RoR

New pathway for racehorses in endurance

As we gently ease out of lockdown and wait for the postponed ride calendar to recommence, I sit at home on my sofa, delighted that racing has returned to ITV, albeit behind closed doors with jockeys riding in face masks. I am wondering what will become of all those magnificent thoroughbreds who are giving their huge hearts to the only equestrian discipline they have known since birth. Thanks to Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), British Horseracing's official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing, many will go on to new homes and second careers in dressage, showing, show jumping, polo and of course, endurance.

"The thoroughbred typically has bags of stamina and a very low heart rate when fit"

Anna Collins, former RoR Elite Endurance Champion and endurance ambassador for RoR explains the exciting new pathway.

Earlier this year, I was delighted to work with John Hudson, former Endurance GB Chairman and Anne Walker National RoR Co-ordinator to develop an exciting new pathway, both to encourage RoR members to give endurance a try and Endurance GB and Scottish Endurance Riding Club (SERC) members with former racehorses to compete.

The thoroughbred typically has bags of stamina, a very low heart rate when fit, is used to travelling long distances to an event and is brought up from an early age to understand the routines of every day handling, shoeing, clipping and has good stable manners. The ex-racehorse will have trained in a string and will love riding out in company, which is why endurance rides are perfect for them.

The new pathway shown, incentivises people to give it a go and gain a recognition rosette for completing a fun or charity ride

all the way through to the Elite Endurance Award for which prize money is awarded and culminates in an award ceremony at the prestigious Jockey Club in Newmarket with a presentation from Clare Balding OBE, the charity’s patron and Luke Harvey from ITV Racing.

We were particularly looking forward to launching a new competition at the Red Dragon Festival of Endurance as RoR teams are eligible to join Endurance GB as an ‘honorary’ Riding Club to work towards qualifying to compete as a team. We all know that Endurance GB develops lifelong friendships and we wanted RoR members to be part of that special atmosphere that the Red Dragon gives in abundance.

The challenge in retraining an ex-racehorse for any discipline, especially endurance, includes teaching them to ride in a rhythm or cadence that works them efficiently and practising simple schooling manoeuvres that will get you safely through a gate, being tied to a trailer rather than attended to in a wagon or standing still whilst you get on.

When introduced to endurance, ex-racers can be a little uncertain of their surroundings as they will probably not have seen muddy puddles, low hanging branches or uneven terrain but they soon get the hang of it.

Thoroughbreds also tend to be a little taller than the average endurance horse so being able to remount on course is useful and they are renowned for their poor quality hoof which can be managed with a good diet and a good farrier as was borne out when my mare won best shod at the Interregional Championships at Barbury Castle and my gelding was awarded Best Shod overall Champion at the Lindum Festival of Endurance.

I have been lucky enough to compete two ex-racers at endurance and both have done extremely well. Diamond Destiny came 2nd and 3rd in the Elite Championship and Karactacus Potts (Mr P) earned us the Elite Award in 2017. I spent my prize money on mirrors for my school at home so at least now I can see how badly my feet stick out.

Unfortunately, the numbers of former racehorses competing in endurance have been reducing over the years. Once you have won at Elite level, the horse is excluded from competing again so this should give anyone with a horse from the track an incentive to join in as the field of competition is reduced and therefore making the points required to pick up an award or prize money more easily attainable.

In this 20th year of RoR, we should be celebrating the thoroughbred, giving them a second career, an opportunity to expand their minds and to develop that special bond that we all enjoy from the sport we love. There’s always next year!

For more information about rehoming an ex-racehorse or competing at endurance, there is more information and advice including details about the pathway at www.ror.org.uk

Photo credit: IndiePics

Pictured are 2019 Elite Endurance Champion Tracy Sieminski riding Abseil and Anna Collins, 2017 Elite Endurance Champion riding Karactacus Potts at Cheshire Group’s Wirral ride on possibly the most inclement day of the year!