While fans cheer on horses from the stands during racing season, we know the sad reality many racehorses face when their careers end. Thankfully, after an emergency rescue operation in November, one more horse will never know that cruel fate – A registered Standardbred now named “Darlene Love.”

“Darlene” was born in upstate New York in May of 2002 and once raced under the name “Lil Miss Attitude.” Once she couldn’t race, though, she ended up working as a buggy horse and broodmare on an Amish farm.

“It is a sad fact that every year, Standardbreds no longer able to race are cruelly and thoughtlessly sold to Amish and Mennonite farmers to be used as buggy horses,” said Equine Advocates President Susan Wagner. “Many of them end up being sold for slaughter when they outlive their usefulness.”

Sadly, that happened to Darlene once she became too old and arthritic to be of use to the Amish farmer who owned her. Lynn Cross of Little Brook Farm alerted us of the situation and asked if we could come to her rescue and admit her into our sanctuary. We worked quickly with Cross and others to perform an emergency rescue operation. We sent Darlene to Cornell University Hospital for Animals for an extensive health exam. That’s when the health impacts of her working career came to light.

During her stay at Cornell, Darlene was diagnosed with asthma, a severe Vitamin E deficiency, and lameness in her left forelimb. She was also extremely underweight, which was partly attributed to the extremely poor condition of her teeth due to years of neglect. They were floated (filed) at the hospital to remove the painful, sharp points and hooks in her mouth, after which time she was better able to chew.

“She began to gain weight,” said Wagner. “The other good news was that her examining veterinarian felt she was pasture-sound and could be safely turned out with other horses.”

Darlene arrived at our sanctuary on November 24, 2024. She was named in honor of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Darlene Love, who was the highlight of our 23rd Annual Gala last fall.

This shy Standardbred’s story is sadly not unique and is proof that there needs to change within the horse racing industry.

“While many organizations and individuals work hard to save as many Standardbreds as possible, we feel the industry needs to do much more to prevent these horses from ending up with farmers and others who do this to their horses,” said Wagner. “Over the years, we at Equine Advocates have rescued numerous Amish buggy horses, workhorses, and work mules, most of whom had been slaughter-bound and/or badly neglected and abused.”

As for Darlene, we were so happy to help with the rescue operation that made it possible for her to escape the horrific fate for which she was destined. She is a lovely and sweet-tempered mare who will live out the rest of her life receiving the love and care she always deserved.

This story was published in Berkshire Animal World’s February 2025 issue.