Winners of the 2014 and 2015 Thoroughbred Charities of America Industry Service Awards are joining forces to facilitate the sale of more Thoroughbred racehorses to buyers in the equestrian market.
Finding second careers for race horses
The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) works to increase demand for the horses through educational programs and marketing while serving the farms and organizations in the private and nonprofit sectors that offer training for second careers.
Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER) is a non-profit organization that works through thirteen affiliates at 27 racetracks connecting racehorse owners with potential buyers via an online marketplace that features horses retiring from racing.
The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) works to increase demand for the horses through educational programs and marketing while serving the farms and organizations in the private and nonprofit sectors that offer training for second careers.
âHelping to grow CANTER is as important as anything that RRP can do to facilitate the placement of Thoroughbreds,â said RRP President Steuart Pittman. âCANTERâs model is unlimited in its capacity to serve horses, is very cost-effective, and rewards racing owners financially for producing sound, well-started riding horses.â
âAs an all-volunteer organization,â said CANTER USA Executive Director Nancy Koch, âCANTER welcomes assistance with marketing and promotion of these great equine athletes. We love what RRP does to educate and inspire horse people to consider off-track Thoroughbreds, and are thrilled to be integrating our work with theirs.â
The CANTER/RRP collaboration will include in the first year the following:
- RRPâs online Horse Listings will include prominent links to the listings of all CANTER affiliates.
- CANTERâs web sites will include prominent links to the RRP Resource Directory and educational content.
- RRP will actively recruit volunteers to serve existing CANTER affiliates and to form new CANTER affiliates.
- Both organizations will promote CANTER listings as a source for horses to enter the RRPâs Thoroughbred Makeover next fall at Kentucky Horse Park.
- CANTER volunteers will distribute copies of the RRPâs Retired Racehorse Resource Directory.
- CANTER will hold its national meeting at the RRPâs Thoroughbred Makeover.
- RRP will involve local CANTER affiliates when presenting educational programs at regional horse expos.
From coast to coast, CANTER USA partners with local racetrack communities to provide a free listing service to owners and trainers on the backside. Volunteers photograph, video and write descriptions of horses available to the general public, which are posted on CANTERUSA.ORG and promoted on social media channels.
Since CANTER started in 1997, more than 22,000 horses have been place through these free listings. As an additional service, some affiliates will take donations of racehorses. CANTER works with a team of volunteers and veterinary professions to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome these horses.
In 2014 CANTER cared for more than 200 horses at its aftercare programs. New listings of horses, both CANTER owned and available on the backside directly, are updated weekly. www.canterusa.org
Retired Racehorse Project works to facilitate placement of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses in second careers by increasing demand for them in the marketplace and inspiring an army of equestrians to provide the training that secures their futures.
RRP programs include online educational resources, programs at major horse expos, interactive databases including a Bloodline Brag and Retired Racehorse Resource Directory featuring 300 farms and organizations, and online horse listings with over 200 current listings, most of whom have some second career training. RRPâs Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium moves in its third year to Kentucky Horse Park on October 23-25, 2015. www.retiredracehorseproject.org