BackStop funds will not relieve or replace the responsibility of the owner, breeder or trainer to make aftercare plans for their horses. The aftercare account is funded with $25 from each Maryland-bred registration fee submitted.

BackStop requests will be fulfilled based on funds available and considered for a one-time application for an individual horse, offering up to $2,000 in funding. The requested funds are to be used as adjunct support for a specific use or aid to an individual or a group that takes in, retrains or rehomes registered Maryland-bred Thoroughbreds.

“It makes it possible for people to get into this or take a horse that maybe they wouldn’t have been able to take, so I think it’s great. I usually take a loss on horses I have to rehab, and it’s fine because this is what I like to do, but I understand that not all people can do that,” said Alice Peirce, manager of Mantua Farm in Reisterstown, Md., and member of the MHBA Aftercare Committee. “I know a lot of other people in my shoes would be able to consider more horses this way.

“A lot of people can’t afford to pay board on something while it kind of just hangs out, so I feel like it would do a lot of good for the horses coming off the track who need a little extra TLC. Maybe people would take a second look at them if they had an opportunity like this.”

BackStop funds are not to be used for capital improvements or expenses that do not apply specifically to the horse that is named in the application. BackStop, the MHBA aftercare account, will not take the place of other funds or assistance received from TAA, TRF, TCA, Beyond the Wire or any other aftercare programs already in place.