A Visit to Old Friends

Scott Hazelton heads to Old Friends and runs into several equine heroes.
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[@itsNRC]

TVG NEEDS MORE CONTENT LIKE THIS. THE HISTORY OF THE HORSES, THE BREEDERS, THE TRACKS ACROSS AMERICA THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT IS IMPORTANT AND HAS VALUE ITS A PAST TIME

[@equine2020]

A great man. Spent a day with him. We talked horse,as I have thoroughbreds, & he showed me around his farm.

[@evanblack9914]

My old horse lives there. I love those guys.

[@ZenyattafanfromCa]

Love these videos and the folks at Old Friends. Terrific to watch during the covid shelter in place. Thank you.

[@FreshCutFrenchFries]

Great to see one my favs ever in Game On Dude! Looks great!! Old Friends is incredible!!

[@makennakatycatgurl8285]

I remember coming here to visit my grandma I miss those horses so much they are so cute and I got to feed every single horse

[@elenacaddell3639]

Thank God, they’re being brought back from Japan !

[@addieremsberg6907]

Old Friends Is the best horse farm visit in the country! Fabulous horses and fabulous staff - incredible tour!

[@RyanPerryRealtor]

Absolutely love this!!

[@renajsh]

Keep up the good work, Old Friends. Hope everyone is well and stress-free.

[@jamesreed9588]

he just is a great man..friend of beast

[@lespangen]

So glad Silver Charm ended up safe with Mr. Blowen: probably his greatest admirer Bless Michael Blowen for having and implementing this idea ( hope tours to help raise some of the revenue needed to sustain this place can be resumed soon due to availability of vaccine😬

[@jamesreed9588]

i love silver charm .he was a good sire

[@tolgaakyay]

I hope every thoroughbred retires like this, not end up in an abattoir or euthanised on the track! Michael’s doing a great job!

[@LightingInvoker]

Aww I want to go!!!!

[@francescraft2917]

Anyone who thinks that owners don't care what happens to their race horses should watch this. Even Japan. They flew Silver Charm to Old Friends. These owners support this place.

[@elizabethferguson7002]

Frances, That's a kind sentiment. But the horses who find their forever home at "Old Friends", have paid for their retirement a million times over. If the owners didn't take care of these old Superstars, the World would be up in arms. Don't get me wrong, I give all Kudo's to Old Friends, they are the benchmark. What you don't see at "Old Friends" are the thousands of 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, that just barely pay for themselves through the Claiming ranks. And, of course, the ones that just have a case of the slows. There are no endowment funds for them. They just disappear.

[@francescraft2917]

I understand what you are saying but I also feel that sometimes owners/trainers get bad raps for the misdeeds of those who could care less about their horses. I admit that the horses who rarely win a race and never make it to the big tracks are mistreated and "thrown away" but at last this is a start in addressing the issue. In fact "Old Friends" has some horses there who never won a race. They take in any horse regardless of the money they made in their careers. There are others but on a much smaller scale also.

[@cybnyf4337]

Elizabeth Ferguson Frances Craft This isn’t universal at all, but I know of several former claiming race-level horses who have retired and gone on to have careers in other disciplines where they are well loved. Though many horses at Old Friends are former champions or have distinguished pedigree but never raced, (like Genuine Reward), there are also horses who were ‘disappointments’ on the track and/or at stud (or are geldings). I think that the horse racing industry is disgustingly profit-driven at times, but that there are many cases where the horses are well loved and cared for. Horses exported to slaughter is a huge problem in the US, with all breeds, but I disagree that all low-level racehorses just disappear. In fact, (this is just my thought) were less big money is involved trainers and owners may have less incentive to treat their horses poorly- they’re in the industry because they care for it, not for the excess profit only really seen at higher levels.

[@solenyanda4450]

Do the retired horses ever get ridden or exercised?

[@donreed]

So where's Michael's review of "Seabiscuit," the movie? Recommended: "The Great Films, Fifty Golden Years of Motion Pictures" [1915-1967], Bosley Crowther [1905-1981], William Targ [1907-1999], Editor; G. P. Putnam's Sons (1967 hardcover)

[@jamesreed9588]

if i had millions ud help the farm

[@irisb6323]

Question: Why aren't the stallions gelded so they can live together in a group?

[@meganproffitt424]

Iris B Health problems. Gelding a stallion at an old age poses a number of health problems

[@vilmed777]

These people aren't very responsive to the horses' friendly overtures. You'd think they'd rub their necks or bring them a treat. Remember, these horses were used to a lot of attention and handling.

[@FreshCutFrenchFries]

Great to see one my favs ever in Game On Dude! Looks great!! Old Friends is incredible!!