Information to assist your aftercare organization. Topics include how to own responsibly, guidelines for operating an equine rescue or retirement facility, equine care guidelines, the Heneke body condition scoring system, how to successfully transition racehorses to a second career, and more. From the Unwanted Horse Coalition, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the Kentucky Horse Council, Animal Welfare Institute Homes for Horses Coalition, The Jockey Club, New Vocations, CANTER and LOPE.

Questions to Ask When Viewing a Horse at the Track (PDF)

Questions to Ask When Adopting an Off-the-Track Thoroughbred (PDF)

How Your Organization Can Help Unwanted Horses (Unwanted Horse Coalition)
Initiatives and activities to address the issue of unwanted horses.

Own Responsibly - Questions to Consider Before Buying a Horse (Unwanted Horse Coalition)

Questions to consider before you buy a horse.

The Problem of the Unwanted Horse:  Own Responsibly (Unwanted Horse Coalition)
What it means to act responsibly regarding the long-term needs of your horse.

Considerations in Supporting Equine Rescue Efforts (Kentucky Horse Council)
Some key things to consider before donating or placing your horse with an organization or individual.

Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities (AAEP)
Guidance for non-veterinarians at rescue and retirement facilities on the care of a horse throughout its life.

Basic Guidelines for Operating an Equine Rescue or Retirement Facility (Animal Welfare Institute Homes for Horses Coalition)
Caring for horses with a sound knowledge of equine management, good planning and some creativity.

Minimum Standards of Care (Kentucky Horse Council)
Guidelines for equine minimum care standards.

The Heneke System of Body Condition Scoring (Kentucky Horse Council)
Determine a horse’s overall body condition in six key areas: back, ribs, shoulder, withers, and neck and tail head.

Transitioning the Retired Racehorse (AAEP)
Guidelines for equine practitioners, adoption organizations and horse owners regarding physical assessments and costs of housing, retraining and rehoming the ex-racehorse.

Rehabilitating the Neglected Horse: A Caregivers’ Guide (Unwanted Horse Coalition)
Basic care guidelines for rehabilitating the neglected horse.

Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit (The Jockey Club)
2010 WSS Panel: Transitioning Thoroughbreds to Second Careers (video)

Homes For Horses Conference (Animal Welfare Institute Homes for Horses Coalition)
Presentations from the 2009 Homes for Horses Conference

Introducing a New Horse to the Herd (New Vocations)
How to minimize injuries and stress when introducing a new horse to the herd.

Basic Life Skills and Socialization (New Vocations)
Teaching your ex-racehorse how to eat, drink and interact with other horses.

Feeding the Newly Retired Racehorse (New Vocations)
Advice on the dietary risks involved in transitioning your ex-racehorse to pleasure horse.

Shoeing for Soundness (New Vocations)
Shoeing techniques and your ex-racehorse.

Trailer Loading (New Vocations)
Basic techniques for easy loading and shipping.

Bitting (New Vocations)
A discussion of this highly effective training technique.

Standing and Walking Quietly While Mounted (New Vocations)
The importance of fundamentals in early lessons.

Trotting and Cantering (New Vocations)
Advanced fundamentals.

From Harness Racing to Pleasure Driving (New Vocations)
A discussion on the challenge in transitioning Standardbreds from racing to pleasure driving.

What to Expect From an Ex-Racehorse:  Bringing Your Horse Home (CANTER)
Insights on how to help your ex-racehorse adjust to his new home.

What to Expect From an Ex-Racehorse: What Your Horse Knows (CANTER)
Your racehorse’s ex-life, and what’s new for him now that he’s off the track and in his new home.

What to Expect From an Ex-Racehorse: A Bit on Shoes and Your Horse (CANTER)
What’s up with your ex-racehorses’ feet?

Tattoo Identification Service – General Information (The Jockey Club)
A free tattoo research tool from the Jockey Club, including the code for thoroughbred tattoos, and help with difficult tattoos.

Beyond the Track – Retraining the Thoroughbred From Racehorse to Riding Horse (New Vocations)
Anna Morgan Ford offers training tips to help prepare the off-the-track Thoroughbred for a new career.

Retraining Racehorses: Back to the Basics with Tom Curtin, DVD (LOPE)
In this DVD, Tom Curtin works with ex-racehorses in demonstrating key principles in helping the horses adapt to new careers.

Beyond the Homestretch, Lynn Reardon (LOPE)
Lynn Reardon shares her experiences in transitioning more than 800 ex-racehorses into new homes.

A Guide to Understanding and Retraining Your Off Track Thoroughbred (Thoroughbred Placement and Rescue, Inc.)
Kimberly Clark offers a detailed guide aimed at providing a better understanding of your ex-racehorse.