Maltreatment and Fraudulent Charges at KY Boarding Farms

[BJ]

Wandering off-topic a bit...

The farms I worked at (Calumet, Margaux, and Payson) have the same policy most farms have: hire cheap. So when Joe Blow (who dropped out of high school and can't run a cash register) has been at Farm X for twenty years, and has seniority, he becomes the farm manager when the old one retires.

And he still doesn't know anything about equine psychology and little about reproduction.

The fourth farm - Lane's End - wasn't so bad about that.

Don't know anything about billing, but I would sure have liked to get a bonus when dealing with scours.

WarHorse,

Don't know what "scours" are, but I do know, as an owner, I/we show appreciation for the hired help that take good care of our horses, EVERY week. It costs a little more, but it sure makes things nicer all the way around.

[Intrinsic Worth]

I've worked at plenty of KY TB farms and they do tend to put idiots in management positions. This is part of the reason why I got out of KY and racing in general. I was actually treated very badly for knowing what I was doing. In one instance at Overbrook, I took Hennessy's half sister, Ruby City, out to tease and she teased positive (in heat) when she should have been pregnant. When I told the assistant broodmare manager that she was in heat, he got mad at me and said that she ISN'T in heat and that she is pregnant. Honestly, when a mare flags her tail at a teaser when she normally wants to kill him, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that she isn't pregnant. The farm manager palped her two days later and she wasn't pregnant. Then another mare came into her foal heat on her fifth day post foaling and when I told the manager that she was in heat, they didn't believe me and they missed breeding her on her foal heat.
The absolute best incident was when Flanders started to colic and no one believed me or the people I worked with. She kept rolling out in her paddock and we had to go walk her time and time again until after 4 hours, they sent me with her to Rood and Riddle to get checked out. Here's a Breeders' Cup winner and they would rather risk her life than believe the people who worked with her everyday.

Being treated like an idiot after I've spent years learning, working and doing courses in Ireland was very frustrating. There is nowhere to go in the industry when you are working for such ignorant farms. I've learned that they like to hire unqualified people so that the people higher up can feel superior somehow over them.

[BJ]

I've worked at plenty of KY TB farms and they do tend to put idiots in management positions. This is part of the reason why I got out of KY and racing in general. I was actually treated very badly for knowing what I was doing. In one instance at Overbrook, I took Hennessy's half sister, Ruby City, out to tease and she teased positive (in heat) when she should have been pregnant. When I told the assistant broodmare manager that she was in heat, he got mad at me and said that she ISN'T in heat and that she is pregnant. Honestly, when a mare flags her tail at a teaser when she normally wants to kill him, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that she isn't pregnant. The farm manager palped her two days later and she wasn't pregnant. Then another mare came into her foal heat on her fifth day post foaling and when I told the manager that she was in heat, they didn't believe me and they missed breeding her on her foal heat.
The absolute best incident was when Flanders started to colic and no one believed me or the people I worked with. She kept rolling out in her paddock and we had to go walk her time and time again until after 4 hours, they sent me with her to Rood and Riddle to get checked out. Here's a Breeders' Cup winner and they would rather risk her life than believe the people who worked with her everyday.

Being treated like an idiot after I've spent years learning, working and doing courses in Ireland was very frustrating. There is nowhere to go in the industry when you are working for such ignorant farms. I've learned that they like to hire unqualified people so that the people higher up can feel superior somehow over them.

Intrinsic Worth,

If it makes you feel any better, the being treated badly for doing a good job is kind of rampant in all fields of employment, under the middle management level. It's called arrogant insecurity

Boy, I'll tell ya...If that was me, experiencing the Flanders colic incident you describe...well, let's just say, I'm not good at holding my tongue in situations like that But, if it was Overbrook, it doesn't surprise me. They, afterall use Lukas as their main trainer. Flanders had 5 lifetime starts didn't she? That about says it all! A horse has to be literally made of iron to survive their methods.

[Jessi P]

Don't know what "scours" are

Scours are the baby poops! As in............ the squirty variety!!! Hence the need for a new pair of jeans........

[BJ]

Don't know what "scours" are

Scours are the baby poops! As in............ the squirty variety!!! Hence the need for a new pair of jeans........

Ewwwwwwwwwwwww! And here I thought that was a nickname for a particularly pesky owner

Thanks Jessi...I think

[Pete]

Hi all,

Secretlink named Rhapsody Farm in Plymouth NY, and this is, in my opinion (having used personally or with clients) the best farm in NY. Not cheap, and perhaps not possible to get your horses onto the farm, but no one in NY does it better. Rhapsody is owned by Elaine Peck and her husband, Richard.

I can't remember the last time that I had to have a mare covered twice in a year when in Rhapsody's care. Over many years, not a single charge to contest. Low vet bills because Elaine jumps on the smallest change in her charges.

I was reamed by Hagyard-Davidson for a $9,000 bill on a sick filly. It took them 6 days in house to decide that it was a drug induced colic. Afterwards I simply mentioned the symptoms to Elaine and she said
"Sounds like a drug induced colic.", and then told me how to treat it.

If you walk a paddock with Elaine she constantly stoops to scoop up rocks. Her run-in sheds are re-bedded daily (even if horses aren't out) and she has heated, metered waters in all fields so that she always knows if the horses are drinking.

I've seen prettier farms, not better, in NY, KY or anywhere.

I was recommeneded to Rhapsody by a trainer who told me to look at her consignment of youngsters in a sale. The babies were uniformly superb. I spoke with Elaine on and off for a year and then sent my mares there.

In KY I exclusively use Sanborn Chase. Again, not the cheapest, but the care is superior. Bill Sanborn is a master at getting mares in foal. Again, not even a single line item problem with any of their bills ever over many years. The farm's a bit plain for KY, but run like a razor. Most of the help has been with the Sanborns for 10 years or more (Seymour is over 20 years there).

I was recommened to Sanborn Chase by a prominent horseman and sent my mare to them sight unseen (I needed somewhere immediately) but I followed up with a multi-day farm visit soon after and have never used anyone else in KY. There are people on this board who can confirm the care and expertise that horses receive at Sanborn Chase as well as Bill's expertise with fertility.

The two farms are similar in their superior care and ability to get mares in foal. Unlike the large breeding farms who hire and train help for the breding season, these farms get close personal attention from expert horsemen and staff that they have trained personally. Look for these hallmarks in any farms you might choose. You want a dedicated, qualified and caring horseman with a staff that they personally manage.

Rates are relative. With both of these farms the care and charges are predictable.

Do your due diligence.

Regards,

Pete

[WarHorse]

In response to War Horse's post naming Calumet, Margaux & Payson - things may have changed since you were there. Stuart Angus is now the manager at Payson and is top notch; as is John Rasmussen at Margaux. Do not know who is running the ship at Calumet right now (they have had a fair bit of change since Henryck died), but as they are not a very public "boarding farm" it may not matter.

All good news, except for Henryck's passing. (I was in Iraq at the time and missed the news.) I did hear that the previous manager of Payson had been removed.

Thank you Intrinsic Worth, you know EXACTLY what I am on about! I have similar horror stories, which do not begin or end with Alysusnset.

Amazing the things you can witness there...but they are not all bad, as witnessed here.