Thoroughbred horses have entertained the masses for hundreds of years… they are sold at auctions as yearlings, less than a year old for hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. They are trained daily for hours on end, building muscle mass to run as fast as they can.

After the last furlong...

At 2 yrs old they are put on the track and are raced… their bones and joints still young, fresh and still growing. They are pumped full of special grains and supplements to make them faster, some borderline illegal, but not checked or controlled. The idea is to make them run. If they win, the owners make money. If they lose, the owners get nothing and they are then considered a waste of time and space, so they are given away… where they end up, no one seems to care.

The sad truth is, most of these horses are sold to meat buyers, where they are packed into large double-decker trucks and shipped across the border to slaughter houses in Mexico or Canada. Here they are killed, processed and packaged as meat for human consumption in countries in Europe.

The horse helped build our great country… they deserve a second chance.

That’s why we started The Last Furlong. To rescue, retrain and re-home these beautiful animals.

furlong [fur-lawng, -long]

-noun

old English unit of length, based on the length of an average plowed furrow (hence “furrow-long”, or furlong) in English open-field system. Each furrow ran the length of 40 4-rod acre, or 660 feet, and the mile, always 8 furlongs, became 5,280 feet.

Today, the furlong is used almost exclusively in horse racing. (2008 Encyclopedia Britannica)

Text Box: Thanks to our generous contributors and supporters!

Training...

Many of the volunteers in our organization have been around horse all their lives. We assess the condition and personalities of the horses as they arrive here and direct their retraining to what best suits them. Some are trained for show, such as dressage, eventing, or jumping. While some are trained just to be trail horses. Once in a while, a horse comes to us that was so damaged by racing that it’s days of being ridden are over. These are our special love horses, or pasture pets. They are given to families that just want a new family member to be happy, spending it’s days in the meadows eating grass, soaking up the sun. What a beautiful way to retire from such a hard life of racing.

Times are tough...

Horses are not cheap… some people pay hundreds of dollars a month to board their horses. The lack of rain in recent years has caused lower feed hay production causing a 50% increase in cost of feed. The struggling economy, job layoffs, mortgage crisis has cause financial burdens on some and the horses are the first to feel their pains. People cant spend time and money on horse they already own, so they sell them and even give them away, hoping someone will have the time and money to care for their beloved friends. The Last Furlong will take these horses and find new homes for them as well..

Volunteers, Foster homes and Donations…

The staff is composed of volunteers who just love being around horses… be they 16 yrs old or 60 yrs old… all are welcome. Our financial records are open for public review, so you can see that we are in it for the animals.

Like to help? Check out our wish-list page for non-monetary contributions at local feed stores.

We need contacts in printing business… 2-sided color copies, flyers, and other promotional material… do you or someone you know work in these areas? Contact us!

Individuals and Corporations: If you would like to make a tax deductable contribution, or would like to volunteer your services we would be more than happy to talk. Since we have not yet got our 501(c)3 status, donations directly to us are NOT TAX DEDUCTABLE. Please contact us.

Second Chances….

The people at The Last Furlong are mostly volunteers who spend countless hours rescuing horses that have “one foot in the trailer”. We are not just horse owners, but horse lovers who cannot just turn the other cheek knowing the truth.

While most time is spent on public awareness, teaching people of all walks of life the true bond between man and horse, going to the races and building relationships with the trainers to give them alternatives to auctions. We want to organize school field trips where children can come learn about horses… see, touch and even ride.

Space is limited… we need your help. We have few pastures and stalls, and a lot of horses. If you have an extra stall or paddock and are willing to donate it for a month or two… PLEASE CALL US. (We will provide all feed for the fosters!)

Sometimes, that’s all these guys need… Time…. Time for us to feed them… time for us to find them a home.

Tragedy in Miami

6 States trying to repeal ban on horse slaughter, moving forward in 3 others!