Equine Equipment’s For the Good program, which is working with Toro and Exmark to donate the use of commercial mowers for the 2019 season to aftercare facilities around North America, has announced two more recent donations to help retired racehorses at farms in Maryland and Virginia.
Fans of online horse racing might even recognize some of the retired horses at these farms.
“We are excited to continue to grow this program and give aftercare organizations one less thing to worry about and one less thing to spend money on so they can focus on working with these wonderful former racehorses,” said Steve Andersen, founder of Equine Equipment. “Toro and Exmark have been tremendous supporters of the horse industry, and they have proven that once again by donating these quality mowers.”
After the Races, located in Elkton, Maryland, received an Exmark mower. The facility has rehomed more than 430 horses since 2010 from racetracks in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. This donation was recommended and supported by the Pennsylvania HBPA and Penn National Gaming Inc.
“With the new mower, we’ll be able to more effectively and easily manage our pastures and green areas so both horses and visitors benefit,” said Bonnie Hutton, founder of After the Races. “We’ll also get to spend less time on the machine and more time on the horses, where our real mission lies. We can’t be more grateful for a good mower that will help keep their pastures in top shape for them while giving us more time to focus on their needs.”
“We greatly appreciate the donation by Equine Equipment to help support equine aftercare and in recognizing the outstanding work of After The Races,” said Chris McErlean, Vice President of Racing, Penn National Gaming Inc. “Providing for the post racing care and opportunities for the equine athlete is an important part of our industry.”
War Horses at Rose Bower, located in Appomattox, Virginia, and founded in 2013, received a Toro mower thanks to the support of the Virginia HBPA, Virginia Thoroughbred Association, Virginia Equine Alliance and Colonial Downs, which is set to re-open for live racing this year.
“When Steve Anderson contacted us at War Horses at Rose Bower to offer use of the Toro mower, I was amazed and impressed that he was offering us something that we, as a non-profit, had not even asked for!” said Barbara Luna, founder of War Horses at Rose Bower. “That, of course, didn’t mean we didn’t need it to help maintain our paddocks, it just meant that we, like all of the rescue and rehoming programs, spend so much time tending to our mission of caring for off-track Thoroughbreds that we often put other important things on the back burner.
“Thanks to the generosity of Steve and Toro, we will ecstatically accept delivery of the new mower and put it to use immediately,” she added. “It’s just one more thing we don’t need to worry about when we have 12 amazing former racehorses who deserve every opportunity to go on to new careers with people who appreciate them as much as Steve Anderson and his company do!”
“Colonial Downs is committed to supporting the many horse racing industries that are such an integral part of bringing racing back to Virginia,” said Jill Byrne, vice president of racing operations for Colonial Downs. “We are passionate about the work the TAA does and it is only appropriate that this generous donation go to the War Horses facility in Virginia.”
More donations will be announced soon.