Second Stride, Inc.

Second Stride's goal is to insure that every thoroughbred bred for racing, will have a safe, well cared for life after racing. We believe in most cases, the best life for a thoroughbred is to "have a job." From their very first day, thoroughbreds are conditioned to do well in a stable environment, with set schedules, and daily routine care. Upon retirement, they have special needs to help them transition from racetrack stable life, to their new life which will often be very different than what they have ever known. We have the facilities, and qualified staff to work with each thoroughbred and retrain him so he can be adopted and succeed in something new. We also have the ability to follow up on the horses and make sure the matches are appropriate and the horses are not passed onto inappropriate situations such as "Bail Lots" or "Kill Pens".

Second Stride believes the successful transition of a former race horse from race track life to another life, is dependent on several factors.
1. Create a familiar environment, similar to where they came from, to minimize stress.
2. Use well qualified staff to handle the horse when they first arrive.
3. Have each horse evaluated by an equine Veterinarian upon entry for a base line
4. Evaluate the individual horse under saddle to find what they would be suited for.
5. Provide quality training at a pace that works for the horse.
6. When ready, match the horse with a well screened adopter.
7. Provide adopters with information to insure a successful match.
8. Follow up on the adoption matches to ensure a safe appropriate home.
9. Providing educational/informational outreach to area race tracks, community programs and events.
10. Partnering with local companies and establishments to further our mission

Second Stride is uniquely qualified to safely transition retired thoroughbreds to new career because of the background of the board members, staff, and volunteers. Our people have backgrounds in the racing industry, and the sport horse industry. We are able to network well with horsemen in need of finding new homes for their horses, as well as network with the people who adopt Second Stride horses. We are in close contact with these groups, and can find ways to meet each of their needs. Our advisory board includes several of the most respected names in racing, and we are certified by the Kentucky Equine Health and Welfare Council as an equine rescue facility. We are often asked to participate in the development of equine rescue safety guidelines to help other rescues achieve their goals. We are accredited and or partners of several national governing programs, including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, and The Right Horse full Partnership level.

Second Stride has been able to use grant money specified for capital improvements to increase our barn capacity and useable land. We have the space for horses and the qualified staff to work with more horses. What we need now are the funds to care for additional horses while in our program. We are very careful to never take in more horses than we can afford, so we only bring in new horses when our budget allows, from fundraising, adoption fees, and industry grants. This most often means we have a waiting list of horses to come in, even though we have the facilities and staff available to begin their transition. Our goal is to never have a waiting list, and know that every thoroughbred will have the opportunity to be retrained for a new career. Because of Second Stride's retraining program, over 1000 horses, whose fate was uncertain, now have new careers and are very well cared for. We are excited for the years ahead and look to increase our services in the community by 25% for the coming year thanks to new partnerships we have developed.