Rehoming
It is up to those of us in the industry to continue the conversation about transitioning good, valuable and sound horses into second careers. We all hold a responsibility to aid retired horses in securing productive lives after their time on the track is complete. Programs such as the Secretariat Center give retired racehorses the ability to show new owners the versatility and beauty of the Thoroughbred while also highlighting their continued usefulness. The Secretariat Center continues to serve the equestrian industry as the gold standard in Thoroughbred rehoming and reschooling since 2004. We value transparency, honesty, and excellence and have worked to obtain accreditation for our program as well as for the trainers and staff.
Our program has been able to place horses in homes where they are teaching young girls to ride, helping MS patients maintain mobility, working in therapeutic riding programs, and serving on mounted police units. Such programs strengthen the racing community and ensure a dedication to aftercare and the health of the industry as a whole.
501(C)3
As a non-profit organization, the Secretariat Center operates on donations, grants, sponsorships, and fundraising. The center works diligently each year to expand our sponsors and receive additional grant funding to aid in the transition of nearly 50 OTTBs each year. Each year the center host several local events in which all of the proceeds generated directly support the transition of an OTTB into their second career and forever home. The center accepts monetary and in-kind donations year-round which can be given online or dropped off at our campus. As a NPO, donations to the center as tax-deductible.
Methodology
The methodology is two-fold. First, our professional trainers take the time to individually evaluate the personality, trainability, and athleticism of the horse, then create custom training and treatment programs for these horses. In turn, adopters are screened for their aptness to provide the advanced training these equines will require and matched to potential equines based on desired competition level and personality of their next equine companion.
Our staff work directly with each adopter and equine throughout the entire process to ensure a happy, harmonious, and safe adoptive home for every one of our horses. Adopters and donors can be assure each graduate is tracked for life following adoption ensuring that the aftercare of our graduates will be of the highest quality and these horses will have a safe home all their life.
Accreditation
Since 2015, the Secretariat Center has proudly maintained our accreditation with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. By partnering in this industry-united initiative, the Secretariat Center and other accredited organizations are held to standards of conduct in their care, retraining, and rehoming efforts and are working diligently towards aiding every horse leaving the track to recover, recuperate, and start a new chapter.
To ensure these standards are upheld, the organizations go through an intensive accreditation process. The process includes scheduled and random onsite inspections, submission of documents detailing the 5 areas discussed above, proof of their business registration and status as a 501C3, a written euthanasia policy in accordance with the AAEP standards and must own and care for at least 5 registered Thoroughbreds.
PREVIOUS GRANTORS
We are grateful to the following previous grantors for their generous support: Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Annenberg Foundation, ASPCA, Google Ads, Thoroughbred Charities of America, Equus Foundation, American Trucks Positive Payload Program, Kentucky Colonel Good Works Program, and Keeneland.
