People a Thoroughbred plan needs first
Put yourself and a backup at the top, and choose that backup honestly: a Thoroughbred in pain or frightened can be quick, strong, and reactive, so the stand-in should be an experienced handler who has led and stabled this horse before. Next come your regular veterinarian, the after-hours equine hospital, his farrier, the yard manager, and a hauler he knows. Give every contact a phone number and a plain note about their job in an emergency. If he is in training or at a racing yard part of the year, keep two venue sections, one for each home base, each with its own local vet and gate details, clearly labelled so nobody rings the wrong yard at midnight.
Racing identity and everyday identification
Record every name he answers to and is known by: his registered racing name if he has one, any previous name, and his stable name. Note identifying features such as a lip tattoo if he carries one from his racing days, his microchip number if he has one, colour, markings, and any scars, then support the words with recent photos from both sides, front, and head. Say where his registration and ownership papers are kept. An ex-racehorse may have changed hands and names more than once, so a short ownership history in the plan prevents confusion if a hospital or authority asks who is responsible for him.
Feed, fitness and handling, spelled out
Thoroughbreds often run on carefully built feed plans, so write his out completely: each feed, the amount, feeding times, hay, supplements, and anything that must never be substituted in a feed-room emergency. Note his current fitness level and routine, whether he is in full work, resting, or coming back from a break, because a helper who turns a fit horse out like a retired one invites trouble. Add handling truths in plain language: how he ties, whether he weaves or frets in a strange stall, how he loads, and what calms him. Recent vet and farrier dates belong here too, along with anything those professionals have asked you to monitor between visits.
Authorisation and the journey to hospital
Write down who may approve emergency treatment and transport if you cannot be reached, and make sure that person holds a copy and knows they hold it. Record insurance details and their location if he is covered. Choose the hospital and hauler ahead of time, and note loading details that matter for this horse: the ramp style he accepts, whether a companion settles him, and whether he travels better first or last on board. Keep the yard address, access instructions, and the whereabouts of his travel boots, headcollar, and documents in the same section, so departure is a routine, not a search.
Keeping a Thoroughbred plan up to date
Update the plan whenever his yard, trainer, vet, or feed changes, and again when his work level shifts between training, rest, and a new career after racing. A retired racer learning a quieter life may need his handling notes rewritten entirely, and an old sharp warning left in place can make helpers more nervous than the horse deserves. Test the numbers, replace stale copies at both venues if he splits his year, and brief your backup in person. Filing the current sheet on KinsLe as his Pet Passport keeps identity, feed, and permissions in a single packet ready for whoever is standing in the yard.