The 2019 application for accreditation by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is now available on ThoroughbredAftercare.org.
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 2019 that want to remain accredited need to re-apply.
“The TAA is extremely proud of the accreditation process and the organizations that reach this standard,” TAA operations consultant Stacie Clark Rogers said. “For aftercare organizations, TAA accreditation reflects the gold standard of care. For the Thoroughbred industry, TAA accreditation reflects due diligence and represents a good investment in Thoroughbred aftercare.”
Accreditation status is determined after a complete review of five key areas: 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 by representatives of the TAA 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 for those organizations previously accredited. In 2018 the TAA awarded more than $3 million to accredited organizations as grants earmarked specifically for equine care, totaling more than $13.8 million awarded since 2012.
At minimum, any organization interested in applying for TAA accreditation must fulfill the following five 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 and related to the organization, must not currently have legal proceedings pending against them.
For more information on the TAA accreditation process, please visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org/accreditation.