Learn About Life After Racing This National Racehorse Week

Features | 7^th August 2024

National Racehorse Week is back to give everyone unmissable opportunities to see what goes on behind the scenes in British racing.

The eight-day celebration of the stars of the sport – the horses – takes place this year from Saturday 7 September to Sunday 15 September.

There is so much going on at more than a hundred events up and down the country, with fascinating displays, as well as the chance to meet the racehorses and see what wonderful lives they lead.

You can book your visit – and entry to the vast majority of events is free – now at the National Racehorse Week website

It’s not just the sport’s trainers opening their doors to the public. Retraining and rehoming yards are also taking part to show off their vital work.

Here’s a look at five such establishments and what you can expect to see in a visit during National Racehorse Week.

SB Racehorse Rehoming

Find out all about the work of SB Racehorse Rehoming on Saturday 7 September.

Sharon Blake set up the operation five years ago to help her trainer-husband Michael rehome racehorses that retired after being in his care at their base, Staverton Farm, just north of Trowbridge in Wiltshire.

It has quickly grown into a centre offering professional five-star retraining for horses from a wide range of racing backgrounds. The team helps find the best possible homes to suit each individual horse’s needs for their next career.

There is plenty going on during the day with demonstrations by the equine chiropractor, physiotherapist and farrier.

There will be a parade of the horses, a schooling demonstration, and a tour of the yard where the team will be on hand to answer any question you might have.

HEROS

Since it was set up nearly 20 years ago, HEROS has evolved from a charity focused on retraining and rehoming racehorses into a centre also offering vital education to young people.

As well as continuing its work preparing horses for new careers, it now provides youngsters struggling with mainstream education with diploma courses, apprenticeships, traineeships and HEROS unique enrichment programme.

On Friday 13 September at the yard at Fawley, just south of Wantage in Oxfordshire, the charity’s founder Grace Muir and her team will be conducting a tour of North Farm Stud.

Visitors will be able to meet the horses and all the other animals. There will be a schooling display, as well as demonstrations from the vet and equine physiotherapist.

An expert from racing feed suppliers Red Mills will also be on hand to explain all about racehorse nutrition.

Harroway Stables

Visitors to the Hampshire livery yard of Lucinda Sims will get the opportunity to meet some of the most popular ex-racehorses of recent times.

Balthazar King won four races around Cheltenham’s unique cross country course, including twice at the Festival. He was also runner-up in the 2014 Grand National.

These days, he is one of the ex-racehorses given five-star treatment at Harroway Stables at Penton Mewsey, near Andover.

Multiple Grade-1 winning hurdler Zarkander is another jumping star that visitors will be able to meet during National Racehorse week on Sunday 15 September.

Lucinda will explain what goes into retraining racehorses for a new discipline. There will be demonstrations of dressage, showing, jumping and side-saddle riding.

Spiteri Retraining

There can be few more stunning locations where racehorses go to be retrained than Sophie Spiteri’s base in West Wales.

The yard – just five miles from the coast near Cardigan – is where more than 120 horses have been retrained over the last ten years, before going to enjoy happy lives in all manner of other disciplines.

Visitors on Saturday 14 September will learn all about the retraining processes and can enjoy watching a schooling demonstration.

There will also be the opportunity to go to nearby Poppit Sands to watch the horses gallop on the beach, before enjoying their regular relaxing splash around in the sea.

It will be easy to see why the racehorses that pass through Sophie’s yard are happy horses.

Town Farm

There’s a whole lot going on at Town Farm point-to-point yard and racehorse retraining centre near Chediston in Suffolk.

The stables – run by John and Melanie Ibbott – will open on Saturday 14 September.

There will be the chance to find out about all aspects of training and retraining racehorses.

The yard vet and farrier will be giving demonstrations, while an equine nutritionist and a saddler will be on hand to give talks and answer questions about their work.

The pre-trainers and re-trainers will also explain how the horses are prepared for their next careers.

Of course, you will have the chance to meet the horses themselves. There will be ex-racehorses, who have gone on to compete in several different disciplines, as well as last season’s leading point-to-point champion.