?
I am also interested in horse rescues that people love. Like Last Chance Ranch in Quakertown, PA.
I think horses are a victim of this current economy just like people and abandoned dogs and cats.
nonprofit or not?