Moorcroft Equine Rehabilitation Centre chief executive Mary Frances on giving horses another chance...

I grew up in Ireland and trained with the late showjumper and trainer Iris Kellett. I have 40 years’ experience with horses, having worked in Switzerland with top dressage horses and in the UK with eventers. When Moorcroft needed a manager, I was pleased to step in and help these very deserving horses.

I was only meant to be at the charity for a year, but have been with them for 12. I really love the rehabilitation side of my job, as so many horses need another chance in life. Not enough is known about how to rehabilitate after lameness and surgery or when things go wrong. Ex-racehorses, in particular, need time and understanding, plus lots of strengthening and muscle-building work.

At the charity, we are passionate about rehabilitating ex-racehorses. Sometimes they are young horses and we give them a future that they otherwise may not have had.

We also help other breeds that need assistance after surgery, or time off from lameness. We take great satisfaction and pride in doing a good job for the horses.

I feed the horses at 5.30am before the staff arrive at 6.15am. I am very hands-on and will start long-reining the horses from 6.30am until 11am – after that, I am in the office helping with admin work. Many racehorses develop back problems, so long-reining helps them use and develop themselves properly.

We see a lot of tendon injuries but we have a good success rate in the recovery of these horses. It may take nine months or so of box rest and treatment, but when the horses are back in work it makes it all so worth it, especially with young horses, who have their whole lives still ahead of them.

We had one horse who came to us in a particularly bad state, lame both in front and behind and with a sore back, and I remember questioning if he’d make it. But we gave him time and physio treatment over an 18-month period and he now competes in dressage. He is a very special horse; he’s safe and sensible and has not yet gone lame since. It’s all about giving the horse time; if you rush, it’s never going to work.

We have 25 horses at the centre, and we have top-class facilities which have been developed over the years since Moorcroft moved to Slinfold in West Sussex in 1999. We have indoor and outdoor arenas, plus physiotherapists and vets on-hand. We offer a quiet and sympathetic approach to the horses in our care. There are 70 acres, so plenty of hacking and grazing. We also have access straight out onto the Downs Link, offering safe riding with no roads.

It is so rewarding to see a young, damaged horse develop his confidence and to feel more comfortable under saddle, and to know that you and the team have helped him to a brighter future. If the horse is owned by the charity, we rehome him to a good home and visit annually. We also help those who have bought a horse from a sale and have run into trouble – it is very satisfying to see them improve and go home a much happier combination.

Blowing Wind, who ran in the Grand National numerous times, spent four years in retirement with us at Moorcroft, coming here as a 17-year-old until his passing. It was heart-warming to be able to give something back to him and offer him a happy retirement. We did parades with him and he just enjoyed life with us.

The hardest part of my role is keeping the charity well enough funded, as costs are very high, so it’s a constant battle to be able to give the horses the best care. We have a great board of trustees who support the charity, and we raise vital money through educational courses and demonstrations too.

These funds go towards the vet care, feed, physio treatment and general care of the horses. We run the centre a little understaffed as funding is inadequate, but we work smart and I am so lucky to have the best team ever.

Ref Horse & Hound; 28 May 2020

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Find out why you should consider taking an ex-racehorse on and why you need to think seriously about your decision first

1. Ex-racehorses can excel in every discipline

“Retired racehorses are extremely versatile, intelligent and quick at learning new skills, therefore they can generally adapt to almost all equestrian disciplines,” says Gillian Carlisle, chief executive of The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre. “It is however fair to say racehorses struggle with developing the same amount of collection and engagement and therefore higher level dressage can be a challenge too far for many retired horses. Over the years, retired racehorses have competed at the highest level in eventing. Obviously this needs enormous luck as well as the normal talent and dedication, but thoroughbreds are bred to compete and will always repay your efforts.”

