Training program helps re-home retired racehorses

Working with the harness racing industry, this program encourages owners to factor horse retirement into their animal welfare program.

Arden Rooney is a retired harness racehorse that is now going through the Harness Education and Re-homing Opportunities program.

HE WAS once a million-dollar winner on the racetrack.

These days, retired racehorse Arden Rooney is happy to travel at much slower speeds thanks to retraining through the Harness Education and Re-homing Opportunities program.

A joint initiative of Harness Racing Victoria and the State Government, the program helps retrain Standardbreds after their racing careers and find suitable new homes.

Arden Rooney with race owners Merv and Meg Butterworth and trainer Steve Cox.

Program manager Tanya McDermott said the project was in its fifth year, and worked with about 10 horses at a time. Trainers take about eight weeks to prepare horses for a new home off the racetrack.

“We’re quite overwhelmed. We can’t keep up with demand,” Tanya said, explaining that owners donate their horses to the program for different reasons. “Some of them have the ability to keep the horses themselves but don’t want them sitting around in a paddock. Sometimes we have a racing owner who is metro based; they own the horse but don’t have the land to keep them.

“The vast majority of racing people are very passionate about finding good homes for their horses.”

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Star student Rooney is able to calmly stand on a pedestal, bow and nod to answer a question. The horse and his trainer, Steve Cox, will show off these skills at Seymour.

“With the focus on animal welfare within the racing industry, we think it is good to get out there and education the broader community about work being done,” Tanya said.

“If there are people out there considering horse ownership, we would love to show them what Standardbreds can do and open opportunities for these horses.”

Tanya said several horses will be doing demonstrations every day.

The Seymour Alternative Farming Expo runs February 14-16.