Last Chance Farm

The Retirement Farm For Your Horse, Where Commitment is a Way of Life....

Services Provided to Your Retired Horse at Last Chance Farm

Services Provided by Last Chance Farm for Your Retired Horse
Last Chance Farm featured in Horse News, January 2009 We are excited to announce the addition of a brand new 36' x 48' pole barn with center aisle design constructed by Rohrer Construction, Quarryville, PA with one 12' x 16' stall and two 12' x 12' stalls by Frey Brothers, a tack room with an observation window into the adjoining stall, and a 24' x 12' loafing shed incorporated into the barn. Check back soon for pictures!

Last Chance Farm is a for profit boarding facility established in 1988. We are not a horse rescue or non-profit horse sanctuary, so we do not accept donated horses. We have had numerous people tell us they would like to retire to Last Chance Farm, but alas, we only take horses! The horses boarded at Last Chance Farm have one trait in common, there owners love them... You can read more about Last Chance Farm on our About LCF page.


Last Chance Farm, is the retirement farm for horses offering personalized full care for your special horse. Last Chance Farm is a for profit retirement farm for horses founded in 1988. Last Chance Farm was started because of the difficulty I had in locating a facility that would board my retired horse. Due to job requirements I was an absentee owner and unable to visit my beloved horse on a regular basis. Last Chance Farm was literally his last chance at a well deserved retirement. Last Chance Farm is committed to retired horses, we do not accept any horses except retired horses. Boarding retired horses is not just another way for us to board horses, we specialize in retired horses because we believe in the concept of making a lifetime commitment to your horse and providing owners with a facility designed for retired horses, not a facility designed for boarding riding horses with the option of boarding a retired horse.


Overview of a Retired Horses' Life at Last Chance Farm
When your horse joins one of the herds of retired horses at Last Chance Farm, your horse will spend the majority of the time in beautiful pastures with access to a lloafing shed bedded with either straw or sawdust depending on the time of year. Your horse is visited at least twice daily by one of our family members to check for overall well being and of course to just enjoy visiting with a horse!. Last Chance Farm is our home and the horses are our life, so it is rare that the horses are not in full view of the residence. Even when we are not with the horses, we can look out the window and take in the beautiful site of horses grazing, sleeping, or taking part in a mutual grooming session, (the "Scratching Hour") or a spontaneous game of tag! We really are fortunate to enjoy such a beautiful view of horses grazing in beautiful fields or playing in the snow. Owners may choose to pay a monthly fee for a stall on a daily basis choosing the months that they would like their horse stabled, (daily in summer, nightly in winter). Owners do not have to pay for a stall year round to guarantee a stall in winter. Owners that do not pay for stalls can rest assured that their horses would not be left standing outside in severe weather without shelter. Horses that can not access the sheds will either be stabled in the barn or we will convert the larger sheds into 2 temporary 16' x 12' stalls

We will recommend an owner pay for a stall when a horse's age or condition changes and we feel it is your horse's best interest to be stabled. Horses are fed Equine Senior several times daily depending on their individual needs. Horses that have worn teeth and cannot chew hay will have their senior feed made available to them at all times. In winter weather horses enjoy a hot breakfast and dinner of senior feed dissolved with hot water. Accommodating horses with worn teeth is a daily experience at Last Chance Farm.


Facilities for Your Retired Horse at Last Chance Farm
Two retirement horse barns, four loafing sheds, four pastures, each with its own dry lot paddock, three grass paddocks, and one dirt paddock.

Barns Our barns are pole building construction; Barn Number One: Built in 1990 32' wide x 48' long 6 12' x 11' box stalls Hay/Bedding Storage Paved aisle 10' wide with three sets of crosstie Heated tack/feed room Swingair blanket holders Intercom monitoring system with the residence. Both barns have a center aisle design with sliding doors at each end providing excellent tunnel ventilation		Barn Number Two Built in 2009 36 wide x 48' long 24' x 12' loafing shed with a 6' overhang 12' x 16' stall with Observation Window from Tack Room 2 12' x 12 stalls with Bale Doors Windows Climate Controlled Tack/Feed Room Hay/Bedding Storage 8' lean to for Equipment Storage Paved aisle 12' wide Blanket Holders

Stalls Fans on each stall provide cross ventilation in the summer for the horses. There are six box stalls, 12' x 11' with bars to the front in Barn Number One. The stall walls are oak board. The stalls are deeply bedded with shavings or straw depending on your horse's needs and availability. The stalls are cleaned at least once daily. Three stalls have sliding doors with bars and three stalls have stall gates. Barn Number Two has a 12' x 16' stall with a Dutch Door to the outside and a sliding door to the center aisle. This stall can be observed through an observation window from the adjoining tack room allowing us to monitor a horse without disturbing the horse. The two additional stalls are 12' x 12' with sliding doors to the center aisle, a friendship grill and each stall has a Bale Door with a steel grill which prevents a horse from deciding to exit the stall through the window, but yet allows air flow through the entire opening.


