United Pegasus Foundation
From AlexBrownRacing
Basics
Web Address: http://www.unitedpegasus.com
Name: United Pegasus Foundation
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 173, Tehachapi, CA 93581
Physical Address: 20411 Pegasus Road, Tehachapi, California 93561
Phone: (661)823-9672
E-mail: unitedpegasus@yahoo.com
Fundraising Drives on ABR: Hay
Media stories: http://www.unitedpegasus.com/United_Pegasus_Foundation/NEWS/Entries/2009/5/8_Lights_Camera_Action.html
Description of Rescue
OUR MISSION
The mission of United Pegasus Foundation is to identify abused and/or neglected equines, help to rehabilitate them, facilitate adoptions and educate the public regarding the need to help these horses.
The United Pegasus Foundation believes that no thoroughbred should be denied a second career or a dignified retirement. Now in our 13th year of service to the thoroughbred industry, we have adopted hundreds of former racehorses into loving homes and know that together, we can make a difference and save lives.
ABOUT ADOPTING FROM UPF
UPF currently has several horses available for adoption. These horses can be viewed on the ADOPT page. Please remember: all horses adopted from UPF must never again be raced, and all future transfers of the ownership and contract must be approved by UPF prior to transfer. Approval will not be unreasonably withheld.
To read the stories of UPF’s “graduates” as told by the families who adopted them, please visit the GRADUATES page.
OUR HISTORY
United Pegasus Foundation was created in 1994 by Helen Meredith, an avid equestrian who was moved to start the foundation after viewing a news story on the feedlots of Southern California. Watching once-prized winning racehorses being discarded and sold by their owners inspired Helen to begin the rescue effort in her half-acre backyard.
In 1995 Helen learned about the PMU (pregnant mare urine) industry, which is responsible for the constant breeding of mares for the purpose of producing pregnant mare urine, an ingredient in the drug Premarin. Helen began making rescue trips to Canada to save foals, the offspring of the pregnant mares before they were sold to meat buyers.
A SECOND CHANCE FOR THOROUGHBREDS
Approximately 5% of all thoroughbreds that are bred to race actually make it to the track. Many trainers and breeders know they can place a lightly-raced, totally sound, flashy-colored gelding in the track or they can use a stallion or mare for breeding purposes. However, countless racehorses see an end to their career because of injury – sometimes a small, healable injury like a bowed tendon or pulled suspensory, sometimes an injury that is more of a risk to spend the time and money on to rehabilitate the horse just for riding purposes. These horses often find themselves passed along or discarded because it is not worth the time and effort, as well as the money to put them back together sound. Occasionally horses race until they are ten with no injury, but because they are on the older side, they are not as easy to find homes for. Since they cannot go to the breeding barns, these unwanted horses are usually geldings, making the majority of UPF’s horses geldings.
Several of our retired racehorses (mostly geldings) made more money at the racetrack than most of the high-end breeding stallions around the country, a few of them winning over one million dollars during their career. But because they were not “breedable,” they were discarded once they could no longer race. UPF believes these horses deserve a humane retirement.
We work hard to rehabilitate off-the-track thoroughbreds, but many of the horses at UPF have injuries that prohibit them from ever being ridden again. UPF provides these horses with constant care and a safe environment at our ranch in Tehachapi, California.
UPF also takes in stallions, some of which are failed breeding stallions and some were neglected to the point that no one even bothered to geld them. We usually geld them and handle them in such a way that they can settle into a more serene and happy life.
