National Racehorse Week: the power of the racehorse *Promotion*

Promotional Feature with Great British Racing

Interaction with horses has been used in human education and therapy for several years now and equine-assisted therapy is recognised as a valuable therapy tool worldwide. Wiltshire-based charity, Greatwood, started out as a racehorse rehoming centre, but became one of the very first UK establishments to officially recognise and utilise horses to help people with mental, physical, social and emotional challenges. In fact, they were the first charity to combine equine welfare with educating children and adults through animal-assisted intervention. They do this entirely with former racehorses. Over the years they have helped hundreds of children and young adults with conditions like autism and Asperger’s, as well as people facing a variety of social and emotional challenges. Alongside their educational and therapy programmes they also continue to retrain and rehome former racehorses, with new homes carefully vetted to ensure a long and happy partnership for horse and carer.

There are now a number of charities, organisations and individuals who also use racehorses to improve the lives of people, of all ages. Greatwood was one of 138 venues that opened their doors to show the valuable work they have been doing, as part of National Racehorse Week. The week-long event, which took place between 11-18 September, saw trainers, studs and aftercare, retraining and rehoming centres open their doors to offer more than 10,000 places for people to come behind the scenes of racing and get up close to the stars of the sport, both during their career and in retirement.

Oxfordshire-based HEROS began as a charity focusing on retraining and rehoming horses after they had finished in racing. Their mantra “A new life after racing,” is still at the core of their work, but beyond retraining and rehoming more than 700 horses, they have helped many young people. HEROS provides a range of education and training including alternative to school placements, for youngsters may struggle with mainstream education – with great success.

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HEROS has recently been appointed by the sport’s Horse Welfare Board, as a primary aftercare partner for British Horseracing’s official welfare charity, Retraining of Racehorses (RoR). Grace Muir, HEROS CEO, said: “This endorsement from the industry gives HEROS the confidence to forge ahead and achieve even more with our work. Thoroughbreds have such a wide range of capabilities, it is rewarding to see them go on to have useful, healthy, active lives after their racing careers.”

But it’s not just charities that do great work in this area. Trainers also regularly get involved with their local communities to offer people the chance to experience the joy of meeting a racehorse in real life. In West Yorkshire, Jo Foster regularly takes one of her racehorses, Sigurd, to schools and care homes to interact with people young and old.

Jo is passionate about making a difference in her community and sees first-hand the impact Sigurd has on everyone he meets, bringing both comfort and pleasure to those he gets close to. Sigurd went out and about to visit various groups in ‘his patch’ every afternoon during National Racehorse Week and recently gave a man the inspiration he needed to go through the front door of his care home for the first time in five years, just so he could have a stroke of Sigurd’s nose.

Meanwhile, in Warwickshire, Dan Skelton Racing welcomed 50 children from the Summerfield Stables charity in Birmingham to his incredible training yard. Dan was one of many trainers who provided memorable experiences through racehorses for young children and community groups during the nationwide event.

In total six aftercare and retraining centres opened their doors to the public during National Racehorse Week. Along with Greatwood and HEROS, dressage rider Louise Robson demonstrated how former racehorses can excel in the dressage arena and enjoy their training too. Louise recently talked about the significant role some of her former racehorses have played in her life.

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And based in the stunning location of Ceredigion in West Wales, Spiteri Retraining showed how they make the most of their coastal location for the horses’ work as they prepare them for life after racing.

Retraining, rehoming, and aftercare centres that opened during National Racehorse Week:

• HEROS (Oxfordshire)
• Greatwood (Wiltshire)
• New Beginnings (Yorkshire)
• Mills Stables Retraining (Worcestershire)
• Spiteri Retraining (Ceredigion, Wales)
• Lou Robson – Thoroughbred Dressage (Buckinghamshire)

These incredible organisations were among around 138 venues nationwide, that opened to the public for National Racehorse Week (11-18 September, 2022). Visit: www.nationalracehorseweek.uk for more information.

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