DuPage forest preserve considers policy for retiring horses

The DuPage County Forest Preserve District is considering a policy that would prevent its horses from being sold at auctions when they retire.

Instead, the district might choose to have its retiring horses adopted by "qualified individuals;" given to area government or nonprofit groups; or allowed to remain with the district.

"It takes a lot of questions out of what happens to the animals after they retire," forest preserve President Joseph Cantore said.

Commissioners during a Tuesday planning session are expected to discuss whether to pursue the policy, which officials say would provide "humane and benevolent options for horses that have served the residents of DuPage County."

Cantore said a policy is needed "because it's the right thing to do."

"I don't want to make the same mistakes that were made in the past," he said. "I don't want there to be any issues with any horse down the line."

In recent years, questions have been raised about the fate of some horses that retired from Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton and Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago.

In May, residents voiced outrage because two horses - Annie and Buddy - were sold by the district after spending much of their lives working at Kline Creek.

Annie, 21, and Buddy, 27, were purchased for $950 by the same buyer during a March 18 draft horse auction in Topeka, Indiana.

It's unclear what happened to the horses after that.

Commissioner Tim Whelan said there's a concern that horses sold at auctions could be purchased by a "kill buyer" - someone who buys horses to ship them to a slaughterhouse.

"They (the district's horses) have given service to the forest preserve," Whelan said. "So we don't want them to go out there on the open market and potentially face kill buyers."

Under the proposed policy, the district could retain ownership of a retired horse and have the animal do activities that support the district's mission and programs. "They could act as ambassadors, so to speak," Whelan said.

The proposed policy would allow for certain horses to be euthanized by a licensed veterinarian. But that could only happen in cases of "extreme medical circumstances."