Retired Racehorses

mirror these.
• Informational listings should include:
o How to advertise a racehorse for sale, gift
or donation
o How to accept, purchase or adopt a
retiring racehorse
o Resources to facilitate the successful
transition from racing to riding/sport
driving
o Opportunities to make financial
contributions to support retired racehorse
transition, retraining, placement and
adoption
o A list of accredited trainers with
experience retraining racehorses
o “Followers’ pages” for those interested in
a particular horse upon the conclusion of
his or her career
o Information on re-placing horses that
“bounce” from their first non-race homes
o Information devoted to the training
and retraining of Thoroughbreds
and Standardbreds, family lines and
pedigrees, performance capabilities as
non-racehorses, success stories of former
racehorses in other disciplines and race
training regimens to promote soundness
• Recommend that recipients of stallion, breeders’
and owners’ awards allocate a portion of their
awards for re-training grants and competition
awards to develop further careers for
Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds.
• Establish annual non-monetary awards to fete
the breeder and owner who have done the most
to support retired racehorses.
• Establish an industry donor-based award
program for New York-bred sporthorses
competing in shows, fairs, polo games, trail
horse competitions, combined training and
other competitions.
• Establish a regular conference of breeders,
owners, trainers, riders, suppliers and
organizations to further the use of
Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses in
the equestrian and sport driving industries.
• Establish annual awards for retired racehorses,
such as New York’s Standardbred Sporthorse of
the Year Award and New York’s Thoroughbred
Sporthorse of the Year in conjunction with
New York’s equine veterinarians similar to the
national award initiated by Dr. Riddle of Rood
and Riddle, Lexington, KY. (See Appendix)
• Sponsor presentations, workshops and clinics
across New York state and at regional venues
to develop retraining and riding skills for
prospective owners and trainers of former
racehorses.
• Encourage horse-related publications to
include the breed and registered name when
describing or listing horses (e.g. “Little Flower
(Thoroughbred, registered name: Qwerty) won
the Amateur Owner division”).
• Require New York state race tracks to have
information regarding retired racehorses on
their Web sites.
Winter Vacation, adopted in April, 2011, performed in her first dressage
6 weeks later and received “8’s”, a promising start to a new career.
Photo courtesy of Liz O’Connell.
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