As the racing industry continues to work through these challenging times presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, our focus on the welfare of our prized equine athletes has remained a top priority. Not only in racing but supporting those horses that are in search of a second career and a new home following their time on the track.
To that point, you may have seen Racing Victoria (RV) announced the commencement of the RESET Program – a new pathway for Victorian thoroughbreds that have struggled to find the right home following the conclusion of their racing career.
The newly developed ‘RESET (Racehorse, Evaluation, Support, Education and Transition) Program’ will provide direct support for those horses that are sound and have good prospects but have not been successful in transitioning to a second career outside of racing.
Made possible by the Victorian racing industry’s $25 million commitment to accelerate and expand its three-year equine welfare action plan, the RESET Program will underpin our post-racing framework and complement RV’s existing Off The Track Program which promotes the thoroughbred to the equestrian community.
With the goal of responsible rehoming, each horse in the RESET Program will receive retraining from an RV Acknowledged Retrainer, funded by the industry’s equine welfare fund. The initial pilot program will welcome 10 horses, with an additional 20 to join within the first two months.
If you think you have a horse that meets the criteria for the RESET Program, reach out to our Equine Welfare team by emailing: equinewelfare@racingvictoria.net.au.
To better understand if your horse is suitable for the program, click here to read our FAQs.
You can also view our promo video by clicking here. This will give you a real sense for what the RESET Program is about.
If you have any questions about the program or equine welfare in general, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team via the above email.