CANTER New England is an affiliate serving Suffolk Downs in East Boston, MA, and also assisting Thoroughbred owners and breeders in the New England states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

CANTER is dedicated to the welfare of the racing Thoroughbred and assisting ex-racers in making the successful transition to life after the finish line. Through direct rescue work, collaboration with other horse welfare organizations and by helping trainers and owners seeking to retire horses to connect with non-race buyers, we help to ensure that these remarkable athletes find loving homes and new careers off the track.

Currently CANTER NE operations are centered on Suffolk Downs, located just adjacent to Boston's Logan Airport. Visit the track's web site , www.suffolkdowns.com, for more information and directions.

CANTER NE is proud to be a CANTER affiliate; in eight years of operation, the national CANTER program, which is endorsed by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association along with state breeders and various horseman's associations, has helped literally thousands of horses transition from a life in racing to life as competitors in other sports, as pleasure mounts, or to peaceful existence as companion horses.

And everyone involved with CANTER is a volunteer--assisting these horses is a labor of love.

Through the Network for Good, you can make a donation to support horse welfare efforts by clicking on the button--using either a major credit card or by sending a tele-check. All donations are fully tax-deductible and used for horse welfare efforts. No CANTER volunteer is salaried.

We do have a significant need for volunteers in several key capacities. Please read more about our current needs by clicking here.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER) provides retiring racehorses with opportunities for new careers after the finish line.

Through its web site, CANTER provides the means for the public to preview horses that are ending their racing careers and are available for purchase. CANTER volunteers have track licenses and walk the shedrows on the backside of the racetrack, taking listings and photographs of horses for sale, and then posting them on the web site. CANTER receives no commissions from trainers (sellers) or buyers: we are 100% volunteer!

WHAT MAKES CANTER DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PROGRAMS?

CANTER is unique in that it was conceived, developed and implemented by the racing industry itself! CANTER founder Jo Anne Normile and her husband had raced their two home-bred Thoroughbreds and successfully transitioned their most recently retired horse to the sport of eventing. During this period, Jo Anne served on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Horsemen's Benevolent and Protection Association (which organization represents Michigan's 1200 Thoroughbred racing trainers and owners).

CANTER seeks to help transition horses that are not successful in their racing careers, or those which simply need to move on, by connecting buyers and sellers. By providing direct access for prospective buyers, we are able to assist a larger number of horses.

HOW LONG HAS CANTER BEEN AROUND?

CANTER stands for The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses. CANTER started as a solution to help racehorses find new careers by connecting buyers and sellers through posting racehorses for sale on the internet. The program quickly became a national web-based phenomenon. Since the first CANTER Michigan program started in 1997, it and has grown to include chapters in California, Illinois, the Mid Atlantic Region, the New England Region, Ohio and Pennsylvania. All the CANTER programs are all-volunteer organizations with 501 (c)(3) non-profit status.

The chapters in Michigan, Ohio, New England, Mid Atlantic and Illinois have also expanded their CANTER programs to include owner relinquished horse adoption programs, where CANTER assumes ownership of the horse and all associated expenses. Many of these CANTER Phase II programs have affiliations with veterinary colleges such as Michigan State University, and Ohio State University, where horses receive necessary surgical procedures to return to soundness.

The central CANTER website is located at www.canterusa.org.