About Us

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is British Horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing.

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is British Horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing. Retraining of Racehorses:

• raises funds from within the Racing Industry to help support the charitable retraining and rehoming of former racehorses
• helps provide facilities for the care, retraining and rehoming of former racehorses
• promotes the adaptability of racehorses to other equestrian activities
• runs a well established programme of competition sponsorship, and clinics to educate and improve riders handling former racehorses.

The ultimate goal is to achieve a balance between the number of horses leaving Racing and the number of enthusiastic, and suitable, new homes.

Launched by the British Horseracing Board (now the British Horseracing Authority) in April 2000, Retraining of Racehorses was awarded charitable status in Autumn 2000.  In 2007 the RoR amalgamated with the Racehorse Owners Association charity, Emergency Relief for Thoroughbreds.  RoR now also has responsibility for those rare cases when former racehorses are found in a sick, neglected or ill-treated state. 

RoR provides part funding for four charitable centres which provide care and retraining for former racehorses before placing them in suitable homes.  These are:   Greatwood, HEROS, Moorcroft Racehorse Welfare Centre and the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre.

In addition, RoR has a venture in collaboration with the Suffolk Punch Trust at HMP Hollesley Bay.  Horses just out of racing are rested at the stud located by the prison before moving on to formal training.  As well as benefiting the horses, the project provides positive work experience for prison inmates.

Clearly not all racehorses go on to star in a different sphere, but RoR hopes that, on seeing what can be done, more riders will think about taking on a racehorse when they are looking for a new horse. This will help the charitable centres, the professional retrainers and, most importantly, the horses to find secure and knowledgeable new homes.

RoR has six Trustees, of which four are appointed by the principal contributors to the fund. The remaining two, which includes the Chairman, are appointed by the British Horseracing Authority.

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