Thoroughbreds which retire from horse racing are to be given a second chance under an industry-backed pilot racehorse retraining programme.
Operated by the Irish Horse Welfare Trust, the scheme will entail the retraining of retired racehorses, which may otherwise be destroyed, in other disciplines such as hacking, show jumping or dressage.
Five ex-racehorses have already joined the scheme and were displayed at an open day at the trust's new stables in Co Wicklow yesterday.
The programme had been jeopardised by insufficient funding from the industry, and last May the Redcross-based charity expressed disappointment at the extent of support received from Horse Racing Ireland (HRI).
The sport's governing body, however, has since restructured a €30,000 grant to the programme to allow the trust draw down the full sum by January with the promise of a review towards permanent funding by May next.
Trust secretary, Ms Sharon Newsome, said she was delighted HRI, which has a remit in supporting thoroughbred welfare, had "taken this initial step".
"It's a big step in equine welfare in Ireland that this bridge has been crossed, and the programme is up and running. We still have to raise a lot of money in fundraising but it's great to have got this far."
She added the scheme, the first of its type in Ireland, had received strong support from trainers who had nowhere to turn to in order to have their prized thoroughbreds retrained.
The first five horses to join the programme include Golden Hop, which won more than €20,000 in prize-money for owner-trainer Caroline Hutchinson and was placed forth in the 2001 Ulster Derby.
Another race-winner now being retrained by the trust is Spokane from Michael Grassick's yard which last raced in August 2001.
Ms Newsome said it was possible two of the other geldings to join the scheme would have been put down because of the lack of demand for ex-racehorses. "People don't consider ex-racehorses for other uses, and they have a bad reputation for being difficult and highly-strung. But that's only because they haven't been retrained."
In the UK, where racehorse rehabilitation programmes have been operating for more than a decade, the British Horseracing Board, HRI's counterpart, funds promotional campaigns aimed at getting ex-racehorses used for other sports.
As for the initial trainees, it seems the trust will have no difficulty in finding them new homes once they complete the intensive nine-month programme.
"We already have two of the horses provisionally booked with new owners," Ms Newsome said.
The IHWT (www.irishhorsewelfaretrust.org) can be contacted at: (0404) 45720
