About 15,000 thoroughbred and standardbred foals were bred in Australia last year for horse racing. They will have outlived their usefulness for racing before they’ve reached even half of their natural lifespan. Around one-third of retired racehorses are absorbed into the adjacent breeding sector. The remainder must compete for a limited number of suitable new homes.
Ex-racehorses that are useful for equestrian purposes have more post-racing opportunities than those that aren’t. It’s not that they owe us a lifetime of servitude; it’s simply the practical and economic reality. Horses make delightful companions, but as pets go, they are very high maintenance, demand a high level of skill from their owners and are very expensive. There are direct associations between utility, value and welfare.
