The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced today the return of its popular Aftercare Industry Month (AIM) for February 2026, presented by Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF). This virtual conference will take place throughout the month, open to all with a professional interest in Thoroughbred aftercare from any facet of the aftercare, racing or equestrian industries. Four webinar sessions will feature panelists representing the various branches of the aftercare industry, and will delve into a range of topics that pertain to everyone that works with Thoroughbreds transitioning to careers beyond racing.

Virtual attendees may now register for either the entire conference, or individual sessions a la carte. A conference pass for all four sessions is $10 and an individual session pass is $5. All sessions will be recorded and available to attendees within 48 hours of each session.

“We’re grateful to TERF for their continued commitment to programming like AIM,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “The aftercare ecosystem in the United States represents a diverse collection of organizations and entities striving towards the shared goal of efficient and effective transition of Thoroughbreds to suitable post-racing careers. Inclusive opportunities for information sharing, collaboration, and ideation between aftercare groups is essential for the collective success of the industry, and the RRP remains committed to the ongoing development of programming that fosters these types of opportunities.”

2026 Aftercare Industry Month will include the following four sessions:

Tuesday, February 3^rd at 7 PM EST: The First 30 Days
Every Thoroughbred is an individual, so a blanket approach to that critical first month of transition off the track won’t work for every horse. Panelists Jen Roytz of Brownstead Farm and Bev Strauss of MidAtlantic Horse Rescue share their horse-first approaches and how to read what a horse might be telling you in their first 30 days of life beyond racing.

Wednesday, February 11^th at 7 PM EST: Track-Based Transition Programs
The Thoroughbred aftercare landscape includes many entities, businesses and organizations that operate in a variety of different ways towards the shared goal of transitioning horses to appropriate post-racing homes. This session will take us behind the scenes of “track-based transition programs” that serve specific racetracks and are often affiliated to or employed by local horsemen’s associations. Get to know how each program works and what goes into setting up such a program with Raina Gunderson of Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred Transition Program, Danielle Montgomery of PTHA’s Turning For Home, and Lucinda Lovitt of California Retirement Management Account (CARMA).

Tuesday, February 17^th at 7 PM EST: Vetting Adopters & Buyers

Ethical and reputable practices for both non-profit organizations and businesses should include some level of vetting for potential adopters and buyers to ensure horses are making good matches and heading to good homes. But this is a process easier said than done: we’ll discuss the vetting process and its limitations with Alli Raftery of New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, Sue Smith of CANTER PA, and Jazz Napravnik of Jazz Napravnik Thoroughbreds.

Tuesday, February 24^th: Legalities & Realities of Equine Welfare
Recent events in the aftercare and equestrian industries have given us a sober reminder that animal welfare cases are both emotional flashpoints and rarely cut-and-dry when it comes to figuring out what went wrong. We’ll discuss contract enforcement, the benefits and liabilities of information sharing, the realities of getting law enforcement to work on a case, and more with our panelists Erin Clemm Ochoa of Days End Farm Horse Rescue, Sarah Coleman of Kentucky Horse Council and Jennifer Toussaint of Arlington County Animal Control.

For more information about panelists and to register, please visit https://therrp.org/aftercare-industry-month/.