The Maker's Mark Secretariat Center is a non profit facility located in the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. We are dedicated to reschooling, and showcasing the athleticism of the off track Thoroughbred so that they can go on and become ambassadors for the breed in second careers. We are also committed to educating the public about these wonderful horses: We welcome visitors of all ages, interns, and volunters . This blog publicizes unofficial updates on our horses and our programs. For more information, visit www,secretariatcenter.org or www.facebook.com/makersmarksecretariatcenter








Thursday, April 2, 2009

Update: April 2nd

Hello all!
The weather is warming up and our horses are feeling their oats today! They are thoroughly enjoying the new grass that has been coming up the last few weeks, and so are we...except for Jerry, who has to mow it.
We got two new horses in this week! Dr. Hector (see his link: http://www.midatlantichorserescue.org/available_horses_dr_hector.html ) came in yesterday (on his birthday, no less) from Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue. He is adorable, a five year old gelding who's sound and has been working under tack for several months, even popped over a few jumps. We're letting him adjust to the new place before we get on him but judging by his temperment on the ground he should be a quiet ride. Also, Take The Balance shipped in from Keeneland a few hours ago. He is a striking dapple gray, five years old, about 16 hands. He's currently a colt but the vet is coming out this afternoon to uh, alter that part of his identity. He's in good body condition, just needs some time to settle down--and get a nickname! He was generously donated to us by Mrs. Josephine Abercrombie/Pin Oak Stud. Take The Balance only started once and placed third; had some trouble with a slight tendon injury and Pin Oak didn't feel comfortable pressing him to race at age five. The tendon is now hard and by the time he recovers from surgery he should be ready for work.
We're looking to have two more horses (Danzaway and Testament) coming from Finger Lakes Throughbred Adoption Program next week, and one more horse from TRF (Guidance Up) at which point we'll be full up!
We continue to make progress with the halters for our online auction! I picked up Northern Afleet's halter from Taylor Made this morning and Brittany is off to get Giacomo and Ghostzapper's halters this afternoon. We've got 9 altogether but are hoping to pull in a few more before the auction, which will run on eBay April 19--25. I'll post the links when we get the items listed.
Also, the old tack that we are selling will be on the TAN site next week. Again, links are forthcoming.
We're now looking for interns interested in participating in the program for the summer. We don't have it in our budget to pay stipends for an extra session outside the academic semesters, so it will be on an unpaid basis but I can promise you that the experience alone is worth the time. E-mail me if you have any questions: ncvoss2@yahoo.com .
The AAEP's Unwanted Horse Coalition has approved our application for free vaccines and is delivering them as I type. In fact they're taking several photos and would like to feature the MMSC in their upcoming press release about their program--how cool! For anyone who has an equine rescue, it's a great way to keep you horses' shots up to date if you can't find a vet willing to donate the vaccine. Remember that vaccines should be administered by a veterinarian. For more info, visit their website at: http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org/ .
As I mentioned in the last post, we are open to visitors as of March 15th: Public hours are Mon-Sat 9-3, with interactive demonstrations on Saturdays at noon. We are providing transport at 11:45 after the Parade of Breeds show, leaving from behind the Big Barn. Come see us! Do remember if you come by to stop by the office before you head to our barn, we're happy to give you a tour!
We're still putting the finishing touches on our enewsletter--email me if you'd like to go on the listserv.

That's all for now!
~Natalie

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