Where next? Racing looks to the future with research funding and horse rehoming

As Horse Welfare Week draws to a close, Nicholas Godfrey assesses the work done by racing to improve the lives of all equines

Even with relatively limited funding from official bodies, Britain can claim to lead the world in the realm of equine research, with an array of cutting-edge projects setting the global benchmark for horse welfare.

Money provided by the Levy Board may stand at rather less than £2 million a year but it is crucial to such pioneering work. Indeed, the board's raison d'etre as a statutory organ is defined as "to assess and collect monetary contributions from bookmakers and the Tote via a levy, which it then distributes for the improvement of horseracing and breeds of horses and for the advancement of veterinary science and education".