Horsetalk.co.nz
New careers abound for OTTBs, but owner awareness lacking
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Making racehorse owners aware of the options available for their thoroughbreds after racing is one of the hurdles facing aftercare providers.
The importance of promotion of aftercare providers was emphasised during the third session of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses’ (IFAR) virtual conference series last week.
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance operations consultant Stacie Clark and Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and administrator of its Thoroughbred Incentive Program, described the path from the racetrack to placement into accredited aftercare programs. They emphasized the importance of these organizations’ promoting themselves and communicating to the Thoroughbred industry that they exist so that horse owners are aware of the retirement options for their former racehorses.