New £4.5m RoR strategy to improve lives of thoroughbreds after racing
The strategy was launched the same day as the British racing’s new five-year horse welfare plan
Visibility, education and crisis prevention headline Retraining of Racehorses’ (RoR) new £4.5m strategy, which was launched the same day as the British racing’s horse welfare plan (10 November).
The tie-in is intentional – as British racing’s official aftercare charity, it makes sense that the two separate five-year strategies link together. Both were unveiled at the same event in Westminster this week.
The four main aims of RoR’s strategy are: improving visibility and traceability, strengthening welfare, education and lifelong support, increasing participation and demand for former racehorses, and securing funding and organisational resilience needed to deliver change.
Two big areas that owners can expect to see ramping up in coming years are education and work around horses’ first step out of racing.
RoR interim chief executive Rupert Arnold told H&H this new blueprint will build on the work from its 2024-26 strategy.
“The central pillars, which are built around former racehorses being visible, valued, and supported and cared for beyond racing, are still our principal objectives,” said Mr Arnold.
“It's really a question of strengthening some of the things that we've already started and making sure we are better connected to those horses and their owners, because protection comes through connection. We can’t look after the welfare or be certain that horses are being well cared for unless we can connect with them and know where they are.”
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He added: “We're focusing on shifting the focus a little from the welfare safety net – the crisis intervention – and more towards prevention.
“That prevention is being done by creating a community for all the people who look after former racehorses, education, participation, and providing support owners might need if they lack any knowledge, skills, or experience about what those horses might need as they move from racing to a wider equestrian or leisure environment.”
Mr Arnold shared examples of what that looks like in real life. These include data-sharing work with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and equestrian sporting governing bodies, to be able to reach a wider net of former racehorses’ owners. RoR is also planning to upgrade to better digital infrastructure, which will roll out in 2027 and 2028.
The safety net will still be there, but Mr Arnold explained that the idea is to help prevent horses from reaching that stage.
The cost of delivering the strategy is £4.5m, which Mr Arnold described as an “ambition” rather than the money needed in the bank to get this off the ground.
“Our planning assumption is that half will come from our own fundraising efforts and half will come from the industry,” he said.
“We're not saying that we expect individual stakeholders to double the amount that they are contributing at the moment. What we are saying is that as an industry, racing needs to come together with an understanding that aftercare is a shared responsibility – horse welfare in the whole sport is a shared responsibility – and so we need to have that discussion with the industry as to how that funding is going to be provided.”
BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea said the publication of the two strategies “underlines the shared commitment across British racing to safeguarding the welfare of our horses throughout their lives”.
“It’s a further example of where British racing has aligned under a collectively agreed strategic framework to focus effort on our priorities,” he said.
“RoR plays a vital role within British racing's welfare structure, helping former racehorses remain connected to support, guidance and opportunities after they leave training. This strategy sets out an ambitious and practical roadmap for strengthening that work, and the BHA is pleased to endorse it as the sport's industry strategy for aftercare.
“Together, we can build on the progress already made and ensure former racehorses enjoy fulfilling lives beyond racing.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.