Retiring a racehorse must be handled thoughtfully and professionally. Many horses can suffer needlessly after they have finished their racing career.

However, with a bit of planning, hard work and care, racehorses can be retired humanely and ethically, allowing them to live happily for the rest of their lives.

Check that your racehorse is in good health

Before deciding how you wish to retire your racehorse, it is important to check that he is in good health.

Ask your vet to do a full physical assessment of the animal to ensure the horse is disease free, physically fit and able to breed.

Prepare your racehorse for retirement

In order to make the transition from racehorse to retirement easier for your horse, start to reduce the number of races he runs. Getting your horse used to a more sedentary lifestyle before he retires will make it much easier to find the horse a home.

It will also make it easier for the horse’s new owners to care for him and train him if he is easier to deal with and less highly strung.

Make a decision

After deciding to retire your racehorse, you must decide if you wish to put your racehorse into a breeding facility or retire peacefully. The more successful the horse’s racing career, the more likely it is that he will enjoy a successful breeding career.

Find your horse a suitable home

Whatever you decide, you must find a suitable home for your racehorse. Remember that your horse will hold great value to others as a training horse or just companion.

You should make every effort to ensure that your horse is going to be looked after by someone with the time and experience to provide the necessary level of care.

There are charities and centres that can help provide a home for your racehorse if you are struggling to do so.

If you are looking to take on a retired racehorse…

• Be realistic about your ability and experience
• Take the time to read about the life of the horse and understand him
• Understand that racehorses are used to strict routine
• Be patient and expect some distressed and disobedient behaviour
• Put in the time to make the racehorse trust you – don’t expect this to happen overnight
• Don’t forget – you are not training the horse, but re-training him
• Show your horse love and eventually he will show you love back