Retraining of Racehorses
We work with Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) to help vulnerable former racehorses.
These Thoroughbreds are assessed by our specialists who put together a retraining plan that will prepare the horse for a new career before being rehomed.
The vulnerable situations these horses come from could be due to anything from financial hardship or an owner who is unwell and no longer able to care for their horse, to cases where the Thoroughbred has not been taken care of properly and so whose welfare is poor.
Groundwork is the key starting point for all the Thoroughbreds, incorporating pole work and physiotherapy stretches to build up their strength and condition their muscles. Physio pole exercises are an important step in each Thoroughbred’s rehabilitation process. This helps strengthen the abdominal muscles and teaches the horse to keep a consistent rhythm which improves their balance and supports their frame.
The next step is ridden work. Dependent upon the horse’s capabilities they will be re-schooled, in walk, trot and canter. Once the horse is schooling nicely they will then be hacked out in company and alone. This sets the basic foundations for the Thoroughbreds’ retraining process for rehoming. If the horse is capable of achieving more then they will also cover ridden pole work and grids to establish a basic understanding of jumping.
We can find that on occasion a Thoroughbred will come in that cannot be retrained for ridden work due to various issues, such as conformation or previous injuries. They are, however, still perfectly suitable to be a great companion to another horse.
The scheme has already seen a number of successes with Thoroughbreds from a variety of backgrounds undergoing rehabilitation and retraining in our care and finding loving new homes.
Anabaa’s Secret (Freddie) – their story
Freddie progressed well through his time at World Horse Welfare and has been rehomed as a hack. He now spends his days happily exploring the Scottish countryside with his rehomer Sheena who said: “I couldn’t imagine life without Freddie, he is a big part of the family. I am so pleased with him.
Our scheme with RoR is designed to help formerly-raced Thoroughbreds who are in a vulnerable situation. If you own a Thoroughbred that you feel would benefit from this scheme then please contact us on: [email protected]
If you are concerned about the welfare of a horse then please call our welfare line on 0300 333 6000. Find out more about when to call.
