The problem

Thousands of horses finish their racing careers in the UK every year, some through injury and many due to the realisation of their owner(s) and/or trainer that they are simply not going to make the grade.  What to do with a horse who was bought with such promise and potential, and at substantial cost, has become a dilemma for many owners who care about their horses.

With the majority going directly to the ‘Sales’ , where their fate is determined by the highest bid, many fall into the hands of unscrupulous dealers who trade in horse meat or pass them off as a ‘safe’ ride to innocent buyers.  Some are bought with good intentions by well-meaning but inexperienced individuals, who may find them too difficult to handle and therefore have no option but to sell them on again.

Our Solution

The prospects for ex-racehorses without a retraining programme can be bleak, as their purpose has expired. Pastures New are a registered charity dedicated to the rehabilitation, retraining and re-homing of retired and injured racehorses.

Through our retraining programme we achieve a useful and worthwhile future for every horse, be it as a “happy hacker” or something more befitting of their fantastic pedigree, such as in dressage, polo, eventing or show jumping.

Those horses suitable will help in our Equine Assisted Learning programme. Here we are helping both the horse and the programme participant at the same time.

In the right hands, and with the right training, horses can go on to have a very contented, successful and happy life after racing.