CANTER finds homes for 1,015 horses in 2012!

CANTER Mid-Atlantic horse Mort Robbins. Photo by Allie Conrad

National racehorse nonprofit CANTER (Communications Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses) was popping the champagne corks last week!

Boasting its most successful year yet, the national nonprofit reports its hardworking, all-volunteer team found new homes for 1,015 ex-racehorses who were nearing the end of their race careers.

Stating that 2012 was a milestone year for successes, CANTER Executive Director Nancy Koch praised the dedication of volunteers working in the organization’s 10 chapters.

“Volunteers made over 600 trips in total to racetracks in Ohio, New England (Massachusetts), Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and the Mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia) to meet with trainers and owners of horses that were ready to retire from racing, but were capable of beginning a second career,” Koch stated in a pres release.

During racetrack visits, CANTER volunteers met with trainers and owners to photograph prospective sale horses and write descriptions of the racehorse’s attributes for publication on CANTER’s sales website—a site that is experiencing growing readership.

The Sales Listing site receives between 35,000 and 55,000 visits each month, and has proved to be an increasingly valuable tool for matching prospective buyers with horses, Koch notes.

Further statistical evidence indicates a growing and sustained interest in the Web presence of the national nonprofit. In 2012, the site received a total of 651,783 visits, according to the press release.

Miss Fantastic, owned and ridden by James Daniel Conner III. Photo by Allie Conrad

Koch attributes the dynamic growth of the site and the success in the nonprofit’s efforts to re-home Thoroughbreds to an on-the-ground approach by CANTER volunteers who visit the tracks, and earn the trust of horsemen.

“I believe a significant part of CANTER’s success is the relationships that our volunteers build with the trainers and owners at the tracks where they take the listings,” she says. “It takes time to educate people about our program, and gain their trust; now when our volunteers go to the track to take listings the trainers feel comfortable in listing their horses on the CANTER websites.”

Marcia and Bob Wolfe, trainers at Penn National Race Course lauded CANTER’s efforts to find new jobs for their hardworking equine athletes.

“We feel very fortunate to work with CANTER to find great homes for our horses,” they stated. “It’s the best program we’ve come across to display our available horses for buyers who are knowledgeable and sincere about their interest.

“We’ve had tremendous success placing horses and continue to stay involved in their futures through regular updates from buyers.  It’s a great feeling to see our horses excel in secondary careers and we sincerely appreciate the efforts of all CANTER volunteers.”