Equine Aftercare

A commitment from the Lavin Family Foundation has created an opportunity for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. The Foundation has pledged $10,000 as a matching challenge with every gift made to the 2026 Annual Appeal between now and June 30 will be doubled, up to $10,000. The TRF has already raised $1,650 in the first week of its match challenge. For more information or to make a donation, click here.

Trainers Cherie DeVaux, Tom Morley, and Graham Motion have joined the Belmont Pledge, committing a portion of their Belmont Festival earnings to benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and the hundreds of retired Thoroughbreds in its care, according to a TRF release on Tuesday. The trainers join trainers Michael McCarthy, George Weaver, Whit Beckman, and Amelia Green. "Thoroughbred aftercare is a cause that is incredibly important to me. These horses have blessed my life in countless ways, and we have a responsibility to ensure they are cared for long after their...

In celebration of the final Belmont Stakes to be contested at Saratoga Racecourse, the Embrace the Belmont III will be held in at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, June 2. The event will feature cocktails, light bites in addition to handicappers Seth Merrow, Capitol OTB, Sara Elbadwi, NYRA on-air handicapper and Matthew Desantis, Handicapper and content producer for NYRA Bets. This year, Embrace the Belmont III supports both Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga and Saratoga Hospital Foundation. Fashion partners include Frivolous, Mark Thomas Apparel, Miss Scarlett and Gilded....

Two years ago when the first Poker for Ponies tournament was held, the organizational window was short. Very short. "Our first year John [Stewart] had the idea, I kid you not, he sprung it on me about three weeks or maybe just two weeks before the Kentucky Derby. That was also our first Derby as Resolute Racing. We even had a horse in it that year [Just a Touch]," said Chelsey Stewart, organizer of a Derby week poker tournament with a noble aim. All the proceeds go to Thoroughbred aftercare...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)'s launch of the HISA Equine Recovery Foundation (HERF), an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing critical assistance for Thoroughbred racehorses sustaining a career-ending injury during racing, is set to begin operations in early 2026, according to an organization release on Wednesday.   HERF's mission: Support racehorses—with injuries sustained during races that historically have a positive prognosis for recovery—by ensuring immediate access to quality veterinary treatment and rehabilitation in order to facilitate a successful aftercare placement. Enhance access to diagnostic imaging services and tools...

MyRacehorse's inaugural "12 Days of Giving", a holiday auction supporting Thoroughbred aftercare, will kick off Dec. 8 and continue through Dec. 19, according to a MyRacehorse release. The auction features memorabilia, unique experiences, and one-of-a-kind items, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the MyRacehorse Transition Fund. To bid on the "12 Days of Giving" auction, click here. Items will close each evening at 6 PM ET between Dec. 8 - Dec. 19. Items included the 12 Days of Giving auction include: Race-worn gear and memorabilia from Seize the Grey and Straight...

The 2025 edition of The Real Rider Cup held at the MARS Maryland 5 Star event at Fair Hill raised over $130,000, according to an organization release Wednesday. Honors were given for the top three individual and team entries, as well as to the rider with the highest-grossing fundraiser. Team SMACC Down retained its winning team result from 2024, anchored by the repeat individual champion Gabby Nguyen and Pet Me Pet Me. Team Pastured Place Two (the growing aftercare organization fielded 10 riders for this year's competition) took second place...

Kim Weir, the Director of Strategic Growth for Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, and an active volunteer with the Chaplaincy, has been named the inaugural Nancy Kelly Volunteer Award winner, according to a New York Race Track Chaplaincy release Sunday. The award will be presented annually to a person or people for outstanding volunteer efforts in support of the organization. Weir will be honored at a luncheon at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY on Nov. 11. The master of ceremonies will be longtime...

The T.I.P. Thoroughbred of the Year Award and the T.I.P. Young Rider of the Year Award for 2025 were announced by the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.). The 2025 Thoroughbred of the Year is McDreamy (Expense Account). Registered with The Jockey Club as Deb's Expense Acc, McDreamy is a 19-year-old gelding that retired from the racetrack in 2011 to begin training as a hunter/jumper. Deb's Expense Acc was bred in Oklahoma by Greg Frye and raced 25 times with two wins, five seconds, and five thirds, winning $51,043. In...

New Vocations will host its 8th Annual Open Barn & BBQ, presented by Seidman Stables, on Thursday, Apr. 24 from 4:40 pm to 9pm. The event, which will be held at the program's Lexington, Kentucky facility at Mereworth Farm, will again be free and open to the public. The Open Barn & BBQ--held concurrently with the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park--will feature educational seminars along with the chance to meet adoptable horses while touring the facility. "We look forward to welcoming guests to New...

Supply, Meet Demand Producing horses with exceptional speed inherently produces many more lacking that singular talent. Everyone in the business knows this by-product is the primary cause of the aftercare problem. The volume of over-supply is enormous. Visibility, awareness and legitimate concern over what happens to these unwanted horses grows constantly. The social license implications of this dilemma are intensifying into a serious threat to an industry already buffeted by other storms and controversies. Everyone understands these facts and many feel this intrinsic challenge may be insurmountable. Yet fundamentally, the...

Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga will host its second annual Charity Benefit Concert, featuring The Bacon Brothers, on Oct. 5. The event will take place from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga farm, located at 683 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs, NY. In addition to The Bacon Brothers, the sold-out event will also feature two local favorites, Rich Ortiz and The Wallies Band featuring Gianna Robustiano, who will open the show.     Attendees will enjoy the performance under the stars in a unique farm setting, complemented by a...