The horse comes first for life; easy to say, but not so easy
to guarantee. The British thoroughbred
breeding and racing industries aspire to be world-leaders in implementing the
highest standards of equine welfare, and the racing industry is increasingly dedicating
attention and funding to underpin worthwhile careers for thoroughbreds after
their formal racing careers – and rightly so.
But the authorities cannot dictate the care of horses after racing, they
can only advise and exhort new owners to do what is right by their charges.
A racehorse may live another twenty years after retiring from racing, but thoroughbred horses are versatile and responsive to new careers, in dressage, show jumping, cross-country, endurance, hunting or simply hacking. For many the transition is simply and successfully achieved. For some thoroughbreds, either as a result of disposition or injury, expert help is required to make that transition.
A racehorse may live another twenty years after retiring from racing, but thoroughbred horses are versatile and responsive to new careers, in dressage, show jumping, cross-country, endurance, hunting or simply hacking. For many the transition is simply and successfully achieved. For some thoroughbreds, either as a result of disposition or injury, expert help is required to make that transition.
Fortunately we now have a number of retraining and re-homing
centres in Britain dedicated to that task. Whether that number is enough is open to debate. Some 4 - 5,000 racehorses retire each
year. Many have a life expectancy of the
order of 20 years after racing. This
suggests that at any one time we may have upwards of 100,000 thoroughbreds
re-homed by privately funded and committed keepers, providing them with an
active life suited to their capabilities.
Even horses which cannot be ridden can have happy, contented lives as
companions for more active horses.
Nevertheless for some of the more difficult horses and some who develop problems later in life, the only safe alternative to euthanasia, is the provision of sanctuary-based care run by experienced staff. This though is an expensive solution to an ethical dilemma: even the most difficult horse does not deserve to be put down, if it is still in good enough health to be able to enjoy companionship and a quality of life.
Nevertheless for some of the more difficult horses and some who develop problems later in life, the only safe alternative to euthanasia, is the provision of sanctuary-based care run by experienced staff. This though is an expensive solution to an ethical dilemma: even the most difficult horse does not deserve to be put down, if it is still in good enough health to be able to enjoy companionship and a quality of life.
Hence the aims of the ABTS project are:
- To encourage more sanctuary-based care, so that we can indeed claim that thoroughbred welfare in Britain is the best in the world, for life
- To bring together all those involved in providing sanctuary facilities, to allow them to support each other and share best practice to the ultimate benefit of the thoroughbreds in their care
- To engage with the whole of the thoroughbred industry to promote the importance of ethical end of life care as an essential component of best equine welfare practice
- To engage in particular with racehorse owners, who feel a moral obligation to ensure that the horse does indeed come first for life, not just whilst racing