DEADWOOD, SD – The extended drought through much of the country has impacted all aspects of life – both human and equine.  Hay prices are up and, in some areas, crops are non-existent.  In the middle of the worst of the drought is Rhame, North Dakota, home of Doctor Richard Bowman’s Second Chance Thoroughbred Adoption.

Rhame hasn’t had any significant rain for over a year.  Hay crops are suffering and the price of hay has become nearly unmanageable.  The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association wants to help and is asking for your assistance.

If you’ve been a racehorse owner in Minnesota for any length of time, you’ve been positively impacted by Doctor Bowman’s work: taking your injured horse for rehabilitation, rehoming that slow horse to be someone else’s horse of a lifetime or just taking injured horses that are unadoptable and turning them out on his acreage for the rest of their lives.

“Doc Bowman has 35 horses that are unadoptable,” said Executive Director Kay King.  “And that’s only the unadoptable, that doesn’t include the horses that are being rehabilitated and can be rehomed.”

MTA Board Vice-President Rick Bremer and Cheryl Sprick, Minnesota breeders, have five tons of hay from their farm that they are going to donate.  The estimated shipping cost is $850 and the MTA is looking for your help in the way of donations to defray this cost.

While five tons of hay sounds like a lot, it is only estimated to last 3-4 weeks.  It is hoped that there will be excess funds that will be donated either directly to the Second Chance Ranch or to purchase and deliver additional hay for the facility.

Donations can be sent to the MTA PayPal account: kay@minnesotabred.com or called into the MTA office directly at (952) 233-4802. 

Doc Bowman and his team has been there for so many of us over the years, let’s be there for him now.