Increasing demand for thoroughbreds beyond racing

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Thoroughbred Makeover Marketplace Expands in Partnership With ASPCA’s Right Horse Initiative

June 30, 2022

Zenya Lepper and 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover graduate Make It Right: match made through the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace. Photo courtesy of Zenya Lepper

 

Thoroughbred Makeover Marketplace Expands in Partnership With the ASPCA

Thanks to the continued generous support of the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today that the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, will include for the first time the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, in addition to the returning ASPCA Makeover Marketplace. The ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, open through the Makeover on October 12-15 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, will include Thoroughbred horses of varying ages and backgrounds who are up for adoption from partner organizations of the ASPCA Right Horse program.

“Our continued partnership with the Retired Racehorse Project has been a fantastic avenue to support placing retired racehorses in new careers and loving homes,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of ASPCA Equine Welfare “We are thrilled to launch the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn this year to help even more Thoroughbred enthusiasts find their right horse through equine adoption.”

Participating horses will be identified closer to the event and a list of participating organizations will be published in the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog, available both digitally and printed as an insert to the Fall 2022 issue of the RRP’s award-winning publication, Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine. The Fall magazine issue also doubles as the Thoroughbred Makeover program. Leading up to the event, prospective adopters can visit www.myrighthorse.org, the ASPCA’s online adoption platform for equines, to search for adoptable Thoroughbreds.

In addition to the horses available through the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog is expected to include over one hundred transitioned, restarted and competition-experienced Thoroughbreds who will compete at the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover. Interested shoppers and adopters have the unique opportunity to watch horses perform, take a trial ride in a designated arena, and vet prospects on-site, all in one location, in one weekend. The trial arena and ability to schedule pre-purchase exams are also open to the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn participants, as well.

“We’re grateful for the ASPCA’s continued support of the Makeover Marketplace and their commitment to the RRP’s work,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “Through their Right Horse program, the ASPCA has fostered a new level of collaboration and innovation within the equine welfare community. The ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn is just one example of that, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to expand the scope of the Marketplace to serve more Thoroughbreds.”

The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace has become an adopter’s or buyer’s trusted source for Thoroughbreds for sport and pleasure. Makeover graduates available through the Marketplace have undergone extensive preparation for the event, with emphasis placed on a healthy transition from the track and appropriate training and exposure to a big show environment. Past ASPCA Makeover Marketplace graduates have gone on to successful careers in eventing, hunter/jumper, field hunter, western performance, pleasure, and trail riding.

Organizations wishing to participate in the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn are encouraged to sign up by August 15th, 2022, as space is limited. More information is available at https://www.therrp.org/aspca-right-horse-adoption-barn

Sign up to receive your free copy of the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog, including the list of organizations participating in the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn as well as Makeover graduates available for sale and adoption, by visiting https://www.therrp.org/aspca-makeover-marketplace-sale-horse-catalog/. The digital catalog will be released at theRRP.org after August 15 and the print version will be mailed in late September.

About the Retired Racehorse Project

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to producing the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the world’s largest and most lucrative retraining competition for recently-retired racehorses, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, produces the Master Class retraining clinic series, and presents programming at major horse expos and events around the country. The RRP maintains an educational library of content to empower more equestrians to ride a Thoroughbred.

 About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first animal welfare organization to be established in North America and today serves as the nation’s leading voice for vulnerable and victimized animals. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA assists animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources. For more information, visit www.ASPCA.org, and follow the ASPCA on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

 

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