After the Races Fall Update

Much like the rest of the year, it has been a busy Fall for After the Races!

Summer seems to have blown swiftly into Fall here on the farm. Overnight the leaves appeared to catch fire and began to fall, swirling in chilly breezes that had us layering up with our hoodies and jackets.

After the Races had a successful week at the Maryland 5 Star. Located right next to the event information booth, ATR was the official bag check or valet shopping experience for the tens of thousands of event attendees. Event goers could unburden themselves, dropping off anything from unneeded jackets to armfuls of shopping bags so they could enjoy the event "hands free." People seemed to really appreciate the option and it was a great way to get people in to learn more about After the Races, attract new volunteers, and raise awareness of many ways they could get involved or donate to support the lives of Thoroughbred racehorses in transition.

After quite the year, After the Races is still searching for a permanent home. Since the farm we rented for 7 years sold this summer, we've been operating just 5 minutes down the road from where we once called home. The current rental has plenty of stalls and some good facilities for horses in rehabilitation but it does pose it's challenges with turnout and limited (enclosed) riding areas. While it has plenty of trails and even an exercise track which are all fun for staff and volunteers to ride horses in and around, the round pen is admittedly small and the only enclosed area we have at the moment for adopters to try out horses. On that note, our capital campaign is still rocking and rolling! ATR has already raised an incredible amount! Every extra dollar we receive boosts our purchasing power for when the perfect property crosses our path. Any funds beyond what's required for a down payment on our future home will be channeled into immediate upgrades for our facility, ensuring it's all set for the arrival of ATR's horses ASAP!

We are still actively raising money to put toward the right property when it comes along and you can learn more about our progress and how to be a part of it by visiting THIS PAGE.

In spite of these challenges, we have had a big uptick in both adoptions and intakes during the past two months!

A few of our happy adopters!

The past couple months have been incredibly busy, with a total of 12 new arrivals and 8 lucky horses being adopted just since October. Our farm is operating at full capacity, and the dedication of our staff and volunteers is truly commendable. Getting the new rental set up to be safe and comfortable for the horses has been an incredible amount of work and we would not be back operating at full speed if not for the incredible support of our volunteers. We cannot thank them enough!

Our farm is currently full, with 21 horses on site, including beloved companion pony Styx who continues to keep everyone on their toes. For those following our journey, we invite you to stay tuned to our Facebook page where we try to provide glimpses of the daily activities, arrivals, and departures. While we may not always post updates in real-time, our page offers a window into the dynamic life on the farm. Just this weekend we will have three horses embarking on their journeys to their adoptive homes. Every adoption brings us joy as it represents a happy ending and a promising future for both the horses and their new families. Be sure to keep an eye on the Horses page of our website to see our current "inventory!" (To anyone who has been waiting for us to have room for your horse, you're not forgotten. We often operate with most of our stalls on a wait list basis and at this location we have a limited number of stalls for horses who are not on layup/in rehabilitation and no room for pasture board currently.)

As November rolls along we have officially entered the Giving Season.

We hope you will include After the Races in your year-end charitable giving, or consider becoming a first-time donor if you are new to ATR! For those seeking to amplify the impact of their donations, please reach out to us via email to explore donation matching opportunities, effectively doubling the impact of your contribution.

All donations to ATR are tax-deductible. Additionally, ATR is equipped to receive donations through donor-advised funds and can also accept contributions in the form of stocks/securities, vehicles, and other assets. These options may be worth contemplating as the new year, and subsequently the upcoming tax season, is just around the corner.

For more updates that happen via email, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE. We will be in touch soon!