CANTER Mid Atlantic

CANTER of Mid Atlantic is a free service offered to the Mid Atlantic racing trainers and owners to help them find non-race homes for their retiring racehorses. CANTER Mid Atlantic covers four seperate tracks including Charles Town (WV), as well as Laurel, Pimlico and Bowie (MD). Furthermore, there are no fees charged to new owners.  Prospective owners find available horse in two ways:

1. By placing their name and desired horse requirements on the Horses Wanted List which is then distributed to the trainers and owners on the backside barn area of the racetrack.

2. By shopping at the Horse Listing Section of the Website at any time during the year.

For best results in finding a horse that suits your needs, it is recommended that prospective owners use both methods.

CANTER History

CANTER was founded by Jo Anne Normile during the racing season of 1997. Jo Anne 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 simultaneously served on the board of directors of the Michigan Combined Training Association (eventing) and 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).

The inspiration for a CANTER program came to Jo Anne from Michigan’s racing trainers themselves who, aware of Jo Anne’s additional contacts within the eventing world, began asking her to visit their shed rows to see if she might know someone interested in purchasing a horse they were about to retire. It soon became obvious that the Michigan racing trainers were searching for a means to reach the non-racing public to sell their horses rather than sell them to auction where their fate was uncertain. 

By the 1998 racing season, an equestrian had donated web space and was providing Website maintenance for CANTER. This allowed the listings of actual horses available at the track together with their photographs allowing the non-racing public to be able to view horses available from their homes. The program's unique approach to the retiring racehorse situation started to attract national attention in racing publications such as the Thoroughbred Times and the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association magazine. The free service for the racing horsemen was now in full gallop to make their horses available to the public for second careers. 

Having just completed its sixth successful year of operation in 2002, this unique program has helped dozens of racing trainers and owners place hundreds of horses to loving non-race homes. The program remains cost and surcharge free to both the trainers and racehorse owners and their new homes. For those instances where the horse must be removed from the track immediately (usually due to injury) and the trainer cannot wait for the transition of the horse through the website, CANTER itself will purchase the horse and remove the horse to a volunteer foster home where it will receive veterinary care if needed (including arthroscopic surgery by Michigan State University!). These special horses are then transitioned into new homes. Any funds that are generated are simply reinvested in going back to the track and buying another special case horse. 

CANTER Mid Atlantic is incorporated in West Virginia, and is approved to operate as a 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS. Your Donations are tax deductable.