Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the work of Retraining of Racehorses in (a) retraining retired racehorses for second careers in other equine disciplines and (b) rehoming retired racehorses.

Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is British Horseracing’s official charity established in 2000 for the welfare of horses that have retired from racing. The charity promotes the versatility and adaptability of racehorses for other equine activities. We understand that over 6,500 retired racehorses are registered with RoR as active in a second career. In 2018, RoR’s education programme, open to all registered horses, organised or oversaw the staging of 301 events, with 1,681 horses attending. As a result, RoR plays a leading role on the international scene providing advice to other jurisdictions seeking guidance on setting up their own aftercare programmes. In addition, RoR works closely with welfare organisations such as the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare.