Animal welfare matters pose complex challenges for society as a whole and are one of the most complex challenges facing all codes of racing. In 2019, an Australian current affairs program aired footage of horses, including retired thoroughbred and standardbred horses, being treated cruelly at an abattoir in Queensland. The report raised concerns about the welfare and management of retired racehorses more broadly, focusing attention on short- and long-term outcomes for horses upon retirement from racing and serving as a catalyst for racing authorities to develop or expand programs to rehome retired racehorses.
This paper describes the development and scope of the Queensland Off-The-Track (QOTT) Program, which commenced in July 2021. Now in its fifth year, the QOTT Program operates 10 major initiatives extending from first transition from the industry to end-of-life care.
The QOTT Program is underpinned by the key principles of expanding the market for retired racehorses by promoting the suitability and adaptability of the breeds for a variety of equestrian, sport horse, pleasure and therapy activities; supporting and expanding retraining and rehoming pathways; investing in the education, welfare and value of retired racehorses; providing a safety net for vulnerable horses; and improving education and support for those who own, use, or care for, retired racehorses.
This paper will examine the significant challenges posed by the scale of the task, the reliance on horse ownership within the community, the movement of horses between states during their careers, participant and public expectations, and limitations on funding, and also consider the performance of individual programs, lessons learned in building and administering an aftercare program, and the potential transferability of equine rehoming initiatives to greyhound rehoming.