2. …But you do need to have the right support

“Anyone who is thinking about taking on a retired racehorse must ensure they have adequate experience, suitable facilities and that they have sufficient time,” Gillian says. “It’s also preferable if they have a support network in place, whether that be an instructor or a retraining centre, so they’ve got someone to turn to if they require any help or advice.”

3. They can make great hacking horses

“There are horses who’ve never raced, or raced very lightly, and who are just too slow with low miles on the clock so will lend themselves well to an alternative career,” says Grace Muir, chief executive of racehorse rehoming charity HEROS. “They also make great hacks or leisure horses.”

Continued below…

Expert advice on how to train an ex-racehorse

We ask the experts what steps you should take once you have got your new ex-racehorse home

4. Many of them will already have been retrained

HEROS, for example, does a great deal of work with the horses before looking to rehome them. “We endeavour to iron out any initial common problems before we re-home our horses — standing to mount, hacking alone, turnout routines, different tack, different aids etc,” says Grace. “Each horse is different so the challenges can be very few with the horse adapting to a new way of life easily, while some take longer and can be more complex.”

5. …But they’re still not a good choice for a first horse

“A novice rider with little horse husbandry knowledge is not the right person to be thinking of taking on a racehorse. They’re not good first horses. Owners need to have an understanding of the amount of time and care required in caring for the horse,” says Grace. Graham Oldfield, co-founder of The Racehorse Sanctuary, adds the following common sense suggestions to the list of unsuitable candidates: “The very young, an elderly person who wants a quiet hack, and those who have ridden at their local riding school and have decided it is time to have their own horse.”

6. They’re very loving

“They can be extremely affectionate and thrive on human interaction,” says Gillian.

7. …But can be high maintenance

“Thoroughbreds need more frequent shoeing and dental care than many other breed,s but they amply repay this extra commitment because most thoroughbreds love the company of humans. A thoroughbred needs a purpose in life and they do not do well simply turned out in a paddock to fend for themselves,” Gillian adds.

8. The idea that thoroughbreds suffer more from ulcers and injuries than other breeds is a myth

“The ailments and injuries referred to can be associated with all equines,” points out Graham Oldfield. “Sadly the thoroughbred is believed to be worse than others, although personally I don’t think that this is the case. It’s spoken about more frequently with the thoroughbred due to the sheer numbers of horses coming out of training. These problems need to be dealt with when they occur as would be the case with any other breed.”

9. …But they may already have wear-and-tear from their racing career (that may cost you in vet’s bills)

“The National Hunt horses in general are more straightforward and level-headed, but can so often come with a history of injuries. The two, three and four-year olds coming straight from flat racing can be a lot more flighty, particularly the two-year olds physiologically as they’ve covered so much in their short lives and are still babies at heart,” says Graham.

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Ellen Svennerstal has been appointed as sales and marketing assistant at Keyflow Feeds.

The 22-year-old event rider competes at three-star with her horse, Southway, and has represented Sweden on several occasions.

Keyflow’s Cam Price said: “We are really excited to have Ellen on the team. The combination of business training and practical equestrian knowledge and experience will be hugely valuable to Keyflow.”

Nigel Laughton is the new chief executive for Pentathlon GB.

Nigel has 17 years’ experience working in elite sport and joins the organisation in November.

He comes to Pentathlon GB after three years as performance director of British Skeleton.

“I am honoured to have been offered this incredible opportunity in the lead-up to Rio 2016 and beyond,” said Nigel.

The Society of Master Saddlers has a new president — Peter Wilkes.

Well-known throughout the industry as head of Vale Brothers, Peter is passionate about excellence in saddlery craftsmanship, saddle fitting and the development and progress of the industry as a whole.

Peter takes over from Helen Dart, with Laura Dempsey moving into the vice president role.

“It is important that we never let go of our traditional craftsmanship while also adopting and looking into new manufacturing processes,” he said.

“I am starting my term feeling confident that consumers are buying again and it looks set to be a very positive time for all involved.”

