Racehorse rehoming programme
For the website dedicated entirely to racehorse rehoming, please go to www.retrainingracehorses.com.au
For the longest time, racehorses have been rehomed in one of two ways. You either go straight to a trainer, and either pay a small amount of money, or sometimes even nothing, and come home with your very own racehorse to retrain. The alternative is that a professional retrainer takes a racehorse on after it retires, puts some training into that horse, then you buy the horse from the trainer.
The only flaw in both of these scenarios is that so often you are then the proud new owner of a horse that you don’t really fully understand. They either know only racing, or they know racing, plus whatever training they have had after retirement. If you have the option of lessons from the trainer, that’s great, you can work with the person who has installed the ‘new buttons’, and so if you get stuck, you can always go back to them. However that’s not always the case.
There is much talk about ‘wastage’ in the racing industry. Even more talk about how these beautiful horses go from the track to the doggers.
The truth is, it is extremely rare for the horses to go straight from racing to an abbatoir, or sales. There is usually a home in between.
This home is usually one of these scenarios. A well meaning individual who wants to retrain their very own racehorse, but maybe doesn’t have the skills, support, or facilities to do so. They do their absolute best, but what started as a dream quickly becomes a nightmare. Perhaps trainers are involved, perhaps the horse is sold on a few times… but at each stage this horse is picking up poor behaviours or patterns, until it is deemed unmanageable or unsound and finds itself at the sales or the kill pen.
Every time this happens, it adds to that preconceived ideas that there are very few ex-racehorses that are both sound and sane. Just like all breeds, they are still individuals. The truth is, some Thoroughbreds really have no interest in going fast. Some are very happy to plod along a trail. Some may have soundness issues, but many do not (the black horse in the gallery above had 65 starts, and went on to be an elite level eventer into his 20s, without ever taking an unsound step). Some are hot, others are sloths. Some are spooky, others become fabulous police horses who stare down riots without so much as a blink.
Their behaviour and soundness as pleasure or performance horses has far more to do with their personality and the training they receive after their race career, than the racing itself.
Whether you are looking for a performance horse, a pleasure horse, an allrounder… whatever, with the right start, there is no reason why you couldn’t find your perfect match in a Thoroughbred. They really are the ultimate versatile breed!
So what do we do?
My belief is that the best outcome for these horses and their new humans requires a more in depth approach to the rehoming process. Hence, the racehorse rehoming programme was born.
Picture this:
You get to buy your beautiful new best friend, and give them a life after racing, but you’re not alone on that journey. In fact, you are given every tool you could need to have the best relationship possible with your new horse, and lifetime support on your journey.
The programme
Each horse is sourced for the programme and profiled, according to their age, temperament, abilities etc. They are checked for any soundness issues, and if necessary they have already undergone the necessary rehabilitation to be ready to begin their retraining.
When the horse is profiled, those on the waitlist who may be a suitable match are contacted, and able to organise a meet-and-greet with their potential horse. If you think this horse could be your new best friend, you will be asked to pay a deposit, and you will also enter the programme. You will be given access to the private facebook group, where you can connect and collaborate with others who are on this journey.
Each horse then has a 3 month ‘let down’ spell. They are turned out with other horses, treated for ulcers, have their hooves strengthened and trimmed, are weaned off their racing diet and onto a more high-fat/high fibre diet. They are allowed to just be a horse.
While they are letting down, you will be completing the online learning component of your programme. You will learn about the Thoroughbred as a breed, the racing industry, some typical behaviours and why they come up, how to train your horse on the ground, and under saddle, how to problem solve, best practice horse management etc.
The horses come in for two weeks of work with us prior to the intensive. They are bathed, rugged, shod (if necessary) and prepared for their new life. They will do some basic ground and ridden work.
The Intensive: This is the exciting bit! You spend three weeks with your horse in a supervised retraining programme. In small groups of 6, you and your horse will begin your journey. These sessions cover ground work (including float loading, tying up etc), ridden work (from the basics to some introductory dressage and poles, as well as new experiences like trails, obstacles etc), and horse care and management specific to you and your new partner.
You get to take your new partner home with you. On the final day of the intensive, you take your equine partner home with you!
You are now part of our alumni! You get to stay in the facebook group, so there is always support available from not only us, but your peers on this journey. We have a monthly zoom call for alumni, where you can share experiences, ask questions or request teaching on certain topics. You also have access to alumni-only workshops and events. Additionally, you will have access to the online video library - these are videos from all of our rehoming programmes and workshops, as well as zoom calls and teaching videos.
For one year after your intensive, you have access to VIP support - this means discounted private sessions with us, as well as text and email support.
You also have lifetime support in the form of assistance should you need to rehome your racehorse for whatever reason. We can help you by connecting you with possible new owners via our network, assisting you in the sales process etc.
The programme is $6,600, which includes all of the above; the purchase price of your horse, the online learning, the intensive programme, the ongoing support via the facebook groups, zoom calls, video library, etc.
Book A Call - Text keira on 0421 313 863
To learn whether our racehorse rehoming programme is the right fit for you.