TicketsandTomatoes

TicketsandTomatoes, a five year old OTTB gelding has found a good home but it took an Internet connection and long distance love match.  Now he's headed for a journey of thousands of miles from Once Over Farm in Morgan Hill, CA to a horse farm near Chicago, IL.  

The newly renamed "Tomcat" has a very unique story.  This horse was so special to his owners that although completely sound, he was being given away although his estimated value was still around $10,000.  It is rare to find a sound horse off the track but Tomcat's story itself is a bit unique.  His owners purchased him for $35,000 at the Keeneland yearling sale a few years back.  He started racing competitively in Northern California where he had 11 starts, won twice, placed twice and showed once.  However, as he started falling down into the lower level claiming ranks, his owners were disturbed that he might either get hurt or claimed by someone who would race him to death or ultimately send him to slaughter.  Therefore, they retired him to Once Over Farm thinking they might bring him back after a long refresher.  However, upon his return to the track some months back they discovered he was body sore after his workouts and none too happy there either.  The decision was made right then and there to retire him permanently.  

Efrain Guzman, Manager of Once Over Farm, informed me that due to the wishes of his owners Tomcat could not be put on a public board for adoption or showcased on the Internet by a rescue.  Efrain and his owners wanted him placed in a good home and were willing to wait until the right connection was made through people they felt they could trust to do the right thing by him.  His owners have some good karma going for them as they are the connections of the great turf specialist Siren Lure! 

Out went the Neigh Savers email list that was forwarded from place to place.  My distant cousin Jessica in Chicago forwarded it to her colleague Brett who forwarded it to his mother Barb who forwarded it to her best friend of 50 years, Laurie.  Laurie was convinced that she would never again own a horse after losing her beloved Barnsey at the age of 25 two years ago.  However, after seeing just two photos of Tomcat Laurie felt he was her Barnsey reincarnated.  I sent Laurie many more photos and before any of us knew it Laurie hopped on a plane with Barb, Brett and Brett's wife and they all flew from Chicago to San Francisco. 

The visit to Once Over Farm was a huge success.  Tomcat walked up to our rather large group and for some reason knew Laurie was his special person and put his head on her shoulder.  It was a very touching moment.  He then stood quietly by and let all of us fawn over him and pet him and love him up.  Tomcat is actually the kind of horse that you could envision cuddling up to with a good book, although he would probably end up eating the book!

At any rate, next we led Tomcat into the round pen where he decided to put on the dog for us.  He showed us there was nothing wrong with him by dashing around at great speed, bucking and lunging back and forth.   After his "show" he trotted up to the grandstand and reached his head way over the top and asked for his "reward" for performing so well.

Laurie reports that the stable/farm where he will be shipped turns the horses out all day and they only go into the stall at night.  During the holidays the horses are dressed in holiday finery and then parade and carol through the streets serenading one and all. 

Tommy arrived at his new home near Chicago, Illinois shortly before Labor Day. 

Laurie supplies the following update:

Tommy arrived safely at Park Oaks in Big Rock, IL.  He appears to be happy, healthy and sane (a huge bonus) and is settling in nicely.  Dan and Sarah (my son and daughter-in-law) and I are prepared to spoil the heck out of him, while we get him some training so we can ride him and enjoy him for many years to come.

Tommy is happily eating hay and grain and runs after us to get carrots...he is so cute!!!  He is not stressed at all, although he did break a fence board kicking out at a very large horse. They did some posturing (he thinks he's a stallion!) but he was introduced to the herd the other day so he could begin to join them and get acclimated on grass grazing a little at a time. It didn't go quietly but no one was hurt...lots of squaring off but no real physical contact. 

Update from Laurie - November 2008:

Well...I had good intentions of keeping you posted on a regular basis! I am attaching a photo of Tommy and Kevin (the barn owner/manager) on the day of arrival...fresh off the trailer. He didn't huff or puff at anything...he just settled right in. He is really a 'sane' horse!

Since he's never been turned out with other horses, we did the slow introduction to the herd over the fence (a week or two) and then introduced him to a small group. Tommy thought himself leader of the pack immediately (or more like 'brat' of the pack!) and was picking on whomever he could pick on. He was actually quite mean about it at times. That shocked all of us because he is soooo friendly. Kevin then put him in the herd with the 'real' leader of the group who showed him some manners...now all are living in harmony and Tommy has a couple of special friends.

Now that he's been 'pastuerized' he doesn't want to come in...last week I made a fruitless trip to the barn because I could NOT catch him for anything!

We are working with a wonderful trainer who has worked with race horses before and she is so awesome! She started with lunge line work (walk trot canter...reverse) and he picked everything up very quickly and is very responsive. Then a really experienced rider rode him while on the lunge...and then off the lunge...and I was actually trotting on lunge last Sunday. He isn't quite sure what we want from him yet and he is a little 'off balance' but he is building muscle and rounding out a bit...and is VERY cooperative.

Of course, we love him dearly and it's fun to be involved from the start so to speak. And...he is as happy as a clam!!! He looks great, but is sporting a few marks from some 'discipline' laid on him by the leader...but the hair is growing over those minor scrapes (and he has a lot less than he gave!)