MISSION & PROGRAMS

Mission:
The Secretariat Center is a 24-acre, 501(c)(3) non-profit horse adoption program located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. The Secretariat Center's mission is to prepare off track Thoroughbreds for happy, healthy, and successful post-track careers by rehabilitating and giving them a broad-based foundation of skills to ensure a harmonious match with their adopters. We advocate for the athleticism and versatility of the American Thoroughbred and provide educational opportunities for development through horsemanship.

Our organization provides programs involved with equine rescue & adoption
Our organization provides community outreach and/or public education programs involving horses.
Our organization is directly responsible for the care and shelter of equines involved in our programs.
100% of our total programs and services are horse-related.
Our organization does not use satellite, overflow, foster, and/or outreach facilities

Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation, Retraining & Re-homing:
Overview of our programs involved with rescue, rehabilitation, retraining, re-homing and/or retirement:
     The Secretariat Center, hailed as "the Gold Standard in Thoroughbred reschooling", opened in October 2004. It uses its location at the famed Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington to highlight the versatility and athleticism of off-the-track Thoroughbreds, while underscoring the desirability of adopting one.
     
     Secretariat Center horses act as ambassadors for the breed. Eligibility for the program is based on soundness, temperament, and serviceability. As the campus is small - 12 acres of paddocks and a 10-stall barn - it can only house 12-16 horses at a time.
     
     The Secretariat Center is not a rescue facility; its job is to herald, showcase, and market the value of the Thoroughbred in second careers.
     
     Horses in the program learn new skill sets. Once the horse arrives at the Secretariat Center, it is reviewed by a team of experts: dentist, farrier, vet, nutrition specialist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, and various practitioners to ensure that the horse is as balanced physically from the onset, as it can be. From there horses are assessed for temperament and learning style in a round pen, as well as desensitization exercises. Training progresses classically then with in hand ground work, lunging and long lining, followed by interdisciplinary introductions to dressage, jumping, trail riding, cross country work, and, when possible, horse shows.
     
     Potential adopters are required to fill out applications that include veterinary, personal, and equine specialist references, and if approved, must visit to try the horses to make sure the fit is a good one. Adoption fees are based on the scope of a given horse and expenses incurred during reschooling.
     
     For the adopters who live out of state and need time to plan shipping for his or her adopted horse, or the adopter who would like his or her new horse to gain more training either on the ground or under saddle prior to coming home, the Secretariat Center offers a continued Training Program. OTTBs frequently love working and thrive on consistent schedules. The horses in this program continue learning and growing in the adopters' chosen disciplines until the day they ship out. This custom training plan can be tailored to each adopter's wants and needs, ensuring the adopted horses step off the trailer at their new home fit and ready to begin their new life.
     
     The All-Star Program, launched in 2018, is designed to showcase the athleticism and versatility of the off-track Thoroughbred at the highest levels of equestrian competition by pairing uniquely talented exemplars of the breed with international-level riders. These teams are supported through syndicates of Thoroughbred fans who love the idea that the fun doesn't have to stop when the race is over. The hope is that this program will open eyes of racehorse owners and trainers, as well as horse lovers everywhere, as to how amazing Thoroughbreds truly are.
     
     Keen to be a beacon of information about reschooling OTTBs, the Secretariat Center offers internships for students of high school through college age, provides educational opportunities for volunteers, and regularly hosts tours and demonstrations.
Overview of our programs involved with providing community outreach and/or public education programs involving horses:
     The Secretariat Center offers year-round internship opportunities for motivated individuals looking to expand their knowledge and skills in Thoroughbred Aftercare alongside our experienced professionals.
     
     Our Equine Non-Profit Fundamentals Internship is a structured program with weekly lessons, goals, and objectives for students in the areas of horse care and training, not-for-profit 501 (C)3 business fundamentals, research, media/design, and the complete adoption and rehoming process. Interns will spend one-on-one time with all staff members (and horses) to obtain a complete picture of the Secretariat Center's daily activities, methodology, and purpose.
     
     The Secretariat Center is a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited organization dedicated to the gold standard of re-schooling and rehoming. All internships are unpaid educational opportunities for students to delve deeper into the aftercare needs of horses as they move into second careers. We are happy to work with schools and Universities to complete class requirements and provide letters of recommendation for graduates as they consider future career paths.
     
