American Standardbred Adoption Program Inc

ASAP is a non-profit organization. Mission American Standardbred Adoption Program, Inc. was founded in 1994 by a small group of dedicated individuals and professionals who saw a need for a placement service for non-racing Standardbreds. This placement service honors and serves the people and horses within the harness racing industry around the country, with special emphasis on Standardbreds in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The American Standardbred Adoption Program also serves as a rescue facility and sanctuary for abandoned, abused, or neglected horses of all breeds, and is listed by the Humane Society of the United States as a humane equine rescue organization. Horses of all other breeds are accepted into placement by ASAP, Inc. A great deal of the American Standardbred Adoption Program's efforts center around educating young people about horsemanship and harness racing. Youth programs focus on youth at risk and youth with disabilities, offering ASAP's facilities on an ongoing basis for community service or schooling involving horsemanship and riding or driving. The American Standardbred Adoption Program seeks only the most qualified homes in the hopes of obtaining permanent placement for each horse in its care. A contract must be signed by potential adopters as a prerequisite to acquiring a horse through our program. An adoption fee is required. ASAP, Inc. is comprised entirely of volunteers that assist in every aspect of horse adoptions, from picking up a horse at the track or stabling facility at no cost to the donor, to office duties, to participation in exhibits, demonstrations, and rescue efforts nationwide A Charitable Organization ASAP is a charity that dedicates every waking moment to helping horses in need. Some horses don't need more than a different career - a dignified retirement - an alternative to racing when they aren't doing what they were bred to do. These horses are sound, younger, healthy, and easy to place. This makes up a majority of the donated horses. They are referred, picked up, boarded, and placed with qualified families within a short time of arriving at ASAP. Then there are the rescue cases - the horses coming off feedlots - or the horses that come out of emergency situations where their immediate welfare is in grave danger. These horses need special attention and a special, carefully selected feeding plan. They require more intense veterinary treatment, and, usually more emergency veterinary treatment. Our veterinarians do not volunteer their time or their services to ASAP. Since 1994 ASAP has been responsible for payment in full for services rendered for everything from floating teeth to emergency calls for colic or other urgent situations. The veterinarians charge us for every interstate health certificate - every coggins test - and with no apologies. ASAP relies on adoption fees and individual donations to pay the bills. The horses referred to ASAP are sometimes irreversably lame. They have incurred hock injuries, stifle injuries, blindness, ankle injuries, EPM, or are sometimes simply aged. These horses are not turned away by ASAP, but are brought back to the farm for rehabilitation if it is possible. If rehabilitation is not possible, these horses become sanctuary horses. These horses live out their years at the ASAP farm and are loved, cared for, and given the best the world has to offer them simply because they are part of the ASAP family. These horses are funded by adoption fees generated by adoptions on healthy horses. They are also supported by sponsorship money and individual donations. We simply do not receive enough monetary donations. The harness racing industry is indebted to the former racing champions who now find themselves in permanent retirement at ASAP, but to date this debt has not paid in full. Those of you who value our services to the standardbred and all other breeds can help by urging organizations to support the horses in care at ASAP. But you can make a difference yourself, today, right now, by saying the safety and well-being of these horses matters.