Norbrook Laboratories has appointed Mark Brady as national sales manager for trade in Britain.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the animal health industry, he was most recently with Pfizer, which is now Zoetis.

Norbrook is a British veterinary pharmaceutical company set up in 1968 by the late Lord Ballyedmond.

Rory MacDonald has officially retired from his position as chief executive of the British Racing School in Newmarket after 22 years.

He has been succeeded by Grant Harris.

Grant Harris has previously worked for the National Trainers’ Federation, the British Horseracing Board and Weatherbys.

“I am honoured and proud to have been given the opportunity to carry on the great work Rory and the BRS team have achieved over the past 20 years that has led to the School’s reputation as a world-class training provider,” he said.

“We will strive to continue to improve the quality of training and trainees for the industry in this country and wider afield.”

Champion Chase-winning is jockey Jamie Moore the new “jumps ambassador” for the London region of Jockey Club Racecourses.

“It is a pleasure to be working with Sandown Park and Kempton Park racecourses as their ambassador for the coming season,” he said.

“They are two tracks that I enjoy riding at and I have been lucky enough to have had some great successes at both, so I feel honoured to have been asked to take on this role.”

Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre’s board of Trustees has announced a management restructure which will see the new role of chief executive created at the charity.

The current roles of operations director and fund raiser will be replaced with the chief executive and an executive assistant.

“This is a time of great opportunity and change for the TRC as we move into the next three-year strategic plan,” said chairman of Trustees, Brian Acott.

There have been a number of staff changes at Cumbria-based equestrian lick manufacturer, Horslyx.

Horslyx product and sales manager, Gillian Neill, is now on maternity leave and Nick Mackley, who recently joined the team as UK north sales manager, will be covering.

Becky Brennan has now been appointed as UK north sales manager.

Longstanding Horslyx team member, Anita Watson, will be leaving the company this autumn and Jonathan Bagg has been appointed as export manager.

Dengie has employed a new thoroughbred specialist and sales manager for Ireland.

Former National Hunt jockey Padge Whelan is joining the company and has has extentsive experience of the thoroughbred sector, thanks to a successful racing career that saw him ride more than 120 winners.

Dengie national sales manager Chris Allen said: “We are pleased to welcome Padge to the team. We are confident that, with his high level of knowledge, enthusiasm and drive, he will be a tremendous asset to the Dengie brand as he works to develop our potential in Ireland.”

A brand new raceday is coming to Haydock Park this year.

The inaugural TRC Charity Raceday will be held on 14 October, the last meeting of the flat season at the track, in aid of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre, based in Halton, Lancaster.

An exclusive drinks reception and 3-course lunch will be held in the Park Suite, overlooking the racecourse, followed by an auction.

Prizes include a trip to Hong Kong International, including accommodation, transfers and business class flights.

And if that isn’t enough to tempt you then perhaps the lease of a horse in training for a year with the winner choosing its name and colours or a trip to London including accommodation, tickets to the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Annual Award Lunch or tickets to War Horse may tempt you to raise your hand.

The day aims to generate awareness of the work that the TRC does and raise cash towards the operational costs of the centre, which are currently standing at over £1,500 just for one day.

To book tickets visit www.haydock-park.co.uk

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The Thoroughbred Rehabilitiation Centre is holding a two-week online auction to raise money for the care of former racehorses.

Auction items include a morning on the gallops with Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, a tour of former top jockey Pat Eddery’s Buckinghamshire stud and ticket packages for Cheltenham, Market Rasen and Haydock Park racecourses.

The auction will be live on the ebay website for two weeks from Wednesday 26 May at: http://donations.ebay.co.uk/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=36831.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A visit to England and Newcastle United footballer Michael Owen’s stables is one of the lots up for grabs at this year’s Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre summer lunch and auction.

Fans of the footballer Michael Owen have the chance to bid for a visit to his racehorse training complex in Chester.

