Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare

Caption: Don Carlos R, now 15 years old, is a Puerto Rican racing champion and made history in 2014 when he won the Copa Confraternidad del Caribe (Gr. 1) in Venezuela. He currently resides at CTA. Photo Credit: CTA Staff
  • Services

    Sanctuary, Rehabilitation, Retraining/Adoption

  • Location

    Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

  • Founded

    2008

  • Average Number of Thoroughbreds

    60

Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA) is the only accredited thoroughbred aftercare program in the Caribbean islands dedicated to the wellbeing and care of racehorses after their racing careers have ended.   More than 2000 US-bred Thoroughbreds race annually in Puerto Rico, a large percentage of which are imported from the U.S. mainland.   CTA has been a haven for these horses and transitioning them off the track since 2008.   The facility is located at the base of the El Yunque national rainforest region and has 10 acres of paddocks with shady shelters and an 11-stall barn.

CTA has taken in 319 horses since 2017.   We face many challenges being on an island, our biggest being a lack of resources and qualified homes for so many in need.  This is why we started our Equine Academy in January of 2024, to help educate and assist individuals on equine welfare and management, hoping to open doors to more adopters here on the island.   Additional major challenges include exorbitant transportation costs to return horses back to the US mainland, with us being a 1,000-mile distance away, and a tropical environment that can be very harsh.

CTA is grateful to TAA and to all the individuals that not only financially support our work and efforts but also help with the networking that helps our racing athletes here in the Caribbean!  The partnerships we have formed over the years with several other TAA-accredited organizations, as well as with breeders, former connections, and individuals, creating a bridge for Thoroughbreds to return to the United States. We are forever appreciative for these collaborative and cooperative efforts to help us and so many horses.

The Caribbean is beautiful but also can be unforgiving and very challenging for Thoroughbreds both on and off the track.