The 2020 application for accreditation by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is now available and can be accessed through ThoroughbredAftercare.org/Accreditation.
Thoroughbred aftercare nonprofits interested in applying must complete the application by the closing date of April 1 at 6 p.m. ET. Since TAA accreditation is only granted for a specific period of time, organizations with accreditation status ending in 2020 that want to remain accredited need to re-apply.
Organizations that have applied previously should note that a new application platform, OpenWater, is now being used.
Accreditation status is determined after a complete review of five areas of an aftercare organization: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Organizations passing the application review will be subject to site inspections of all facilities housing Thoroughbreds.
Organizations that receive accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants from the TAA, but prior grants awarded are no indication of potential future awards. In 2019 the TAA awarded more than $3.42 million to accredited organizations as grants earmarked specifically for equine care, totaling more than $17.2 million awarded since 2012.
Any organization interested in applying for TAA accreditation must fulfill the following five minimum requirements:
- Organization must have a current status as a 501(c)(3) federal not-for-profit (U.S.) or must be a registered charity within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
- Organization must have been in operation for at least three years, based on the filing date with the secretary of state or provincial business registry.
- At time of application, organization must either (1) currently exclusively own and provide care for a minimum of 5 registered Thoroughbreds, or (2) currently exclusively own and provide care for at least 3-4 registered Thoroughbreds and must have exclusively owned and provided care for at least 10 registered Thoroughbreds over the previous 12 months. Registered Thoroughbreds leased by the organization or owned by third parties at the same facility should not be included.
- Organization must have a written euthanasia policy consistent with the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
- Organization, or a principal of the organization or individual directly related to the organization, shall not have any current legal proceedings pending against them that adversely impact the aftercare operations, the organization’s standards of care, or the 501(c)(3) status of the organization.
For more information on the TAA accreditation process, please visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org/Accreditation.