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We
are often asked about our horses, where have they come from? What breed
are they? And what have they done?
Most
of our horses are thoroughbreds, bred originally for the racetrack. Some
like Peacekeeper, Bollinger and Studbuster were extremely successful,
but the wear and tear on their legs brought their racing careers to a
grinding halt. No longer 100% sound and unable to breed due to their
lack of necessary equipment (they were castrated males), their futures
looked very bleak, had not their concerned owners offered them to us to
pursue new careers in trail riding. Others were ex-polo ponies that
could not quite cut the chase on the polo field so they moved to us to
become experts in equine watersports!
Some
of our horses have had less pleasant lives, like Playboy, Peanut,
Sensational and Matchstick, who were rescued by the JSPCA (Jamaica
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Again bred for the
racetrack, they found themselves in the wrong company and were found
emaciated and neglected on the roadside and have been rehabilitated with
us. Hooves Ltd. would like to thank the many caring owners and trainers
who have helped us bring together a unique and interesting blend of
personalities and characters that make up the Hooves herd; our horses
and our friends. We would also like to thank you, our guests, for
supporting our tours and enabling us to give these animals a second
chance in life.
These
horses are also help rehabilitate people via Equine
Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)
Click here to see a movie of Our Horses
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OUR
RESCUE PROGRAM
Below
are a few of the less than fortunate horses who found their way into the
Hooves herd and into our hearts. These horses, through rehabilitation,
are now leading productive and healthy lives. |
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After
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Selassie
Selassie
(racing name Imperial Warrior) was often seen hanging around
the Spanish Town roundabout. Everytime the JSPCA went to pick him up he
had disappeared, after several attempts over a period of weeks to
impound this emaciated horse, they were eventually successful and he
came to us looking like an anatomy lesson in the Equine
skeletal structure!
Within
three weeks of being with us he had colicked twice, and our vet was
amazed to see him standing the next day after a serious bout of colic
which kept us up all night. We really felt that we were possibly
fighting a losing battle with the extensive worm damage we figured he
had. With careful nutrition and extensive dental work, Selassie is
now looking more like a horse and less like an anatomy lesson.
Come and meet this amazing horse who has a strong desire to live,
at our beach location.
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After
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Monday
Morning
Monday had been loaned by her owner to an illegal
(non-licensed) trail riding operation. Her case had been reported to the
JSPCA, but unfortunately the man that had her was not receptive to the JSPCA
field officer. When we received a phone call from her owner, who had taken
her back, offering her for sale, we immediately jumped at the chance. She
came with a very bad uterine infection and with a wormy foal at foot (who we
named Zoe). With medical attention and some good grain and roughage, Monday
soon picked up and can now be found at the Heritage
Beach Ride. Her baby Zoe, has just started her education and has
recently been backed. You can meet Zoe at the Mountain location.
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After
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Heart of a Hero
Hero was a reacehorse, who had gone through the claiming
system. When he no longer placed in races his owner gave him to his groom.
The groom had nowhere to keep him, so he was turned out on arid wasteland
around the racetrack. Whilst looking for some grass to graze on, he was
chased into a 4ft. deep drainage ditch, where he remained for three days,
until a concerned resident called the JSPCA. The JSPCA immediately
dispatched one of their field officers, who tried to coax the horse out of
the ditch with a ramp made from feed bags. Hero was so weak that he could
not make it, so local contractors, WIHCON, were called in to help. Two
slings were placed around Hero's body and a front end loader was used to
lift him from what would have been his grave. He came to us after his
trauma and after months of TLC was restored to good health. Come and meet
Hero on our Bush Doctor Mountain Ride, he
is currently undergoing schooling and has started jumping and elementary
dressage. Heart of a Hero truly lives up to his name and has a very
special place in our hearts. Hero has recently won first place in the FEI
Dressage Show.
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After
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Peanut
Peanut was named after the peanut farmer who had purchased
the horse with the intention of using him to pull a plough on his peanut
farm. He was found grazing on a very busy roundabout and was seized by the
JSPCA as a cruelty case. This former racehorse can now be found carrying
our guests on the Heritage Beach Ride. |
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