      Equine Non-Profit Fundamentals Internship ranges from an average of 8-12 weeks pending the availability and needed requirements of the student. We are happy to work with student's schedules to provide a well-rounded educational process and to adapt projects to cater to the interests of our interns. It is our goal that students will complete the program with the knowledge and skills to succeed in a multitude of positions in the equine industry, as well as the ability to educate others on the success and importance of aftercare.
     
     The Secretariat Center welcomes volunteers of all ages, all professional backgrounds, and all levels of equestrian knowledge and ability. Everyone who volunteers at the Secretariat Center comes, like each of our horses, with unique abilities. We need people in the barn, in the office, in our garden area and in our woods. We could use fundraisers and stamp-lickers, event organizers and seamstresses, mechanics and graphic artists, fence painters and, yes, even musicians! Come one, come all! Volunteers go through an orientation and are then welcome to come as much or as little as they desire. Volunteers are not allowed to ride the horses due to insurance limitations.

Research/Medical Use of Equines:
Our organization has never made, and would not ever consider making, equines available for research studies or medical training that involves invasive procedures and/or that which may cause pain or suffering to the equine. 

Religious Affiliation:
Our organization does not promote religious education, religious purposes, or a specific religious faith or use donations for religious education or religious purposes; require participants to be of a certain faith; require participation in religious, instruction, activities or services; or require participation in prayer, worship, religious instruction or other religious activities as a condition of receiving social or secular services offered. 

Auction Donation:
Our organization has never allowed, or would not consider allowing, an equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that would cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter. 

POLICIES: ACQUISITION

Our organization acquires horses/equines from the following source(s):
    Donation  
    Return  

Our organization does not acquire horses/equines from the following source(s):
    Lease  
    Purchase/Adoption from Owner  
    Auction  
    Kill pen/Feedlot  
    Surrender  
    Seizure  
    Abandonment  

Our organization will accept the following:
    Geldings
    Mares
    Only Stallions to be castrated

Not Checked:
    Pregnant Mares
    Foals
    Stallions

Additional information about our acquisition policies and practices:
Because of our premier location at the Kentucky Horse Park, our limited space (15 acres of paddock and one ten stall barn) and our mission to showcase the athleticism of the off-track Thoroughbred, we have to be discriminating about our selection of candidates. We do take horses of either sex (no stallions), raced or unraced, and typically under the age of 10. We cannot take unregistered Thoroughbreds. Horses that have former injuries that significantly could compromise new athletic endeavors are often offered resources and help through other accredited organizations equipped to accommodate their needs.

POLICIES: INTAKE, ASSESSMENT & TRAININING

Prior to a horse being accepted and/or arriving at the facility, the organization requires the following with respect to the health status of the horse:
    A current Coggins
    Vaccination records that have been administered within the last 12 months
    If health records are not available or are out-of-date, our veterinarian will administer appropriate vaccinations

Prior to a horse being accepted and/or arriving at the facility, the organization has the following policies in place:
    The owner of a potential equine is interviewed over the phone or in person prior to seeing the equine
    The equine is evaluated at its place of residence
    The owner completes an application/contract which constitutes the agreement between the owner and our organization
    The owner is financially responsible for the shipping of the equine to and from the organization
    Equines are on trial for up to 30 days
    The trial period may be reduced based on the equine's progress
    During the trial period, the organization accepts total financial responsibility for the care of the equine, including board, feed, shoeing and any necessary veterinary care
    The trial period may be terminated by either the organization or the owner for any reason

Following arrival of the equine at the facility, the following is performed:
    Physical examination by trained barn staff
    Photographs are taken of each equine upon arrival at the facility and kept with the equine's health records
    Physical examination by a farrier
    Physical examination by a dentist
    Coggins test
    Fecal test
    Vaccinations
    De-worming
    The equine is scanned to check for a microchip
    The equine is microchipped if the scan indicates that there is no microchip

Upon intake, the organization has the following quarantine policy in place:
    The equine is confined to a designated and separate area for isolation and quarantine at the facility for a prescribed period of time

