Thirteen Returns to Hagyard

What's that saying about no good deed going unpunished?

Definitely not how we wanted to start the day, but Thirteen and his mom, Elusive Surprise, are back at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

With another horse, we might've chosen to treat at home a bit longer before heading to the hospital. But with Thirteen's history, we weren't willing to take that chance. When his fever continued through the night despite two different anti-inflammatories—paired with elevated respiration, heart rate, and general lethargy—we made the call at 4:30 a.m. to load up and go.

Update from Hagyard (Afternoon):

Bloodwork and scans look good, but his manure just started getting watery. Grateful we didn't wait—this is exactly how his August illness began before his two-week hospital stay.

Why Thirteen's Story Matters

If you're newer to our page, Thirteen and Surprise's story is a big part of why we do what we do.

In 2022, Sean and Kyle started Mareworthy Charities, a nonprofit focused on protecting Thoroughbred broodmares, especially those nearing or past the end of their breeding careers. Each year, Kyle goes through the major sales catalogs to identify mares who are 18 or older and in foal—because to even enter a sale at that age, they must be pregnant. Too often, those mares are sold for the value of the foal they're carrying, not for their own futures.

Last November, twelve mares that age went through the Keeneland November sale. Eleven had some form of safety net—connections, commitments, or retirement plans. But one didn't: Elusive Surprise.

She was eighteen, in foal for the thirteenth time, and had a small reserve. We knew the risk if she sold cheaply, so Sean and Kyle stepped in and bought her themselves for $3,000. That foal became A Dozen and Won—or as most of you know him, Thirteen.

The plan from the start was simple: give Surprise a safe place to deliver her final foal, raise him right, and then retire her permanently to Mareworthy. She's done her part—with thirteen foals, a degenerative right stifle, and a lifetime of service to the breed. She's earned peace and pasture.

To be clear, her previous connections were kind and cooperative. This isn't about "rescuing from bad people." It's about stepping into the timeline before an older mare's luck runs out. By intervening upstream, we reduce the risk of her ever ending up downstream—in the pipeline.

And while we're not claiming causation, the trend gives us hope. Last year, 12 mares aged 18+ and 51 mares aged 16+ were cataloged for the sale. This year, those numbers have dropped to 8 and 36. Maybe it's coincidence—but maybe awareness is helping more owners keep or retire their mares responsibly.

Still, this kind of work isn't easy—or cheap. Mareworthy doesn't buy or breed horses. When Sean and Kyle step in personally, they take on the full financial responsibility. That $3,000 purchase price came out of their own pockets. So did the $25,000 in vet bills when Thirteen was hospitalized in August, Surprise's joint treatments, and all their ongoing care. This latest hospital trip will, too.

We're not wealthy. We just prioritize our horses. Sometimes that means carrying higher credit card balances or, like last year, taking out a home equity line to cover major vet bills. But we wouldn't change it. These horses are our responsibility—and our mission.

So today, even as we sit here exhausted and worried, we're reminded why we keep doing this. Because for mares like Surprise and foals like Thirteen, a little bit of human inconvenience can mean a lifetime of safety.

If you're as passionate as we are about protecting these mares before they're at risk, we encourage you to support Mareworthy Charities. That's the long-term, sustainable solution—building a future where organizations like ours can step in before individuals like Sean and Kyle need to shoulder the financial burden alone.

Your donation can directly impact mares like Surprise and help us grow the programs that protect them. Or, you can become a Pasture Pal—making a recurring commitment, even as small as $10 a month, to help Mareworthy care for and create resources for more mares in need.

You can learn more or donate at www.mareworthy.com