Philip Seymour

Philip Seymour is a Dark Bay Registered Thoroughbred Gelding who had raced eleven times under the name of “Garitoff.” He was born in Kentucky on March 30, 2019. We don’t know what happened to him from the time he ran his last race in 2023 until October 8, 2025, when we took over his care. He was malnourished and had a serious injury to his front right leg that required immediate medical attention. We do not know how or when he sustained that injury, only that he had ended up with a horse dealer in that condition and needed to be rescued. When we were contacted about his situation, knowing there was the possibility that he could have been shipped to a low-end auction, we moved quickly. We arranged for a hauler to pick him up and transport him directly to Cornell University Hospital for Animals in Ithaca, NY. As soon as he arrived, veterinarians began running tests and working on his injured leg. The wound was open and very large. It was determined that he needed to undergo skin graft surgery, which entailed taking many small pieces of skin from his neck and transplanting them directly into the leg wound to promote new skin growth. The operation was a success! Philip spent 22 days in the hospital and arrived at the sanctuary on October 29, 2025.

As of November 2025, Philip is still recovering from his surgery, which is expected to take up to two months. We plan to introduce him to a herd of four Thoroughbred Geldings in the spring of 2026 or sooner if we have a mild winter. We will update this information once he is fully recovered and we can begin the process of gradually increasing the size of his turnout area. From there, if he continues to do well, we will start introducing him to his new herd when he is ready.

Philip is proudly sponsored by supporters from Prescott Valley, Arizona; Lenox, Massachusetts; Sandwich, Massachusetts; Bellerose, New York; Hudson, New York and Ithaca, New York.

More Sponsors Welcome!

Photo credit: Alex Valverde