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Mareworthy Charities and the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) jointly announced today the hosting of the Thoroughbred Broodmare Transition Symposium on July 10, 2024 at Spy Coast Farm in Lexington, KY. The symposium is designed to provide education for trainers and riders about the unique needs of former Thoroughbred broodmares through demonstrations and panel discussions.

Symposium sessions will begin at 11:30 AM, with an optional add-on tour of Spy Coast Farm starting at 9:30 AM. The symposium will open with the following classroom sessions:

• “Managing Broodmare Health” with Karen Wolfsdorf, DVM, SACT, Reproduction and Fertility, Hagyard Medical Institute
• “Broodmare Marketing and Admin” with Hillary Ramspacher, Equine Administrator and Sales Coordinator for Burleson Farm and independent rehoming agent
• “Nutrition for Transitioning Broodmares” with Catherine Whitehouse, Nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research

Classroom sessions will be followed by a lunch break before the symposium heads to the arena for “Reconditioning the Broodmare,” presented by Larkspur Carroll, founder and owner of CORE Therapies, and Natanya Nieman, DVM, General Manager and Resident Veterinarian of WinStar Farm.

“Broodmares are often overlooked and even at risk after their breeding careers end, making their aftercare crucial,” said Kyle Rothfus, founder of Mareworthy. “I am incredibly thankful to the Retired Racehorse Project for creating the broodmare division at the Makeover, which shines a much-needed spotlight on their potential for a fulfilling third career, and am thrilled to partner with the RRP for this symposium to help educate more equestrians about this population of horses.”

Through the work of both Mareworthy and the RRP alongside other aftercare organizations which will be present at the symposium with informational tables, awareness of aftercare for broodmares is on the rise. Mareworthy works both in the rescue of Thoroughbred broodmares in critical situations and in educating the public about the needs of this population; the RRP has added the Former Broodmare competition avenue to its banner event, the Thoroughbred Makeover, incentivizing the transition of retired broodmares to competitive or recreational careers thereby increasing their value to the equestrian industry.

“The public response that we got when we piloted the Former Broodmare division in 2023 made it clear that there is a need for support for this unique population, as there is a very limited number of entities working in this space,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “Mareworthy has been invaluable in structuring a comprehensive syllabus for this event, and we’re hoping to equip those in aftercare and prospective owners or adopters with the information they need to feel confident working with broodmares.”

Registration is now open for the Thoroughbred Broodmare Transition Symposium, with attendance options both in-person at Spy Coast Farm and virtually via livestream. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. The event is free for students; please contact the RRP at rbanas@therrp.org for a student code to acquire tickets. This event is made possible thanks to a grant from the ASPCA.