The summer lunch and auction will be held on Thursday 23 July at Chester racecourse — and will be attended by TRC patrons Michael Owen and his wife, Louise.

Carrie Humble from TRC said: “The fund-raising lunch is going to be an enormously enjoyable occasion to support the work of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre. We are very grateful to our patrons and to the racecourse for their help and support.”

Another lot is a half day for a winning bidder and their dog with TRC patron and companion animal instructor Sarah Fisher — plus tea with Sarah and her husband actor Anthony Head.

Tickets are £85 and can be purchased from the TRC office on 01524 812649.

For more information visit: www.thoroughbredrehabilitationcentre.co.uk.

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The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre (TRC) in Lancashire is opening its gates to the public on eight occasions this year, instead of staging one big summer open day.

The first two open days were last weekend (17-18 May).

Penny McPhillips from TRC told H&H: “It went extremely well and we’re now taking bookings for June. We had about 60 people in total visit us over the weekend — and one couple even came up from Barnstaple in Devon to see us which we were very impressed by.”

The other open days will be on 14-15 June, 13-14 September, and 18-19 October.

Each day will be limited to 50 visitors, and tickets must be booked in advance.

A spokesman for the TRC said: “We’ve found that smaller open days work better as more people have the opportunity to come along and with less people at each day visitors can get a better idea of the sense of the centre and how we work.”

During the open days the public will have the opportunity to tour the yards, meet the horses, watch demonstrations and meet the staff — including founder Carrie Humble who will host the tours.

Gates open at 10.30 and the event ends at 1pm. Tickets cost £10. Tel: 01524 812649.

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The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre (TRC) is running a series of one-day clinics to give advice to people struggling with ex-racehorses.

Nicky McDonald from TRC told H&H: “We have decided to run the clinics due to public demand. We’re getting calls almost everyday from people who have bought or acquired an ex-racehorse and can’t manage and need some help.”

The clinics will include a tour of the TRC facilities, advice on training methods, common problems, feeding and exercising the thoroughbred.

There will also be the chance to see the trainers and senior staff demonstrating both ridden and ground work with the horses.

Ms McDonald said: “We will be looking at specific case histories as well. Although all horses are different, generally the same problems — be they behavioural or conformational — crop up continually.”

The first clinic will be held on Friday 4 April from 10am to 3pm at the TRC in Halton, Lancashire. Julie Robinson, trainer and yard director for TRC, will lead the day.

Ms McDonald added: “Depending on the success of the first clinic the aim is to run about eight to ten a year.

Participants will be able to discuss individual queries and problems as well as watch horses being worked and trained at the centre.

“With the clinics owners will be able to see how we work here at the centre,” said Ms McDonald. “Hopefully they can watch what we do and get an insight into how to deal with common problems.”

The workshops are being limited to ten people so that everyone can get individual attention.

Places are only available by pre-booking and each session costs £100. All participants must be over 18.

The TRC is the original UK charity dedicated to the welfare of ex-racehorses and was founded in 1991 by Carrie Humble.

There are currently 30 horses at the TRC and they re-home approximately 25-30 a year.

For more information tel: 01524 812649

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On Sunday 1 July there will be a rare opportunity to look around the new premises of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre (TRC) in Halton, Lancashire.

Members of the public will be able to see the horses and meet the staff at the 230-acre Whinney Hill site near Lancaster, where the TRC moved 21 months ago.

TRC trainer Julie Robinson will also give two demonstration clinics at 1pm and 3pm when she will discuss the challenges faced in rehabilitating former racehorses.

TRC founder Carrie Humble MBE said: “Whinney Hill is such a fantastic place. It is very important to us that people can witness our work and its results.”

Admission will cost £5 for adults, and £3 for children and concessions. Dogs are not allowed. Gates open at 12 noon and the day will end at 4pm. For further information and tickets (tel 01524 812649).

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now