Fencing Your horse is kept protected with woven Keepsafe Diamond Mesh Fencing and woven wire fencing, four feet high with an oak top board. Corners are rounded for your horse’s safety. This is the same fencing used in Secretariat's paddock at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky . All exterior gates on the farm are kept locked to ensure your horse's safety. Each of the pastures has a dry lot for use during wet weather. Your horse's pasture is maintained so as to provide optimal grazing. By utilizing dry lots we prevent the pastures from being torn up by the horses' running and playing. The dry lots are large enough to allow your horse ample room to exercise and access to a loafing shed. Since our dry lots provide access to shelter, your horse can be turned out even during inclement weather to exercise. We strongly believe it is important for the horses to have time to exercise even during inclement weather, footing permitting, as a precaution against impactation colics and as an aid for arthritic horses.

Loafing Sheds The two loafing sheds located in the pastures are 24' x 16'. The sheds are pole-building construction with oak kickboards to a height of eight feet. The sheds are bedded with shavings and/or straw. These sheds have gates that can be closed to create temporary stalls with a size of 12' x 16'. A 16' x 10' loafing shed is located in the paddock, commonly known at the farm as, "Pony Prison". Pony Prison came by its unusual name because of the 'disgruntled' ponies who have to be "imprisoned" on a dirt paddock to prevent them foundering on lush grass pastures! A second paddock has a mini loafing shed for small ponies, 8' x 8'. The third paddock is a grass paddock shaded by a beautiful maple tree that the horses enjoy relaxing under. Barn Number Two provides horses with a loafing shed that is incorporated into the barn with a 6' wide sliding door opening into the center aisle of the barn allowing us to access the shed directly from the barn. We can move horses from stalls to the loafing shed without ever going outside.The 10' walls are southern yellow pine tongue and groove.

Pastures Your horse will graze on pastures planted in bluegrass, orchard grass, timothy, clover, and endophyte free fescue. Our pastures are mowed, fertilized and limed as needed. Last Chance Farm has thee pastures with dry lots and four paddocks. Farm fields, woods, and our yard border the fields. No roads border the fields where your horse is grazing. Hayracks and salt licks are located in all the loafing sheds. The sheds are equipped with automatic fly spray misters for your horse’s comfort. The sheds were built in 1988, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2009.

Feeding of Retired Horses at Last Chance Farm

Hay Your horse is offered Timothy and a Timothy/Clover hay mix hay free choice 24/7 at Last Chance Farm whether in the stall, or while turned out in the pastures or paddocks. We utilize hay bags in the stalls and three of the sheds have hay racks.		Water Your horse is provided with fresh well water in one hundred gallon tanks in the pastures, and buckets and/or twenty-five gallon tubs are used in the paddocks. Five gallon buckets are used in the stalls. Your horse is assured a fresh water supply in freezing temperatures as the water tanks are kept ice free with tank de-icers, the paddocks have heated buckets or tubs, and the box stalls utilize heated water buckets. Salt Your horse is provided mineral salt licks free choice in the stalls and the loafing sheds. Retired Resident -JB Pictured at right is JB at age 40. JB was a state champion halter horse 1967 - 2007 Laid to rest next to her friends of 20 plus years Nova and Foxy At one time JB was owned by an alcoholic woman who locked her in a stall and beat her with an iron pipe. JB was fortunate to have found a home with Sue who provided for her for over 20 years, 10 of those at Last Chance Farm.
Concentrates Last Chance Farm feeds Blue Seal Vintage as our standard feed for horses over fifteen. Horses younger than fifteen are fed a pelleted feed. We also supplement with Omegatin, a high fat feed. We utilize CarbGuard for horses who have to watch their starch and sugar intake. Your horse is fed their senior feed individually in stalls or in our fenced barnyard. (Some horses prefer to eat in the barnyard as opposed to a stall so we accommodate these horses' preferences.) In winter weather horses enjoy their breakfast and dinner served hot. Last Chance Farm routinely serves senior feed dissolved with hot water for our retirees who have trouble chewing their food.

Health Care for Retired Horses at Last Chance Farm

Veterinarian Services Last Chance Farm utilizes the services of a full time equine veterinarian for your horse's routine vaccinations and emergency care.

