Kentucky Rescue Finds Former Racehorse Abandoned and in Heartbreaking Condition

Abandoned Racehorse Kate Found in Kentucky Mountains Sparks Urgent Rescue Effort

A few months ago, I wrote about the Kentucky Humane Society’s plan to reduce the population of free-roaming horses in rural Eastern Kentucky through sterilization efforts. At the time, I was surprised to learn just how many free-roaming horses exist in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. These are not wild horses. They are domestic horses that have been turned loose on coal reclamation sites during the winter months or abandoned entirely.

The Reality Behind Free Roaming Horses in Kentucky

As a horse owner, I can tell you firsthand that the cost of care adds up fast. Buying a horse is the easy part. After that comes board, feed, supplements, dental care, veterinary visits, hoof care, chiropractic work, tack, and mine even get weekly massages because they are spoiled!

Even basic care is expensive, and not everyone can or chooses to keep up with it. Instead of reaching out to rescues, some owners make the heartbreaking decision to turn horses loose to fend for themselves. That choice is devastating for any horse, especially those who have never learned how to survive on their own or who already have medical issues.

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Kentucky Humane Society Finds Abandoned Racehorse Make It Kate

Last week, the Kentucky Humane Society Equine Care team was conducting a welfare check in Eastern Kentucky when they made a heartbreaking discovery. A 17-year-old Standardbred mare named Make It Kate had recently been abandoned near an old mine site.

Kate is not just any horse. She is a former harness racing competitor who earned over $100,000 across an eight-year career. She raced more than 200 times and finished first, second, or third in over 80 of those races. Her grandfather Matt’s Scooter retired as one of the fastest Standardbreds in the world.

A Life of Racing Followed by Neglect

After her owner passed away, Kate’s history becomes unclear. The Kentucky Humane Society has not been able to determine who took responsibility for her afterward, and they believe she was likely passed between multiple owners before ultimately being abandoned.

When she was found, Kate was in critical condition.

She is severely emaciated and rated a 1 out of 9 on the body condition scale. One out of NINE... She has serious eye problems, including a partially detached lens in one eye, corneal disease in the other, and cataracts in both eyes. She will also be evaluated for possible blindness.

Her body was covered in rain rot, a bacterial skin infection caused by prolonged exposure to wet and humid conditions.

Kate even had an indentation from a halter still marked her face, and two horseshoes remained on her hooves, suggesting she had once been worked and cared for, at least at some point.

First Steps Toward Healing

The rescue team gently removed a loose shoe and transported her to safety. It was one of the first small acts of care she had likely received in a long time.

Despite her condition, Kate is still eating and even shows moments of interest in attention and interaction. Her sense of smell helps guide her to food, since her vision is so limited.

Initially, her intake had to be carefully controlled due to the severity of her malnutrition. She has since been approved for unlimited hay, soaked senior feed, a balancer supplement, and unlimited salt to help stabilize her recovery.

Recovery at Willow Hope Farm

Kate has been moved to Willow Hope Farm where she is beginning the long process of healing.

The team reports she had a better weekend recently, and there are small signs of improvement, including a softer expression in her eyes. However, her vision issues remain a major concern, and she has an upcoming appointment with an equine ophthalmologist.

Somewhere beneath the neglect is still a horse that remembers care. The team believes she can respond to kindness again, even after everything she has endured.
Recovery will take months, but the commitment to her is steady. She gave everything she had in her racing career. Now the goal is to give something back.

How to Help Horses Like Kate

Kate's story isn't totally unique, and it's not just about rescue. So many aging animals with health issues are abandoned or dumped at a shelter because owners can't afford or don't want to deal with healthcare. Animal advocates across the board agree that helping an ailing animal cross the rainbow bridge is far more humane than abandoning them.

Kate has endured some terrible things, but in the end, she's a lucky one. Someone found her and is seeing to it that she will be able to live out the rest of her days in peace and will never know hunger or neglect again.

Donations in Kate’s honor support lifesaving equine rescue efforts across Kentucky.
You can contribute through the Kentucky Humane Society Equine program at https://www.kyhumane.org/equine/give/

Thanks to Paul and Wendy Kubitskey, gifts are currently being matched up to 10,000 dollars, doubling the impact for horses in need.

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