"The Thoroughbred, America's Horse"
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"The Thoroughbred, America's Horse"
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You Can Help
If you are interested in helping Thoroughbred Placement and Rescue, Inc. (TPR), there are quite a few options. Currently Thoroughbred Tim Keefe is raising funds for us by competing in a Triathalon. He is looking for your support. Click here Since November of 2007, Kimberly Clark, that's me, has helped to transition over 500 horses to new lives. In the first year I did it alone, but now the volunteer support has grown to a small number of people (to include my mother) who all have full time jobs, but also work tirelessly to keep TPR afloat. In the financial arena things are worse. Most of the horses we transition are retiring racehorses. Less than ten owners and trainers have ever donated (that's the number ten, not ten percent). I usually get ten percent of the sale price if the horse is sold, but over 80 percent of the horses we help are giveaways. Even on the horses sold, the average price is $1,500. We ask that the adopter donate $150 if they get a horse through us; however, only one in ten people actually donates. It's getting a bit better because of the volunteers at the race tracks who are trying to get people to do it when they pick up the horse, but still it leaves most of the burden on Leighton Farm and my husband. There are some people who donate who are just horse lovers and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate reading their inspiring notes with kind words. The grants from Blue Horse Charities and Thoroughbred Charities of America have allowed us to limp along; without their support we could not exist. Still this does not cover half the cost of this program. The sad thing is TPR could place even more horses if we had help. When you consider the number of horses that we have placed, which is triple the number of any other program of its kind, with the limited staff and funding, imagine what we can do with assistance. What limits TPR is lack of sufficient funding and workforce to expand this program. This is frustrating because horses are falling through the cracks everyday that could be saved. I get up each day and do this work (putting in on average a 17 hour day) because I want to help every horse. Even if it is not possible, that is my goal and the goal of every single volunteer. The retraining and sale of retiring racehorses has been responsible for covering the remaining cost of this program. The major problem is I am the primary rider and I can't ride enough horses to make enough money to support the program. At present I spend around 8 hours per day in the saddle. I love to ride, but this is tiring, especially when I get up at 3 a.m. (give me a call, you'll see I am up). I try to be in the barn by 8 a.m. and on my first horse by 9 a.m. There are times when people express an interest in helping, I tell them we need help with everything. Which is true, but I have realized they need to know more than that. So I've created a page outlining the areas we need your assistance and - well - it is everything! Click here The obvious answer of how you can help is by donating and there are multiple options at your finger tips. Using Good Search and Good Shop are one of many ways you can help at no cost to you. Capital Rewards is another and we are always looking for donations of tack and equine items for our famous "make an offer tack sale". I've created a page outlining the ways you can donate, maybe you can suggest some more. Click here If you have a farm and any extra space, you can foster a horse until we rehome him or her.
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