Care for Racehorses for Life
All owners have a duty of care to their horses and there are many ways which they and the ROA ensure this important commitment is upheld:
- Owners pay £1.25 per race entry for the welfare of former racehorses - Rule (F) 106 - which equates to almost £250,000 per year.
- Funding a horse’s care and costs from a foal or yearling to the end of their racing careers
- The ROA executive has a staff member on ‘The Horse Comes First’ board
- The ROA Gold Standard award takes into consideration equine welfare and now how the course is reacting to the ‘The Horse Comes First’ campaign
- The ROA executive has a staff member who keeps up-to-date with equine welfare developments by attending relevant conferences and meetings
- Many owners contribute to the centres who retrain and care for retired racehorses often also with support of their trainer
- The ROA supports Racing Welfare - care for racehorses begins with staff who are well looked after.
- The ROA holds member-only visits to sites of educational interest including veterinary hospitals and to racehorse retraining centres to further the knowledge of owners in these areas.
- It is compulsory that all Thoroughbred foals are microchipped within 30 days of birth, meaning that horses can be tracked and identified throughout their life.