The typical length of quarantine is:   Up to 10 days

Horses are assessed for following skills and behaviors:
    Retrieval from a pasture/paddock
    Leading with a halter and lead rope
    Temperament, disposition and attitude, such as rated from very calm to very high spirited
    Saddling
    Bridling
    Lunging
    Mounting and dismounting
    Riding at the walk
    Riding at the trot
    Riding at the canter
    Riding by a beginner and/or unbalanced rider
    Jumping
    Tolerance to unusual objects and loud noises
    Known vices, i.e., cribbing, biting, kicking, weaving, stall walking, etc
    Grooming
    Bathing
    Clipping
    Tolerance to multiple handlers at the same time

Our organization has the following policies and procedures in place pertaining to the ongoing assessment of horses in its care:
    Photographs are taken of each equine annually and kept with the equine's health records
    Equines at our facility may be treated by an equine chiropractor
    Equines at our facility may be treated by an equine acupuncturist
    Equines at our facility may be treated by an equine massage therapist
    Equines at our facility may be treated by an equine nutritionist
Our organization has the following policies and procedures in place pertaining to the weight-carrying or workload capabilities of horses/equines that are ridden in our care:
    Our organization evaluates at least annually and maintains a written record of the weight-carrying and workload limitations for each equine that is ridden

The following variables are considered in determining the weight-carrying and workload limitations for each equine that is ridden:
    Equine age, weight, breed, body condition, fitness, balance, health and soundness
    Equine conformation to include the top line, length of back, strength and width of loin, bone density (measured by the circumference of the cannon bone just below the knee)
    Size, shape, condition and angle of the hooves
    Participant weight, height, body proportions, balance, fitness and riding skills as well as behavioral issues and safety concerns
    Weight and proper fit of the saddle and other equipment
    Terrain and footing in the working environment
    Duration and frequency of working sessions, as the frequency with which an equine is subjected to maximum weight carrying and/or workload
    Nature and pace of work, repetitive or varied, radius of turns, degree of incline and regularity of footing when equine is subject to maximum weight-carrying capacity
    Temperature and/or weather conditions
    Seasonal impact on the equines' workload and weight-carrying capabilities and limitations


Horses provided formal training (groundwork or riding):   Daily

Additional information about our intake, assessment & training policies and practices:
The owner must answer questions about the horse's health and medical history including: all past or current injuries, surgeries, and medical procedures, most current vaccinations and dates, date of most current farrier work, date and type of most current deworming, and date of most recent dental work. The owner must also answer a brief questionnaire about the horse's current living situation - what feed is it receiving, does it know how to drink from an automatic waterer, date of gelding, date of last ride, has the horse been turned out with other horses, and any vices the horse may have.

POLICIES: BREEDING

The organization has the following policies related to breeding and stallions:
    The facility or facilities where our organization conducts its programs, including foster facilities, does NOT breed equines.

POLICIES: EUTHANASIA

The organization has the following policies related to euthanasia:
    Our organization will never have an equine euthanized for space
    Our organization may have a healthy equine euthanized if it is a threat to itself, other equines, or people and euthanasia is recommended by a veterinarian
    Our organization may have an equine euthanized upon the recommendation of the veterinarian after all reasonable treatment options have been explored
    Euthanasia is done on site when possible to decrease trauma from transport
    Euthanasia is done at the veterinarian's facility
    Disposal of the carcass is handled within 24 hours

The following are authorized to administer the procedure for your organization in accordance with state laws:
    Veterinarian

POLICIES: RE-HOMING

View Re-homing Agreement
Our organization has the following re-homing (adoption/purchase) policies and procedures in place:
    All potential adopters/purchasers complete a written contract which constitutes the agreement between our organization and the new owner
    Potential adopters/purchasers must visit our organization and be observed with the equine on site

The uploaded Re-homing agreement includes the following re-homing (adoption/purchase) statements:
    The agreement reflects that any individual or organization in possession of the equine as of the date of the agreement and any time thereafter is bound to not sell the equine at auction for slaughter or allow the equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that will cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter.
    The agreement states that should the adopter decide to re-home the equine, our organization must grant approval of any individual or organization intending to take possession of the equine for any reason prior to the equine being placed into the possession of such individual or organization, including being provided written notification of the name, address, and telephone number of any individual or organization intending to take possession of the equine for any reason.
    The agreement states that the terms of our organization's agreement will be binding on any future individual or organization taking and/or in possession of the equine for any reason.
    The agreement states that if there is any breach of contract the equine must be returned to our organization
    The agreement states that our organization reserves the right to make scheduled visits
    The agreement states that adopters/purchasers are required to provide updates (photos, vet records) for three or more years

