He's just another one of those cast off Thoroughbreds who get given away or sold cheaply after they are no longer of use to racing society... he's a gelding; he didn't win enough money to garner fame, fortune, or fans; and he apparently had an owner and trainer who didn't want to spend any more money on him than they had to since he no longer brought enough in to pay his bills.
Meet Seamus aka "Green Boy." His sire is the no-name horse Aramus, by Storm Bird; Aramus' dam is a granddaughter of Secretariat himself. Seamus' dam is an Irish River (a son of Riverman) daughter, but even more impressive on her side is that *she* is a granddaughter of Secretariat! This makes Seamus both a great-grandson and a great-great-grandson of Secretariat. Seamus' pedigree is liberally European with a good portion of a horse who is arguably one of the greatest to ever hit the racetrack. While Secretariat didn't produce many good racehorses, after watching several of Seamus' races, IMHO I think that Seamus suffered more from the lack of having a good trainer than it is from will or talent. He is absolutely stunning when in good weight and in motion. He retired this year in October, his last race was at Keeneland where he finished poorly- 8th out of 9 horses... his comment reads "saved ground, empty." Shortly thereafter he showed up at my boarding barn and was put out into a field with several other horses. He finished his racing career with a record of 48 Starts: 3 - 7 - 2, $35,286. Not the most distinguished racehorse ever, but I think he tried hard.
Now my barn is a self-care, pleasure type facility. We have had TBs out there before, but the owner/trainers of these horses were very involved and showed up three times a day to care for them. Seamus' trainer put him in the field and forgot about him apparently, along with several other horses. When winter set in, the trainer was called and he brought out a few bales of hay for another boarder to throw out to the horses. The other horses seem to be fine, but Seamus is one of those that needs more care than that.
Now mostly I am getting to the barn at night as another boarder and I are splitting duties on getting three horses between us in for the night/out for the day and fed twice a day. I've got the night shift so I hadn't seen anyone else's horses currently being boarded out there in the daylight for awhile. If they don't come in the barn, I'm not getting a good look, ya know?
Well, on Christmas Day, I had both morning and night duties so my daughter and I went out in the morning and I finally saw Seamus out there and he looked BAD. IMHO, someone could call the Humane Society on the trainer responsible for this horse... Two days later I get ahold of someone with the trainer's contact info and ask if he can find out if that is one of the horses he wants to give away. The answer I get back is a resounding YES- the trainer couldn't give me the horse fast enough! Doesn't care what I do with him as long as I don't race him (not bloody likely!). I took possession as of that night and inform the barn owner and my boarder friend that he is now mine. I worry a bit as the trainer can't be bothered to give me a bill of sale or even a Coggins, but I transferred him online via the Jockey Club Interactive Registration and I have a witness so even if someone changes their mind, there will be a fair fight... and fight I will as what was done to this horse was criminal in my mind.
I've got to say that Seamus and I would be grateful for any donation monetary or otherwise if anyone's got a little spare to help out. My plan right now is not to keep Seamus but to get him rehabbed and into another home. Honestly, I swore off TBs a few years ago and am quite happy with my two mares, a grade TWH and a Paso Fino. But let's just say that I give up a lot in order to have those two and a third is a real strain on the finances, but here is one of my favorite quotes (you COTHers will be familiar with it):
"To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice." ~Confucius
For me to have seen Seamus and not done anything would be just as criminal in my mind as having left him to rot as his former owner and trainer did. So my model horse sales will benefit Seamus rather than me putting the money back into my collection as is the usual case. If you're in the model horse hobby please be sure to check out my ads on MH$P to see if anything catches your eye, it's for Seamus!
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