Coggins Test A negative Coggins Test for Equine Infectious Anemia, EIA within twelve months is required before arrival.		The horses love playing and rolling in the snow!
Dentist An Equine Dentist checks the horses at least once a year. Last Chance Farm schedules dental services for our clients. Our equine vets have been trained in the use of the Power Float by a vet who worked with the developer of the Power Float.		Deworming Your horse is dewormed with a deworming program developed in cooperation with our veterinarian. Ivermectin is used every 8 weeks. Equimax is used once a year for tapeworms and the Panacur Power Pack is used once a year against encysted Strongyles. Upon arrival all horses are dewormed with Ivermectin and are not turned out on pastures or paddocks until forty-eight hours after deworming.

Hoof Care Your horse's hooves are trimmed every six to eight weeks as necessary. Front shoes are permitted, but for safety reasons we do not permit hind shoes in group turnout. Last Chance Farm schedules farrier services and holds your horse at no extra charge. Don Schock is our farrier. Don is an excellent farrier and provides your retired horse with excellent farrier care. Owners often ask about our farrier care because their horse has special needs due to various soundness issues. Our owners can rest assured that Don is an exceptional farrier and that in conjunction with our veterinarian can address any hoof issues. The majority of horses that have come here wearing front shoes, "because without front shoes they are lame", are no longer wearing front shoes and are if they were on Bute are no longer on Bute. We have often sent owners video of their once lame horse running across the field barefoot! Horses that need front shoes do wear them and in winter sno-cuffs are added to help prevent sno from building up in their shoes.

Medications Daily medications that the farm owner can administer will be given at no charge. Horse owners are responsible for the cost of medications and veterinary services. We will arrange the reordering of horses' medications.		Vaccinations Last Farm schedules the vaccinations for your horse in conjunction with our vet's recommendations required before arrival and boosted yearly or every 6 months include: West Nile/EEE/WEE Potomac Horse Fever, PHF; Rhino/Flu; Tetanus; Rabies Botulism if requested by owner.

Equipment for Retired Horses at Last Chance Farm

Halters Halters must be leather or nylon with a breakaway crown. We wash the nylon halters at no charge. Once your horse has been acclimated to the farm, the herd, and us, unless there is a reason we must keep a halter on, none of the horses wear halters except when being handled. Reasons to keep a halter on are a horse that is hard to catch and a horse that needs to keep a halter on to keep them from removing their flymask.

Blankets Your horse will be blanketed at your request at no additional charge. For owners choosing to have their horses blanketed, we strongly recommend waterproof turnout blankets. We have had excellent results with blankets manufactured by Rambo and Weatherbeeta. Blankets with high necks work very nicely. Your blankets will be washed by Last Chance Farm for a nominal charge and will be taken for repairs as needed and are stored in tack trunks over the summer.

Fly Masks Your horse is required to have a fly mask. You horse's mask is washed as needed and your horse will have his fly mask put on at no extra charge. We prefer masks with ears to prevent the annoying small black biting insects prevalent in April, May and late Summer. We prefer Asorbine brand due to the soft and flexible edge that does not rub your horse under his/her jaw. Other brands may last longer, but in our experience the Asorbine brands is effective and the horses have not experienced any negative side effects from wearing the fly masks.

Fly Sheets

Starting in 2005 we had one Thoroughbred mare wearing a WeatherBeeta FlySheet with excellent results. In 2006 our ponies will be wearing WeatherBeeta Fly Sheets due to the excellent results with Deja's Fly Sheet. Deja is very sensitive to fly bites developing hives over her entire body. Even though her sheet has "scrunched" up some on her left side, the sheet is a complete success in eliminating hives caused by fly bites. Donnie and Deja are both wearing their Asorbine fly masks and Shoo-Fly Leggins. The downside to fly-sheets is that we cannot see the horses! When a horse is wearing all their fly gear they look like a horse from that a knight would ride! Some horses really benefit from fly-sheets, such as horses that develop hives or bumps from biting insects. Other horses prefer to have a stall with a fan, while other horses prefer to be with their buddies in the loafing sheds enjoying the shared protection of each other tails. So how bad are the flies? Visitors to the farm tell us that we hardly have any flies. I guess we can thank the fly predators, chickens, and management!

Fly Protector Boots In one word - FANTASTIC! Your horse can be protected from biting flys by utilizing Shoo-Fly Leggins. All of the horses and donkeys on the farm are wearing leg protectors with excellent results! Owners are responsible for the purchase price of the fly protection equipment and we handle putting on and removing the leg protectors at no additional charge. The washing of your horse's leggins is included in with your board. Due to the plastic insert in the leg protectors they do not slide or scrunch down. The loose fit allows for air circulation and the flies do NOT crawl down inside. None of the horses had Bot eggs on their legs this year. We tried other fly protectors but we found that they slipped down, resulting in less protection, loss of leg protectors, and collection of dirt and debris. Before rain we remove the leg protectors as the horses love to roll in the mud afterwards effectively coating the leggins in mud! We have been using the Shoo-Fly Leggins for two years starting in 2005. We have yet to replace any leggins.

