New Homes For Paragallo's Horses

In case you were wondering about the status of the 177 horses that were rescued from the training operation of Ernie Paragallo, Joe Drape had an excellent piece in the New York Times last Sunday that talked about their whereabouts.

For starters, 96 of the 177 horses have been re-homed, thanks to the hard work of rescue groups across the country and the Columbia-Greene Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This agency has spent over $80,000 feeding, caring and finding homes for these thoroughbreds. Unfortunately, six were euthanized because they were too sick.

Some have found new homes as hunters and jumpers; some have found their way to Michael Bowen's sanctuary, Old Friends, and some are being retrained for dressage. Meanwhile, Paragallo was indicted on 35 counts of animal cruelty by a Greene County grand jury. If he is found guilty, he will be fined $35,000 and faces up to two years in prison. He has denied that he starved and neglected the horses and is free on bail. No trial date has been set.

One of the best stories of adoption comes from a couple in New York who have never owned race horses in their lives. They met at the now defunct Claremont Riding Academy in Manhattan, and already own two rescued mares that they plan on breeding. When they saw the photos of Paragallo's horses, however, they knew they would rescue a few more.
The horses are currently being rehabilitated by Paula Turner, who broke Seattle Slew. The long term goal is ideally to return them to the racetrack.

In conjunction with their act of compassion, the couple formed the 5R Racehorse Trust, a non-profit with the mission of "rescue, rehabilitate, race, retrain and retire" horses. If they find horses in need of rescue, who are deemed fit to race, the Trust will place them with a trainer who has no violations for medications and who agrees to race them drug free. If they can be retrained for dressage or pleasure riding, then they will help find them a new home.

Quite a wonderful goal and quite an ambitious plan. And quite a fitting end to the neglect and misery that these horses faced under Paragallo's watch. Just proves that something good very often can come from something very bad.