Equine Welfare Update – August 2026

Dear Participant/Owner,

With another successful racing season now complete, I wanted to provide an update on Racing Victoria’s investment in equine welfare programs and initiatives throughout the 2025-26 financial year.

RV invested $5.55 million in equine welfare in FY26, supporting programs that reduce injury risk, create demand for thoroughbreds beyond racing and provide a safety net when hardship arises.

Across the year, we saw more retired racehorses competing in equestrian events, more owners engaging with post-racing programs and stronger support for thoroughbreds in need.

These outcomes are only possible because of the thousands of participants, owners and carers who put the welfare of the horse first each day.

RV’s investment plays an important role, but positive welfare outcomes rely on a whole-of-industry approach before, during and after racing.

One of the most pleasing developments over the past 12 months has been the continued strengthening of the relationship between racing and equestrian communities.

This was clear at June’s Melbourne International 3 Day Event, where retired racehorses accounted for almost half of all equine competitors.

This momentum was also reflected in a record 6,157 thoroughbred entries in Off The Track-sponsored events in FY26, up 16% on the previous year.

What was RV’s investment in equine welfare across the 2025-26 financial year?

RV’s investment of $5.55 million into equine welfare across FY26 takes our total investment since the introduction of a prizemoney contribution in 2017 to over $50 million.

Our expenditure breakdown for FY26 remains largely consistent with the previous financial year and following is a snapshot of how we directed our spend across our key focus areas in FY26:

• Post Racing, Safety Net & Visibility – 44.1% of spend (46.3% in FY25)
• Risk Reduced Racing (Injury Prevention) – 20.6% of spend (18.1% in FY25)
• Equine Welfare & Veterinary Operations – 29% of spend (30% in FY25)
• Industry Education & Reputation – 6.3% of spend (5.6% in FY25)

What were RV’s notable equine welfare outcomes from the 2025-26 investment?

• Launch and Expansion of OTT Carnival

The first RV Off The Track Carnival hosted by Boneo Park was an unequivocal success last spring, attracting over 380 entries across four disciplines and 17 championship classes. It launched as the largest and richest thoroughbred equestrian competition in Victoria.

Key to the event’s success are its low entry fees and inclusiveness, which lowers barriers to participation while providing significant prizemoney incentives for OTT owners.

Building on the success of its inaugural year, the second Off The Track Carnival will take place from 11 to 13 September at Boneo Park with an additional day of competition, elevated prizemoney of over $260,000 and six standalone Rising Star classes added in response to competitor feedback.

Entries for this year’s event, in which 500 thoroughbreds are set to compete, opened in June and were fully subscribed within hours, demonstrating the unprecedented demand and engagement from the OTT community across Victoria and beyond, and reinforcing the thoroughbred's position as a highly sought-after breed across multiple disciplines.

• Strengthening of Veterinary Protocols

The addition of Australia’s first Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner last spring helped bolster RV’s world-first veterinary protocols and deliver the fifth successive Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate Carnivals without serious injury.

The success of these protocols continues to reinforce Victoria's position as a global leader in racehorse welfare and safety. Equally important, they provide the broader community with confidence that equine welfare remains at the centre of decision-making, which has been reflected in a younger demographic engaging with the sport.

• Emergency Relief Support

More than 600 thoroughbreds were assisted after the devastating January bushfires that swept through regional Victoria, thanks to a relief package of close to $150,000 from RV's equine welfare fund.

This enabled affected licensed participants and acknowledged post-racing providers to address urgent welfare needs, including temporary relocation, transport, feed and emergency stabling. Assistance was also provided to help repair essential infrastructure damaged by the fires.

Demonstrating its broader social impact, our industry united to raise a further $220,000 via fundraising events to support first responders and local communities impacted.

In addition to financial support, RV’s equine welfare team, working alongside an incredibly dedicated team of industry participants, played an integral operational role coordinating with clubs, Government, media and refuge locations to ensure the safe evacuation and relocation of those affected during the height of the fires.

This latest investment continues RV's long-term commitment to supporting thoroughbreds during natural disasters. Since 2021, more than 2,800 thoroughbreds have received emergency assistance through RV’s equine welfare fund.

• Diagnostic Imaging Subsidies

In FY26, 133 racehorses in training benefited from RV’s Diagnostic Imaging Subsidy Program (DISP), which reduces the financial barriers associated with the diagnosis of thoroughbreds showing signs of injury through a 50% cost discount.

By enabling earlier and more accurate identification of underlying injuries, the program - which now includes access to the PET scanner - supports timely intervention and informed veterinary decisions, helping to reduce the likelihood and severity of acute and chronic injuries.

• Growth of Subsidised OTT Education Clinics

A total of 94 subsidised education clinics for OTT owners and riders were held statewide in FY26, almost double the amount from the previous year. Partnering in delivery with The Equestrian Diary, these clinics, which cover multiple disciplines and training levels across Victoria, were in addition to the 293 Off The Track-sponsored events staged in FY26.

Increased investment in OTT education clinics has been driven by direct feedback regarding additional training and development opportunities for OTT horses and riders. This demand is reflected in the more than 1,400 subsidies redeemed to date and reflects RV's commitment to supporting owners and riders beyond the initial rehoming process, irrespective of what stage their thoroughbred is at in its post-racing career.

These education clinics will continue to expand over the next 12 months to meet increasing demand. They help build capable and confident OTT owners and further strengthen the reputation of the thoroughbred as a versatile and rewarding equestrian partner. To learn more visit ottcommunity.com.au.

