Equine Aftercare | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Cake’ Proves Too Tempting To Resist For After The Races Volunteer

When it comes to volunteering at a Thoroughbred adoption nonprofit, the ultimate reward for volunteers can be spending time with the four-legged creatures in their care.

Before stepping foot on the grounds of TAA-accredited After the Races, volunteer Susan Miller repeatedly told herself that taking a horse home was out of the question. The time spent around the horses would be enough of a prize for her hard work.

That mantra didn't last long as she immediately fell in love with a bay filly, named The Cake Is a Lie, who was rehabbing an injury.

“My first day there I fell head over heels for this filly, despite having told myself I was not under any circumstances taking a horse home,” Miller said. “'Cake' was rehabbing a bowed tendon, so there wasn't much interest in her.

The New York-bred daughter of Sir Whimsey found the winner's circle four times in 13 starts. She was injured and vanned off in her last start, which took place in August of 2018 at Monmouth Park.

“She stayed at After The Races, and I kept volunteering there, loving on her as much as I could, and daydreaming about adopting her,” Miller said.

After months of volunteering and growing closer to Cake, Miller and her husband were on the move to Kentucky after her husband accepted a new job. Not wanting to leave her friend behind, she adopted Cake to bring along for the journey.

“I kept telling myself, 'She's just a gangly bay filly, nothing special,' but it didn't work,” Miller said. “There's just something special about her and we clicked. She's wonderful. She lives at my house with my other Thoroughbred.

“Her bowed tendon healed nicely, she's grown and filled out into a huge, strong, shiny beauty,” she added. “Most importantly, her personality has really blossomed. She is quirky and intense but also fun, sweet, and caring.”

Now that the rehab is finished, Cake and Miller are taking it one day at a time with retraining, as they focus on lower-level dressage, trail riding, and learning a few tricks.

“She is the first OTTB I've retrained by myself and she is teaching me so much and becoming a really fun horse to ride,” Miller said. “My biggest goal is just for her to be happy and healthy and enjoy our time together.

“She's already worked hard and given a lot for people, and I value her comfort and the relationship I have with her more than riding achievements.”

While Miller says she'd love to eventually dabble in eventing or fox hunting if it's in Cake's wheelhouse, she's just incredibly thankful for the organization that allowed her to find her perfect equine partner.

“I am so incredibly grateful for this horse and to After The Races for all the fantastic work they do on behalf of OTTBs,” she said.

Read more at Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

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2021 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Accreditation Application Now Available

The 2021 application for accreditation by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is now available on OpenWater, a grant application and review platform, and can be accessed by clicking here.

Thoroughbred aftercare nonprofits interested in applying must complete the application by the closing date of April 1 at 6 p.m. EST. Since TAA accreditation is only granted for a specific period of time, organizations with accreditation status ending in 2021 that want to remain accredited need to re-apply.

Accreditation status is determined after a complete review of five areas of an aftercare organization: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Organizations passing the application review will be subject to site inspections of all facilities housing Thoroughbreds.

Organizations that receive accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants from the TAA, but prior grants awarded are no indication of potential future awards. In 2020 the TAA awarded $3.5 million to accredited organizations as grants earmarked specifically for equine care, totaling more than $20.7 million awarded since 2012.

Any organization interested in applying for TAA accreditation must fulfill the following five minimum requirements:

Organization must have a current status as a 501(c)(3) federal not-for-profit (U.S.) or must be a registered charity within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
Organization must have been in operation for at least three years. The TAA will confirm operation information, including with the secretary of state or provincial business registry.
At time of application, organization must either (1) currently exclusively own and provide care for a minimum of five (5) registered Thoroughbreds, or (2) currently exclusively own and provide care for at least 3-4 registered Thoroughbreds AND must have exclusively owned and provided care for at least 10 registered Thoroughbreds over the previous 12 months. Registered Thoroughbreds leased by the organization or owned by third parties at the same facility should not be included.
Organization must have a written euthanasia policy consistent with the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Organization, or a principal of the organization or individual directly related to the organization, shall not have any current legal proceedings pending against them which adversely impact the aftercare operations, the organization's standards of care, or the 501(c)(3) status of the organization.

For more information on the TAA accreditation process, please visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

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TRF Launches ’20 Hay Drive Challenge with $60K Matched Donation

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) announced the launch of its 2020 Hay Drive challenge–Hay, Oats and Water with a $60,000 matching gift from the Santulli Family Foundation. The Santulli’s will match every dollar donated to the TRF up to $60,000 for this campaign. The TRF’s goal for the 2020 Hay Drive is $120,000 to cover the cost of hay for hundreds of former racehorses. The TRF is in its 37th year of providing sanctuary, retirement and second chances for Thoroughbreds no longer able to compete on the racetrack. The campaign will be conducted by direct mail, email and social media as well as one-on-one donation requests.

“Hay is one of our largest horse care expenses and the most important element of a horse’s diet, particularly in the winter.” says Jennifer Stevens, Director of Development at the TRF.

With the help of the Santulli Family Foundation, the TRF had its most successful Hay Drive to date in 2019.

“The Santulli’s are longtime supporters of the TRF having funded several areas of need for the organization throughout the years. We are immensely grateful for their contributions to the TRF and the Thoroughbred aftercare effort,” said Patricia Stickney, TRF Executive Director. “Their generous gift will not only help our horses but inspire others to do the same.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit https://www.trfinc.org/haydrive/

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New Vocations Launches 11th Annual Breeders’ Cup Pledge To Support Aftercare

New Vocations has officially launched its annual Breeders' Cup Pledge. The program is seeking owners and trainers of Breeders' Cup contenders to pledge a percentage of their Championship earnings to support its mission to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome retired racehorses. This will be the 11th year for the fundraiser, which has raised over $650,000 to date.

“The need for our services continues to grow each year,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “This year, in particular, has been very challenging due to the obstacles presented by COVID-19. Over the last decade, we have grown this Pledge into an extremely important fundraiser and we had our most successful year yet in 2019, raising over $130,000. We hope to have another record-breaking year in 2020 and are so grateful for the generous contributions of our donors who have continued to support and value our program. The Pledge is a great way for owners and trainers to give back and support New Vocations' aftercare efforts.”

Last year, over 50 Championship contenders had owners and/or trainers who pledged a percentage of their Breeders' Cup earnings. Of those, Vino Rosso, British Idiom, Sharing, Covfefe, Uni and Bricks And Mortar were victorious in their Championship races.

This year, New Vocations hopes to grow the list of pledgers to ensure yet another successful event and help raise the much-needed funding for daily operations that ultimately help retired racehorses transition into new homes and careers.

New Vocations will continue to seek pledges from owners and trainers until Nov. 5. All Pledge information can be found here or by contacting anna@horseadoption.com or andrea@horseadoption.com.

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