Retraining of Racehorses chief: why aftercare must not be an afterthought

In the early stages of a new year, you inevitably read plenty about racing’s priorities for the 12 months ahead. As chief executive of Retraining of Racehorses, I just hope racehorse aftercare is not an afterthought for anyone.

While millions of racegoers roar home their favourites, captivated by the thrill of a race finish, concerns about what happens to horses beyond the finish line undoubtedly continues to be an issue for the public. This was highlighted in a survey conducted during National Racehorse Week which revealed that attendees were most concerned about how racehorses are looked after in retirement.

In a country passionate about the welfare of animals, these doubts certainly represent an existential threat to racing and are seemingly contributing to declining attendance and diminishing association with the sport from some high-profile figures. The concern is not unique to the UK either.

The sport must gain the public’s confidence that racing looks after its own and, thanks to an initiative we launched last year, every racecourse in Britain now has a collective vehicle to demonstrate its commitment to horses’ welfare after they finish racing.

David Catlow: "We hope more racecourses recognise how crucial their role is"Credit: Retraining of Racehorses

Supported by Godolphin, a worldwide leading advocate for aftercare, the Horses For Courses equine ambassador scheme means every racecourse can ‘adopt’ a horse synonymous with the track. These ambassadors can then be paraded at the courses, as was the case with Definitly Red at Aintree last month, allowing valuable, up-close interactions with racegoers, while the course can also share highlights of the horse’s life and the enjoyment they are getting from their second career.

Nine courses are actively registered with Horses For Courses, with Ascot, Carlisle, Wetherby and Aintree blazing a trail for others to follow as they have combined community and raceday visits with regular social media updates to gain significant engagement with their audiences. Independently, York has also done impressive work with its New Beginnings ambassador Goldream.

Britain’s racecourses, with a combined social media reach of over 34 million people as well as their influential roles in communities, are pivotal players in the sport’s messaging on welfare and we hope more courses will recognise how crucial their role is and the opportunity a simple, low-cost initiative like Horses For Courses brings, showcasing their united commitment to the lifetime wellbeing of horses.

Any others interested in joining the scheme and learning more about Horses For Courses are encouraged to contact RoR.

David Catlow is the managing director of Retraining of Racehorses. For more information and to watch a film about Horses For Courses, click here.

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