Thoroughbred Aftercare at Gulfstream Park

The FHBPA and Gulfstream Park are committed to ensuring that the thoroughbred horses who  participate in our great sport here are well taken care of throughout their lives after their racing careers are over.

The Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred Transition program was created just over one year ago, and is capably run by Raina Gunderson, who is the Aftercare Liaison for the program. Raina has extensive experience in the show ring and on the racetrack. She was an exercise rider for 18 years at New York, New Jersey, and Florida racetracks. Whenever an owner or trainer has a horse whose racing career is over, they can contact Raina who will immediately visit and initiate the transfer process.

Many of the horses Raina places go to Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) accredited facilities. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Currently, 81 organizations with approximately 170 facilities hold TAA accreditation in the US and Canada.

Thoroughbred horses are highly versatile and are sought after for use as polo ponies, show horses, hunter/jumpers, and mounted police horses, as well as simply for trail/pleasure horses. At the TAA accredited facilities, horses are rehabilitated from injury/illness when necessary, and prepared for the next chapter in their careers. The profiles for these horses are posted at various places online, where there is a robust interest in adopting thoroughbreds.

Since the inception of the Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred Transition program, Raina has successfully placed 31 horses in TAA accredited facilities. and adopted out 14 horses to private owners. Working out of a golf cart and her office in the FHBPA trailer, Raina finds horses, evaluates them, and determines the best path forward for their post racing careers. Raina’s tireless advocacy on behalf of these equine athletes exemplifies the commitment of the FHBPA and Gulfstream Park to the welfare of our horses during their racing careers and throughout their lives.

Below are just a few of Raina’s success stories: