The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses is an international information exchange forum supported through financial and human resource contributions from The Jockey Club to advocate for lifetime care of Thoroughbreds after their careers on the racetrack or breeding shed have ended.
The Jockey Club's checkoff program enables owners and breeders to financially assist five charities by selecting one of the designated amounts or an amount of their choice on the Application for Foal Registration form or during the payment process on Interactive Registration.
Launched in 2011 by The Jockey Club to encourage the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers in racing or breeding, the Thoroughbred Incentive Program offers Thoroughbred awards at open horse shows and competitions, a championship horse show, year-end Performance Awards, a recreational riding program, Youth Ambassador Program, a Thoroughbred of the Year Award, and a Young Rider of the Year Award.
A resource for horse owners who are looking to rehome a Thoroughbred when its racing or breeding career comes to an end, Thoroughbred Connect is voluntary and is provided free of charge to Interactive Registration users through The Jockey Club Registry.
The 501(c)(3) Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industrywide funding. It was funded initially by seed money from Breeders’ Cup Ltd., The Jockey Club, and Keeneland Association Inc., and it continues to receive monetary support from The Jockey Club today.
As part of its support of aftercare, The Jockey Club contributes to the Thoroughbred Charities of America, which raises and distributes money to approved charitable organizations assisting with Thoroughbred rehabilitation, retraining, and rehoming; backstretch and farm employee programs; and equine-assisted therapy programs.
Through Interactive Registration, The Jockey Club offers free microchip and tattoo look up services to identify Thoroughbreds during and after their racing careers.
As part of its support of aftercare, The Jockey Club contributes to the efforts of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, the largest equine sanctuary in the world devoted to the rescue, retirement, and retraining of Thoroughbreds.
The United Horse Coalition is an information outlet for the various aftercare programs throughout the country, which is under the aegis of the American Horse Council and is supported by The Jockey Club. It also serves as a point of contact for the general public to obtain more information and direct them toward breed-specific programs.
The Jockey Club Traceability Initiative is designed to ensure that a Thoroughbred’s digital certificate is managed by someone with a direct connection to the horse. This will enable The Jockey Club to compile information regarding the current state of Thoroughbreds.
Thoroughbreds are in high demand as sport horses. The Jockey Club provides this list of resources and programs to help embark your Thoroughbred on the journey to its next career.