Fly Parasites In 2005 we began a Fly Parasite Program as part of of our fly management system. Every month we receive a shipment of 15,000 fly predators that we distribute around the farm in locations where flies deposit their eggs. The fly predators lay their eggs inside of the fly pupae thus destroying the fly larvae. There are no chemicals to harm your horse and the fly predators are not a pest to horse or human, only flies!

Grooming Services Your horse is fly sprayed daily during fly season in addition to their fly mask and fly protector boots. Anyone who has been around horses in fly season knows that fly spray is not as effective as a barrier method, such as fly masks or fly boots. Manes & Tails -Your horse's bridle path is clipped regularly usually at the same time as your horse is having their feet trimmed. We prefer to let your retired horse grow out their manes because their manes protect them from biting insects, plus mane pulling is not on your horse's top ten list of favorite things to do. Your horse prefers back or belly scratches to mane pulling! Your horse's mane and tail are kept free of tangles. General grooming and bathing are done as necessary. Owners can choose to have their horses groomed once a week or daily for a nominal additional fee. If your horse has difficulty shedding we provide clipping services for a nominal fee. Geldings are required to have their sheaths cleaned at least once a year, usually performed at the same time as teeth floating since the horses are already under sedation because of the Power Float. Owners are billed a nominal charge for sheath cleaning.

Saying Good-Bye Deciding to board owners' retired horses is one of the best decisions I ever made as it allows me to provide horses with a peaceful and happy retirement which makes your horse and you very happy.As one owner stated after viewing a photo of their recently retired horse running across the field, "He looks SO HAPPY! Now I can go to work all day knowing he is happy. It made me feel warm all over!" That comment tells me I am doing my job because I have made the horse happy and by doing so I have made their owner happy. When your horse retires to Last Chance Farm, your horses' needs and desires come first. Your horse makes friends with other horses and becomes part of the herd, often developing very strong bonds that were often discouraged by trainers when your horse was performing. Your horse comes and goes from the pasture when they decide it is time to come into their stall or their loafing shed, not when the clock says it is time to come in. We schedule our lives around your horses' needs. The horses retired at Last Chance Farm become part of our family and when one of them passes away, we are very sad. One of the hardest parts of our job is telling an owner it is time to say good-bye. When it is time to say good-bye most owners prefer to have their beloved horses buried here on the farm, usually next to a horse that was a buddy. If at all possible we always plan to have horses laid to rest next to or nearby their buddies. Owners are encouraged to plant flowers, place markers, and visit their beloved horse's final resting place. In an effort to assist owners with the grieving process we have a page dedicated to Saying Good-Bye Burial Last Chance Farm permits owners to bury their beloved horses on the farm in our horse cemetery, weather permitting. As long as it remains legal for the farm to bury horses we will continue to provide this service. Contrary to popular belief and lore, there is no state laws against burial. Last Chance Farm follows the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's regulations regarding burial of horses. There is a nominal charge for burial in addition to the cost of the backhoe to cover the cost of grass seed, lime and the time involved in repairing the landscape from the damage caused by the backhoe. We can also provide owners with the name of private crematoriums that will return the ashes in a wooden box with name plate. We recommend C.R. Cremations in Paradise, PA. The other alternative is removal of the body by a rendering company

Contact Last Chance Farm For more information contact Last Chance Farm via e-mail.

Phone Farm: 570-345-3846 Cell - 717-645-9349 Please do not leave any voice mail message on the cell phone, only on the land line - 570-345-3846. Thank you and we look forward to caring for your retired horse! E-Mail E-Mail: Board @ Last Chance Farm.net You will need to copy and paste the above address into your Mail Program and then remove the spaces. Please include your phone number in your E-Mail
Note: Thank you for contacting Last Chance Farm. Due to the overwhelming amount of Spam, we have been forced to delete our personal e-mail accounts from our website. In addition, internet companies have implemented their own SPAM filters that are beyond our control. Besides the settings that we control, ISP's have filters that stop mail before it ever reaches their servers. We apologize to anyone who has tried to reach us and we have not responded. We most likely never received your e-mail or your voice message.

Location of Last Chance Farm Located in Pine Grove, PA the farm is easily accessible from Interstates 81 and 78. We are 45 minutes from Harrisburg, PA or Reading, PA and one hour west of Allentown, PA. We are approximately 3 hours from the NYC and 2 hours from Philadelphia. The farm is located on a quiet country road surrounded by farmland. We live on the farm and the fields are in view of the residence. For security reasons and the safety of your horses we only provide directions to visitors with appointments.


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Donnie Trakener 1986 -Feburary 14, 2008 Sadly missed by Laura & Deja, and all of us here at Last Chance Farm Donnie passed away from intestinal cancer.