Our organization requires references from the following:
    Veterinarian
    Personal/Other

Transfer of ownership occurs:   Immediately (at the time of adoption/purchase) or less than one year

The average equine re-homing (adoption/purchase) fee received by your organization:
Over $1,500

Our organization has the following policies and procedures related to horses that need to be retired, are no longer useful, or are no longer manageable:
    Equines may be found suitable homes by our organization
    Equines may be returned to their owners
    In the case an equine is unmanageable and demonstrates repeated dangerous behaviors, the equine may be euthanized upon the recommendation of the veterinarian
    In the case an equine is unsound and/or unhealthy and cannot be treated to relieve suffering, the equine may be euthanized upon the recommendation of the veterinarian
    If a suitable home cannot be located, and space is not available for the equine to remain at the organization, the organization will secure a suitable home for the equine and accept financial responsibility for the lifetime of the equine

Additional information about our rehoming policies and practices:
Prospective adopters first complete an adoption application. The application includes a summary of the applicant's riding and horse experience, a description of the type of horse for which they are searching, photographs of the location in which any adopted horse will be living (barns and paddocks), and three references in the categories of Non-family character, Equine professional, and Veterinary. Each application is thoroughly reviewed by the Director and an Approval Committee made up of three SC Consulting Board Members. After being approved for adoption, the SC requires that all potential adopters travel to the SC and ride/meet each horse they are interested in adopting, in order for the staff to assess their ability and their personality match with the horses. Should questions be raised at any point in the approval process, the Director will contact the applicant and talk through each issue, be it fencing concerns, financial concerns, or horse-handling concerns.
     
     All prospective adopters are required to complete a standard liability waiver prior to handling or riding any horses. At this point in the adoption process, the prospective adopter has already communicated thoroughly with either the Director or the Barn Manager, including conversations about the prospective adopter’s current riding level, skill with handling horses, type of personality desired in a horse, and current available horses that may be a match for the prospective adopter. The staff also carefully reviews the adopter’s equine professional reference that is included in the adoption application, and if necessary speaks directly to the equine professional. Upon arrival at the SC, and after signing a standard liability waiver, the prospective adopter may meet and handle any of the horses previously discussed as potential matches. The prospective adopter may then ride any of those same horses, following a ride by the Barn Manager or current Head Rider or Trainer. If at any point while the SC staff is riding the horse to show to the prospective adopter, the horse should appear unsafe for the prospective adopter to ride, or unsound in any fashion, the prospective adopter will not be allowed to ride the horse on that day. All rides occur in the SC’s arena, and if necessary, the staff may begin by lunging the rider on the horse to ensure safety.
     
     The Adoption Contracts states that should the horse adopted from the SC prove unsuitable for the purpose adopted, it can be returned to the center at any point within 30 days of the adoption date as listed on the adoption contract. Upon return of the horse, the adopter will be given a credit for the sum initially donated at the time of the adoption, minus the expenses incurred by the SC for the care of the horse. After 30 days following the adoption date, the horse may be returned to the center based space on the campus.
     
     The Secretariat Center tracks its adopted horses for their lifetimes. Each year, adopters must complete a Track for Life form and return it to the SC with current photos of the adopted horse. Failure to do so results in a fee. Adopters may sell their horses at any time but the individual purchasing the horse must be approved by the SC and sign a Transfer Adoption Contract. This new owner must also continue to submit Track for Life forms for the duration of the horse's life.
     
     In regards to the care of horses who are in need of full retirement, as a retraining organization rather than a rescue, we are very selective about the horses we accept into the program. However, we do have partnerships with other TAA accredited organizations and sanctuary facilities (these maintain our track for life policy) by which we are able to secure homes for any horse that requires retirement. We also maintain excellent relationships with the majority of our horse donors, so that if necessary, horses may be returned to the donor should such circumstances arise in which future rehoming is not possible. We have a euthanasia policy for any horse that is deemed unsafe for future handling and rehoming, or are unable to maintain a significant level of pasture-soundness. For any horse that the owner reaches out to us but perhaps the horse does not meet our program parameters, we offer a list of suggestions to help owners place horses in appropriate TAA accredited organizations. Sometimes aftercare takes a village and we are lucky enough to be able to help place horses in appropriate homes and safe futures.