Letter to the Editor: Solving Our Half-Billion-Dollar Aftercare Problem

[Wandering Eyes]

Before we can solve the Thoroughbred aftercare problem, we must first define it–and understand its full scope.

For this discussion, aftercare refers to the rehoming, retraining, and retiring of Thoroughbreds who:

1. never make it to the racetrack;
2. are not fast enough to race;
3. have finished their racing careers and lost commercial value;
4. can no longer perform as sport horses; or
5. no longer serve useful breeding purposes.

When I first began asking industry insiders what it would truly cost to provide lifetime care for all Thoroughbreds that need it, I could not find a clear consensus. The responses ranged from lively debate to polite silence. So I did what any data-minded realist would do: I started counting.

After running the numbers every possible way, the result was sobering. I believe we are facing an estimated half-billion-dollar-a-year aftercare problem. To many, that sounds implausible—as it did to me at first. But math has a way of clarifying difficult truths.

To simplify the detailed analysis, I summarized the calculations in clear terms. The 2025 foal crop is roughly 17,300. Assume that 10,000 of those horses, about 60 percent, will eventually need some form of aftercare. If half of them are retrained or rehomed and placed in permanent homes, the estimated cost per horse is $5,000, totaling $25 million annually. When the remaining 5,000 foals require full retirement, at an average of 10 years of care at $10,000 per year, the total reaches $500 million. Overall, I believe the projected annual aftercare cost for the current foal crop is approximately $525 million.

There are, of course, countless variables. Some horses will require fewer years of care, while others will need more. Annual costs vary by geography, facility, and the specific type of aftercare needed. Yet even with optimistic assumptions, the scale of the challenge remains enormous.

To its credit, the industry has made remarkable progress. Old Friends, New Vocations, the TAA, TCA, and NTA, among others, have set admirable standards. Stallion farms, breeders, and sales companies have made meaningful contributions, and countless individuals give time, money, and heart. One major initiative strives to raise $28 million annually—an extraordinary achievement, yet still only a fraction of what's needed to cover every horse in need.

The truth is, our industry cannot afford to fund a half-billion-dollar annual aftercare obligation. So where do we go from here?

At Stallion Season Exchange (SSE), we believe aftercare can no longer be an afterthought—it must begin with Beforecare.

Our approach reimagines funding not as charity but as participation. By connecting consumers directly to the life of the Thoroughbred, we can transform aftercare from a cost center into a shared responsibility and a shared experience.

This direct-to-consumer (B2C) model, built on marketing, technology, and emotional engagement, will be developed over the next five years with industry support under the banner of the “2030 Movement”.

The main goal of the 2030 Movement is to create the Beforecare Pension Plan, a permanent and sustainable funding source to support non-profit aftercare programs, with a long-term annual capacity of $500 million. By 2030, aftercare will no longer rely on industry underwriting, as consumers, empowered by technology and engagement, will sustain it.

This plan allows consumers to buy lifelong participation in a Thoroughbred's journey, from the moment a foal stands and nurses to its racing or sport-horse career and eventual retirement. By licensing images and digital likenesses of Thoroughbreds throughout their lives, the initiative will connect the physical and digital worlds, combining sport, lifestyle branding, and global fandom into a single ecosystem.

In a rapidly evolving digital age, where artificial intelligence and immersive media are redefining how people connect to what they love, it's easy to imagine consumers “participating” in the raising, training, and retirement of the horses they help support, without owning them outright. The potential for engagement, loyalty, and scale is tremendous.

By 2030, the Beforecare Pension Plan is projected to be fully operational and self-sustaining. The initial five years will rely on visionary sponsors who believe this challenge can, and must, be solved once and for all. Afterward, the industry's charitable aftercare resources can be redirected to other critical priorities, including programs that support the human side of the Thoroughbred business.

The challenge is significant but not insurmountable. The math is clear. The technology is available and advancing rapidly. The public's desire for meaningful involvement has never been stronger. The 2030 Movement is achievable. What's needed now is leadership, coordination, and the courage to act.

Danny Burgner is the Founder of the Stallion Season Exchage and Beforecare, whose goal is to build a healthy, sustainable future for all Thoroughbreds, and to transform how the public views and engages with the Thoroughbred—honoring racing and breeding traditions while providing lifelong care for the horses that make it all possible.

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