Cover image courtesy of Racing Australia
Racing Australia have launched a large-scale strategic research project “to assess demand for retired Thoroughbreds and inform the development of a comprehensive strategy supporting their transition into second careers and long-term homes.”
Funded through the AgriFutures Australia Thoroughbred Horses Program which “invests in high-impact RD&E that improves the sustainability, productivity and competitiveness of the Australian thoroughbred industry,” the study will pull together national surveys, stakeholder interviews, and in-depth data analysis to outline the whole picture of retired Thoroughbreds across Australia.
The outcome of the research project will be a National Thoroughbred Aftercare Demand Strategy, which will be released during the 2026 autumn carnival.
Caitlin Smith | Image courtesy of AgriFutures Australia
“Our rural industries have long recognised the value of Thoroughbreds beyond racing and breeding. This project not only reinforces their role in regional and rural Australia, but also lays the foundation for a coordinated, strategic approach to Thoroughbred aftercare, which is vital for the sustainability of the industry,” AgriFutures Thoroughbred Horses Program Manager Caitlin Smith said.
Science at the core of the study
The research project will be led by Racing Australia’s Dr Natasha Hamilton from the Equine Genetics Research Centre (EGRC) and will be run by a range of specialists across the different facets of the project. Dr Brandon Velie from the University of Sydney will run the data analysis, Professor Jane Williams from Hartpury University in the UK will oversee the survey process, and Jen Krawczyk, formerly with Racing Victoria, will conduct in-depth interviews with equestrian groups.
Dr Natasha Hamilton | Image courtesy of The University of Sydney
“It’s a three-pronged attack. What we're trying to do is understand the demand for Thoroughbreds and how they are used (after retiring from racing), and the perceptions of Thoroughbreds so that we can create a strategy to increase the demand (for Thoroughbreds) and identify areas where people can be educated or areas that might need some support from industry welfare and traceability departments,” said Hamilton.
Using Racing Australia data to set the context
Racing Australia’s Horse Retirement Notification form asks industry participants to inform the federal authority about a horse’s first home on finishing their racing career. The form includes questions about the retirement destination and the reason for retirement, as well as information related to sales, for example, whether the horse will be sold at auction.
“The first part of the analysis is a desktop analysis, which will be a statistical analysis of Racing Australia’s retirement data. We will use statistical modelling to accurately describe the horses leaving the industry and determine whether there are modifiable factors that are associated with the success of these horses in the new homes,” said Hamilton.
Data from Racing Australia will also include age at retirement, number of starts, and any further information that can be pulled from the stewards' reports if needed.
Horse retirement form all states | Image courtesy of Racing Australia
To ensure a level of independence from Racing Australia, Dr Brandon Velie from the University of Sydney will do the statistical modelling using Racing Australia’s compiled data. Velie works in the field of genetic reasons for horse athletic performance, and recently worked on a project funded by Racing and Wagering Western Australia titled: How prior Thoroughbred racing performance influences competition level in a horse's post-racing eventing career.
“I think everyone has great ideas on what some of those factors might be, such as levels of education or whether the horse raced or not. This stage is an internal analysis that will help us understand those factors as well as where horses are going and create a holistic picture,” said Hamilton.
Dr Brandon Velie | Image courtesy of Equine Genetics & Genomics
“What does a successfully rehomed horse look like? What does a horse that ends up in a poor welfare situation look like? Plenty of people have an idea of this but this is the first time anyone has ever looked at it scientifically.”
A survey of owners of rehomed Thoroughbreds
Concurrent to the data analysis of horses being rehomed after racing, the project will run a survey asking owners of retired Thoroughbreds more details around costs, reasons for owning a Thoroughbred, and general attitudes towards (or against) owning Thoroughbreds.
“We have been working on setting up this survey for a little while. It's going to explore a lot of areas. We want to understand the current costs associated with ownership, and the capacity of people to own horses. It’s important to understand the reasons people choose to get a Thoroughbred and what their expectations are.
We want to know people’s attitudes towards owning both Thoroughbreds and non-Thoroughbreds, as we’d like to compare if people have different priorities (with different breeds),” said Hamilton.
“We want to know people’s attitudes towards owning both Thoroughbreds and non-Thoroughbreds, as we’d like to compare if people have different priorities (with different breeds).” - Dr Natasha Hamilton
“Do people get Thoroughbreds to do only high-level eventing? Because I think a lot of the promotions are aimed at those really high-level riders, but my personal experience is that Thoroughbreds are fabulous for someone who can barely ride.
“We're also going to try and assess the knowledge of the existing industry funded programs because a lot of people don't realise that there is support available and we want to identify incentives that are popular or would increase demand.
“We've got a whole section that's targeting the demand for the use of (PRA) services, and a section that is dedicated to capturing the experience of retraining and rehoming. We're very interested in hearing the experiences of anyone who rehomes horses off the track.”
Racehorses on a track | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
When asked if the survey wanted the good, the bad, and the ugly side of rehoming, Hamilton was emphatic in her response. “Absolutely because we need to know what isn't working so that we can either address that or try and introduce measures that will help.”
Getting the survey out to people
With Thoroughbreds retiring into a range of new careers and homes across Australia, getting the survey out to a broad range of people is going to be key in ensuring a strong cross-section of results.
“We’ve got databases of contacts within the industry and will be promoting it through those. We're hoping to promote the survey through the Principal Racing Authority social media channels.
“We're hoping to promote the survey through the Principal Racing Authority social media channels.” - Dr Natasha Hamilton
“AgriFutures who are funding the project have agreed to distribute it through all their channels. At EGRC we service a number of other breed associations, so will certainly be asking them if they could pass the survey on to their members, as it’s important to get the opinions of people who don’t want to have a rehomed Thoroughbred (to find the hurdles against them),” said Hamilton.
Compiling the survey results
Professor Jane Williams from the University of Hartpury will compile the survey results. “Jane ran the UK Thoroughbred census from a couple of years ago, so I am really excited to have her on board,” said Hamilton. The combination of experience in the realm of this type of survey and having independence from Racing Australia will ensure that the whole story is discovered.
In the third area of research, Jen Krawczyk will conduct in-depth interviews with the PRA welfare and traceability departments, as well as various equestrian bodies such as Riding For The Disabled and Equestrian Australia.
Professor Jane Williams | Image courtesy of University of Hartpury
“We are looking at talking to five or six international groups (who are focused on rehoming work) and we're also going to try and do six to eight locally based individuals or organisations ideally spread throughout Australia and with different experiences to collate different points of view (on retired Thoroughbreds).”
Creating a strategy to help horses
Once all data is compiled and analysed, and the survey results pulled together, a strategy document will be compiled using the discoveries. “We will take all that information and will use it to develop a strategy with recommendations on what can be done to increase demand for thoroughbreds. Obviously, we don’t know what this will look like until we have completed the data and survey, so we can't pre-empt what will be in it.”
“We will take all that information and will use it to develop a strategy with recommendations on what can be done to increase demand for thoroughbreds.” - Dr Natasha Hamilton
The final National Thoroughbred Aftercare Demand Strategy is due to be released during the 2026 autumn carnival, which gives the team eight months to do a lot of work.
“Brandon is great at statistics. Jane has a proven track record on horse survey work and Jen absolutely knows her stuff when it comes to the rehoming aspect, so I think it's a great team and I’m privileged to lead them through this project,” said Hamilton.
