Kelley Stobie, co-founder and executive director of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA) in Puerto Rico, doesn't lead a prosaic life. Her day starts fast and ends even faster.One day she is on a plane to the U.S. Virgin Islands to speak with government officials about horses being exported to the islands, and the next she is doing checks with her vet along the shedrow.Stobie has played a major role in equine advocacy in Puerto Rico, and aftercare has grown by leaps and bounds because of her efforts. But the work is never done.Ten years have flown by since Stobie and Shelley Blodgett founded CTA in 2016, and she says that is how it goes in the world of aftercare.“I think that over the years, the growing concern I have is about the overpopulation of horses in general,” Stobie said. “That probably comes as a shock to those who talk so much about the declining foal crop stateside. Everyone needs to remember that this is an island environment. In the Caribbean, we have a huge lack of education on equine welfare in general, along with the overpopulation.”Camarero in Puerto Rico | T.D. ThorntonOn Nov. 7, CTA will celebrate the past decade with 'Ten Years of Hope and Second Chances,' a fundraiser in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Stobie is a tireless advocate for any horse, and the event is an opportunity to look back at the hundreds of former equine athletes who have come through her program. When the phone rings, though, it is usually the future calling.“I receive calls and messages almost every single day about horses in need,” she said. “Sometimes it is an abandonment situation; other times a family no longer has the space, a child is going away to college, or a horse is simply no longer needed by its original connections.”According to Stobie, these situations are a microcosm of much bigger issues. She says greater accountability and responsibility are needed in horse ownership, importation, and the regulations surrounding them. It is just too easy to look the other way.“If we continue bringing horses to an island where there are already so many in need, then we also need to consider what happens when those horses are no longer wanted or needed,” Stobie said. “There must be a responsible plan for the long haul.”Stobie sees horses in Puerto Rico that come from all over the United States, many clearly not in racing condition. She added that they are not just from the minor circuits.“The reality is that we have fewer than a handful of equine aftercare and rescue programs throughout the islands capable of helping these horses,” she said. “Those organizations that continue to exist are already struggling with limited funding, space, and resources.”The Puerto Rican racing situation has been well-documented, especially after 1/ST Racing cut its Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park signal to the island's Hipódromo Camarero over a year ago. Horse welfare, safety, and post-racing retirement care were the main issues. The company has also imposed penalties on owners whose horses started at Gulfstream and then appeared in Puerto Rico to race. Stobie says the moves have been a step in the right direction, but the number of horses in need of aftercare has increased dramatically.During her Sept. 14 trip to St. Thomas and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Stobie spoke with local officials about the horse trade coming from Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland, and her concerns about horses unfit to race at the Clinton E. Phipps Sr. Racetrack, which has had breakdowns over the past couple of years.Barone Cesco before he was euthanized in the USVI | Kelley StobieWhile touring the backside, she found a Kentucky-bred horse named Barone Cesco (Klimt) in a stall, malnourished and living in his own feces. When she asked why he wasn't being cared for properly, she was told he was being shipped to St. Croix and that no one knew who owned him.Stobie and Triple H Ranch, a local horse rescue, cleaned his stall and fed him for seven days. A week later, Stobie learned he had been euthanized, for reasons still unknown. She also saw more than a dozen malnourished Thoroughbreds at another facility on the islands.Since her visit, a federal veterinarian has committed to traveling to St. Thomas to examine the horses and investigate, and CTA and Triple H Ranch have offered to help rehome those deemed fit.“Aftercare cannot be an afterthought,” she said. “If we are going to continue supporting the equine industry, we must also take responsibility for the horses while they're working, racing, and when their careers come to an end. This is not simply a rescue issue. It is a responsibility that belongs to the entire equine community.”Ten years went by in a flash for Kelley Stobie. She said the next 10 will be equally crucial.Click here to learn more about the CTA and the 10th Anniversary Fundraising event.The post ‘Not Simply A Rescue Issue:’ Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Marks 10 Years appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.