A Thoroughbred enjoys a new career with the Square Peg Foundation, one of the TAA-accredited Thoroughbred charities. Photo courtesy TAA
As part of a growing effort by the Thoroughbred industry to take care of retiring racehorses coming off the track, eight Thoroughbred charities were just recently added to a growing network of facilities deemed to have met the “high bar” of best practices and standards for Thoroughbred aftercare.
Following on-site inspections of both horses and farms, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance welcomed eight Thoroughbred charities into the fold for the first time, as well as 19 previously accredited charities. The designations bring the total number of TAA-accredited Thoroughbred charities to 64, says Stacie Clark Rogers, operations consultant.
The accreditation, which indicates a charity adheres to a rigorous code of operations, from horse keeping to ethical practices, acts like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval, Rogers explains, noting that charities within the network receive funding, guidance and help from the TAA and the racing industry. Accreditation is awarded for a two-year period, after which organizations must reapply. All TAA accredited organizations are eligible to receive financial grants to support the care of Thoroughbreds.
An OTTB enjoys the day at the Foxie G Foundation. Foxie G was recently accredited by the TAA.
The following charities have been newly added to the TAA: After the Races Nottingham, Penn.; Galloping Out North Riverside, Ill.; Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds Cocoa, Fla.; Out Side In Grand Haven, Mich.; RVR Horse Rescue Riverview, Fla.; Second Chance Thoroughbreds, Spencer, N.Y.; The Foxie G Foundation, Libertytown, Md.; War Horses at Rose Bower, Appomattox, Va.
The newly added charities can feel proud to have achieved this designation, she adds.
“What separates the TAA-approved charities is that we have set a high bar to be reached in order to get accredited,” Rogers says. “These charities must do their due diligence, and we monitor them. If there are issues, we can help fix them. Charities that are accredited with us hit a standard that involves good management and horse care.”
Horses in the herd of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation enjoy a romp at the TRF’s James River facility. The TRF was accredited by the TAA last year.
Noting that the funding and goodwill that flows to TAA-accredited charities would not have been possible without the avid support of the race industry, Rogers adds, “We began with seed money from the Breeders’ Cup, the Jockey Club and Keeneland … and as we’ve grown, the industry has embraced our efforts even more.”
Jimmy Bell, TAA and Godolphin America president says that all 64 charities serving Thoroughbreds across the country, including the 27 newly accredited and reaccredited, are performing horse keeping at the highest level.
“The organizations accredited by the TAA represent the top echelon of aftercare services, ensuring that the horses retiring from racing are receiving the best possible care and opportunities to find new careers or retirements,” he says.
The 27 organizations that received accreditation this year are: After the Races, Bright Futures Farm, CANTER Michigan, Equestrian Inc., Equine Advocates, Final Furlong, Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program, Friends of Ferdinand, Galloping Out (Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Thoroughbred Rescue Fund), Harmony and Hope Horse Haven, Heaven Can Wait, Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds, Illinois Equine Humane Center, Los Angeles Pet Rescue (Farralone Farms), Oklahoma Thoroughbred Retirement Program, Our Mims Retirement Haven, Out Side In, R.A.C.E. Fund, Remember Me Rescue, RVR Horse Rescue, Second Chance Thoroughbreds, Second Stride, Square Peg Foundation, The Foxie G Foundation, Thoroughbred Athletes, Tranquility Farm (The Harry A. Biszantz Memorial Center), and War Horses at Rose Bower.
The full list of all 64 TAA-accredited organizations can be found at thoroughbredaftercare.org/taa-accredited-organizations.
