Leighton Farm
"Making the most of each thoroughbred."
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Leighton Farm "Making the most of each thoroughbred." |
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Frequently Asked Questions There are quite a few questions I regularly get and it occurred to me that we should have a page addressing them. In addition I'd like a chance to explain some of the support we offer people who are looking for an off track thoroughbred. Please contact me with any questions or issues you think I should add to this page.
How does this work? Leighton Farm and now Thoroughbred Placement and Rescue, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non profit works directly with race trainers and owners to help them place or sell their retiring racehorses. I will help anyone I can so you will sometimes find ponies and other horses on the site. I feel this is the right thing to do, so when people contact me, I do what I can. I've separated the horses into three pages. On Track, Off Track and Looking For a Home. Horses on the On Track page are still located at a racetrack or training center. The decision to retire them has just been made. Many times they are not training any longer and since there is no turn out available at most tracks they are "high" in spirits. Trainers remove them from training because there just aren't enough riders to go around these days and expenses have to be cut on a horse that is not going to produce. On Track horses must be let down before beginning their new career. Refer to the Retraining Guide for more information on that. Off Track Horses are located on a farm. Some have only been rested and have not started retraining. Others are in various stages of retraining from hacking about to competing and everything in between. Looking for a Home horses are free to a good home. They can be located on a farm or at the track. Some have injuries or imperfections that make it necessary to give them away and others are just in need of a home quickly. With training fees at the track averaging $100 per day plus expenses, its no mystery why a trainer would choose to give a horse away rather than sell it for a few thousand dollars.
The trainers or owners with horses that are being sold are asked to donate 10% of the sale price to TPR, Inc. This money goes to helping to fund this program. The horses on the Looking for a Home page are free to a good home and I do not charge an adoption fee at this time. I want to make this as easy and smooth a process as possible. 80% of the horses I place are free to a good home and I ask that you make a $150 donation to TPR, Inc. if you get a horse through the site. This money will help cover expenses.
What do I do once I see a horse on the site that I am interested in? Contact me by email or phone and I will answer any questions about the horse that I can. Email is the best way because I answer email three times per day. Phone conversations take longer, so I'm often a week behind on the calls. I do try to return every call. Every person who contacts me is very important and I do all I can to accommodate them. Please bear in mind I do all of the work myself except with some help in advertising from my mom and Kim Wright. I will then give you the contact information of the owner or trainer and you will work directly with them. I strongly encourage you to have a vet do at least a basic ppe on the horse. This will help determine if the horse is suitable for your needs. At the track, vets are present all morning and it is relatively easy and inexpensive to do this. There is a list of vets on my site under the Resources button. While I do require full disclosure from trainers on any horses on my site, I also know that trainers can miss things. That's why the structure of claiming races exists. Simply so one trainer can claim a horse and improve on it when he finds things the other trainer missed. This happens all the time. It's always best to have a horse checked over before committing to take or purchase him. If you think you've been deceived by a trainer, contact me immediately. Trainers and owners are told if they are not truthful, they are barred from using my site permanently. It is very important to me and the trainers and owners I work with that people who get horses from us have a great experience.
What if the horse I've gotten is not working out? First, contact me or contact the owner or trainer. We have many trainers or owners who will take the horse back. Ask them about this when you are inquiring about the horse. I also will put the horse on my site and rehome him for you. Just contact me and let me know your needs and I'll be happy to help. Please understand that if the horse came off the backstretch the trainer cannot take the horse back unless he has access to a farm. Stalls are only assigned to horses that are to race. It is against the rules to stable a horse at the track that is not going to race. The trainer could lose his stalls for doing so. I will take the horse and rehome him from my farm if I have space, but most of the time I am full. I put them on the site and search for a home and if a stall comes available, I will bring them here until they find a new human.
What if a trainer or owner is not returning my calls or email? Contact me immediately. I make it clear to anyone posting a horse on my site that they must return calls in a timely manner. I realize everyone gets busy and many trainers and owners are not ready for the volume of calls they are about to get. That said, I expect them to make an effort to keep up and when I get complaints I call them on it. It's frustrating to see a horse you are interested in and not be acknowledged.
Where is Leighton Farm located? Leighton Farm is located in southern Maryland, about 30 minutes from Annapolis and 30 minutes from D.C. The address is 13130 Molly Berry Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772.
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Kimberly Clark 301-579-6898 |
