A rehoming program designed for the global Thoroughbred racing industry, International Thoroughbred Retirement was founded in 2017 by Hong Kong-based Australian Amy Taylor and has since gone on to help countless horses transition from international racing careers to new homes across Australia and New Zealand.
“Prior to living in Hong Kong, I was a jockey in Australia and was rehoming horses in my spare time,” begins Amy, who has been committed to equine welfare throughout more than 15 years involved in the industry as a jockey, trainer and owner. In 2015, Amy’s efforts were recognised when she received the Godolphin Welfare & Care Award.
“We moved to Hong Kong in 2014 to work for the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). At this time there were few structured rehoming programs available to owners. I wanted to continue on with the work we had done in Australia and create a unique company with the main focus being horse welfare and traceability, and hence ITR was born!” explains Amy of how the program began. That was in 2017, and today ITR has 40 horses on average entering the program each year.
“I designed the program to re-structure the existing model of racehorse retirement into a program designed to achieve the best possible outcome for every horse. ITR has allowed me to continue giving back to the horses that have given me so many opportunities in life.”
From Hong Kong to Australia
While every horse is unique, Amy explains that those who have lived and raced internationally have many very positive attributes due to the vast experiences they’ve had.
“By the time of retirement these horses have had immense amounts of handling,” she explains. “They have been exposed to busy environments, noises, vehicles and crowds. They have been trucked and flown around the world and, more generally, been subject to very high standards of animal husbandry. They have been kept fit, healthy and have had substantial monitoring and care for illness or injury. The training pathway that led to their racing careers began with handling and husbandry from birth. They have had literally years of training to get where they are. This training process has laid a very solid foundation for a career beyond racing and upon return, Australia appears like a far quieter and more relaxing atmosphere.”
Of course, transitioning from a high-octane racing environment such as Hong Kong to a laid-back life in an Australian paddock does take careful management, and the importance of giving horses the time and education needed to successfully adapt should never be overlooked.
“Whilst there are so many positive features to these horses, it must be understood that this does not smoothly transition into a life beyond the track,” notes Amy. “These horses must then adapt to living in the outdoor environment once again. They must adapt to a less intense training and exercise regime, a different diet, and less frequent veterinary and farrier attendance. It is important to remember that this transition process is something that occurs over months and years, not just weeks. Every horse is different, but the vast majority are young, healthy, cooperative animals looking to continue learning.”
Transitioning with help from Kelato
In 2020, Amy was approached by Kelato to see if ITR would become an ambassador for the brand. For Amy, it was a no-brainer.
“We already loved the products and had seen them work wonders on the ITR horses we had with Paul Austin Equitation,” she explains, adding that her go-to supplements are Kelato’s GastroAID Recovery, ZanoBOLIC, and BetaCALM.
“It is so important to get the horses feeling good from the inside out. We treat their stomachs first and rely on GastroAID as part of their recovery plan. During re-training we also find a lot that really struggle with building topline. It’s a big transition for them and we try to balance feed with correct exercises to build them up in the right places. ZanoBOLIC really assists with this, and it doesn’t have an effect on the attitudes!
“We also keep BetaCALM on hand for horses that find their new adventures a bit stressful. I like to make every experience a positive one, so if we feel we have one that just isn’t coping as well, we will start them on the BetaCALM.”
ITR’s mission is to give a retired racehorse not just a new home, but a successful and healthy future. With a combined approach of careful training and targeted nutrition to address the specific challenges these horses face during the transition process, they are doing just that.
You can find out more about International Thoroughbred Retirement here.
Discover the full Kelato equine range here.
This article was written in conjunction with Kelato.