• Partnerships & Activations

Increasing program awareness is a key pillar of our equine welfare strategy and several key partnerships and activations helped us achieve that objective in FY26.

New partnerships were formed with Southern Equestrian Eventing Direct (SEED), specifically targeted to support grassroots eventing and horse trials, and with Horsezone, Australia’s premier equine marketplace, to further promote Victorian OTTs and assist in finding suitable new homes. The partnership with SEED builds on the ongoing and longstanding relationships with Pony Club Victoria and Equestrian Victoria.

RV was also a proud sponsor of the inaugural National Thoroughbred Week in Australia which saw over 5,000 people attend 80 events at stables, stud farms and post-racing providers nationwide.

These partnerships and activations are about more than promoting individual programs. They help introduce new audiences to the thoroughbred, showcase the care and support available throughout a thoroughbred's life, and strengthen public trust and understanding of the industry's commitment to welfare.

• Growth of Post-Racing Providers

Our network of Acknowledged Post-Racing Providers expanded to over 50 during FY26, with Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne headlining a trio of new Acknowledged Rehomers.

An additional two Acknowledged Retirement Farms and six Acknowledged Retrainers also joined the fold, strengthening a post-racing network that is now more diverse than ever before.

To learn more about our post-racing programs or to find a provider near you visit ottcommunity.com.au/programs.

• Veterinary and Investigative Services

In addition to funding a specialist team of equine welfare experts who deliver our suite of 14 post-racing programs, we also have a dedicated Equine Welfare Investigator and in FY26 we conducted 2,426 stable inspections where the welfare and care of horses was a core focus.

The fund also enables us to deliver enhanced statewide veterinary services for horses during their racing careers, as well as to respond to emergencies impacting Victorian racehorses. A Strangles outbreak last spring is one such example in which increased testing and veterinary oversight was required to ensure stringent biosecurity levels were maintained.

• Off The Track Community Platform

Our Off The Track Community (OTTC) platform celebrated its fifth anniversary this year and was recognised as a leading initiative at the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) conference in Saudi Arabia.

In the absence of a national horse traceability framework, the OTTC, which enables owners to voluntarily provide updated information on retired racehorses, has become one of the most comprehensive post-racing visibility systems in the world. Since its launch, more than 12,800 location updates have been provided through the platform, including almost 8,000 with confirmed ownership details and over 4,000 with an emergency contact through the Full Circle program.

The platform has also evolved into a thriving community connecting racing and equestrian participants, helping drive greater engagement with OTT events, education programs and post-racing pathways.

This growing dataset helps inform policy development, direct welfare resources and strengthen our understanding of life after racing. However, once a horse leaves the care of an industry participant, it is no longer subject to RV’s direct oversight. Our role is to support traceability and collaborate with relevant agencies where appropriate, but RV does not assess or approve private rehoming arrangements.

What are the key numbers from RV’s programs over recent years?

Having invested heavily in the systems, programs and processes needed to strengthen our oversight of post-racing outcomes, RV’s ability to support thoroughbreds beyond the track has advanced considerably over the past five years. Following is an overview of progress made since 2021:

Future Focus

As outlined in our April 2026 update, bolstering our established programs and initiatives was a central focus of our equine welfare strategy during FY26. This will continue to be the case over the next 12 months, in addition to the following goals and initiatives:

• Establishment of an Owners Transition Framework to build on the great work already being done by many in the industry. This framework will bring together best practice guidance and existing resources in one accessible place to help owners plan for their racehorse's retirement, make informed decisions about the pathways available and ultimately achieve successful post-racing outcomes.

  In the meantime, if you are unsure about how to begin the rehoming process, please refer to the resources below:

  ottcommunity.com.au/ott-news/24d7991e-8945-5937-b772-95a685c584cb  
  ottcommunity.com.au/programs/acknowledged-retrainers-landing-page

• Work with existing partners to showcase the incredible care that thoroughbreds receive before, during and after racing. This includes increasing our support of National Thoroughbred Week and continuing to expand the Off The Track Carnival;
• Conduct a review of our Clerk of Course incentive and identify opportunities to increase the number of OTTs participating, particularly in regional areas;
• Ongoing investment in the latest technology to help ensure our pioneering veterinary protocols remain world leading;
• Explore ways to collaborate with other Principal Racing Authorities (PRAs) in Australia to mutually drive the demand for retired racehorses. One idea includes a State of Origin show jumping event at Casterton near the South Australian border; and importantly
• Develop a new RV Equine Welfare Strategic Plan (EWSP), with the current EWSP running until the end of 2027.

Conclusion

RV’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of equine welfare throughout every stage of a thoroughbred’s life remains unwavering.

Equine welfare is central to our decision-making and continues to underpin the development of all policies, programs and initiatives.

The outcomes highlighted throughout this update demonstrate that our investment is helping achieve more than support for individual horses. It is strengthening the systems, partnerships and communities that underpin long-term welfare outcomes, improving visibility of retired racehorses and fostering greater public confidence in the care provided for the thoroughbred before, during and after racing.

Importantly, none of this is possible without the commitment of participants across Victoria. Thank you for your efforts in putting the welfare of the thoroughbred first.

If you have any questions about this update or suggested inclusions for the new EWSP, please email our team at equinewelfare@racingvictoria.net.au.

Kind regards,

Aaron Morrison
Chief Executive Officer
Racing Victoria