blue star equiculture

Blue Star Equiculture is an advocate for working horses.  We believe that supporting working horses helps ensure their protection from the real evils of abandonment and slaughter. We are very concerned about the misconceptions the general public has about working horses and we intend, through our carriage horse retirement program and working horse advocacy, to shed some light on how valuable the carriage industry is for the horses and the community.

Carriage horse owners are sometimes faced with a difficult decision when it comes time for their beloved carriage horses to retire.  Some carriage owners are not fortunate enough to have unlimited access to pastures or paddocks for their retirees to live in (as is often the case for urban carriage horse owners).  Carriage horse owners don't want to send their partner to an uncertain future at an auction.  Finding a friend, acquaintance or reputable rehoming center or rescue to take a retired carriage horse is no guarantee that the horse will remain safe forever or be kept in the conditions that the happy working carriage horse was used to at home.

Blue Star Equiculture is here to help carriage owners responsibly retire their horses.

In March 2011, Blue Star Equiculture was proud to become the offical retirement home for the famous New York City carriage horses of the New York Horse and Carriage Association. The New York Horse and Carriage Association has shown their deep commitment to both the welfare of their horses and to the mission of Blue Star Equiculture.  We are honored to provide a home to the distinguished carriage horses that have delighted visitors from around the world in Central Park.

Blue Star Equiculture is committed to every horse that enters our program (whether retirement or rescue).  They will always have a home with us.  Certain horses, depending on their age and health, may remain with Blue Star Equiculture for the rest of their natural lives.  Horses that are adopted out all are accompanied by an adoption contract to provide protection against neglect or sale.  Blue Star maintains a close relationship with all of our adopters, and will gladly pass along updates from a new home to the original owners.

These are the commercial carriage horses who have been retired to Blue Star Equiculture.  Click on each to be taken to their own pages where you can read more about their lives, sponsor them, and see photos!

Bud is a retired carriage horse from Philadelphia. Bud is our mascot at Blue Star Equiculture. No longer able to work because of his idiopathic epilepsy, Bud loves to be the center of attention--in fact, he demands it!  More about Bud...

SPONSOR BUD

Carter is one of our semi-retired working horses on the farm.  He comes from 76 Carriage Company in Philadelphia, PA. He arrived July 21, 2010, and is best friends with Charlie-Daniel. More about Carter...

Charlie used to be a carriage horse in Lake Tahoe, NV and Scottsdale, AZ, where he was unfortunately not very well taken care of.  Fortunately, he was bought by a carriage company in New York City, who immediately recognized his poor condition and helped animal control out west document his condition.  Because of Charlie's years of neglect and a club foot, he would not be up to being a full-time working horse, so he came to Blue Star to be retired.  Charlie bonded with Mac at the farm, and together they were adopted by Blue Star treasurer, Shelley, and live in Monson.  More about Charlie...

Rest In Peace October 17, 2011

Charlie-Daniel arrived July 21.2010, the same day as his best friend Carter, whom he met on the truck from Pennsylvania where they were each on turnout.  Charlie-Daniel is one of our retired carriage horses who still does light work around the farm. He worked for 15 years in New York City giving rides in Central Park. More about Charlie-Daniel...

Jesse is a retired carriage horse from Connecticut. Although he is 31 and has to eat a mash because he has few teeth left, Jesse never misses a meal. Jesse has enjoyed taking "Bud's" carriage out for weddings and marching in parades, but now he is retired.  He continues to look after Peggy, and is quite the grand old man. More about Jesse...

Mike was a retired carriage horse from 76 Carriage Company in Philadelphia in his early to mid 20s.  When he arrived in Philadelphia, he already had degenerative arthritis in his knees.  After 5 years in working in Philadelphia, Mike's knees had proceeded to the point that he needed to retire.  He arrived at Blue Star Equiculture in April of 2009 and became fast friends with Jesse.  Cupcake loved to play with him, and Mike enjoyed his retirement so thoroughly he would occasionally even canter with his playmate.  Still, the arthritis continued its inexorable progress.  In August 2010, unable to keep Mike comfortable, Blue Star made the decision for him to be humanely euthanized.   More about Mike...

Rosie was born in 1991 Vermont as "Salisbury Rita," a registered Standardbred.  After a short racing career, she was sold and was bought by a carriage owner in New York City.  Rosie worked for her first owner for well over a decade. In February 2010, she was sold to another carriage owner, Anita McGill, who retired Rosie to Blue Star in October, 2010.  More about Rosie...

SPONSOR ROSIE

Tom was a retired carriage horse from 76 Carriage Company in Philadelphia.  Many years ago, Tom must have had a flare up of lymphangitis in his hind leg.  His owners got rid of him as a result and he wound up in Philadelphia working full-time as a carriage horse, probably the best thing that could have been done for him to manage his chronic lymphedemic condition.  Still, over the years, the lymph flare-ups took their toll on Tom's leg, building up scar tissue and breaking down his lymph and circulatory system.   His leg became unsightly, so he was forced to retire.  He came to Blue Star Equiculture and enjoyed over a year of retirement, before the lymphedema reached the point that Tom's quality of life required him to be euthanized.  More about Tom...