Racing Victoria Horse Welfare Policies = more cost!

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subjectLine: , learn about Racing Victoria's commitment to developing world-leading equine welfare practices.   As we enter the final months of the racing season, I wanted to provide you with an update on our work around equine welfare. You will recall the detailed industry update I provided last July on our equine welfare spend across the previous seven years. It is my intention to provide an annual update on this investment in the coming months once the current financial year is concluded. As we all know, the welfare of our horses is critical to the sport’s ongoing success and viability and it’s a responsibility that we all share. Over the past 12 months we’ve expanded programs, strengthened safeguards, and deepened collaboration across the industry—all with a singular focus: putting horses first.  Here are some recent achievements that we’re pleased to share with you: 2024-25 Highlights •    Launch of the Off The Track Carnival – we were excited to unveil Victoria’s biggest equestrian event for retired thoroughbreds this September at Boneo Park last Friday. Click here to read more; •    Drought Subsidies - since launching in March we have delivered over $290,000 in support for more than 700 horses under the Emergency Aid Program – helping participants to maintain high welfare standards in areas defined by the Victorian Government as being in drought; •    Launch of PRESET Program – providing financial support to eligible Acknowledged Retrainers via direct funding for retraining support of between $3,000 and $5,000 per horse; •    Increasing and expanding the monthly reporting subsidies that Acknowledged Retrainers receive plus a $350 husbandry subsidy to support initial care costs, a $400 Veterinary Assessment Rebate, and additional subsidy support for horses which arrive with a short-term injury;  •    Expanding our visibility of Off The Track (OTT) thoroughbreds – we’ve reached key milestones this season with over 10,000 address updates and updated ownership records for more than 6,200 retired racehorses claimed on the OTT Community since its launch; and •    Launch of Acknowledged Rehomer Program – unveiled in February, we’re building relationships with rehomers to help expand Racing Victoria’s (RV) visibility of retired racehorses in Victoria.   Progress & Future Planning Following is an update on further progress across RV’s four strategic equine welfare pillars, along with a look at what’s ahead: Risk-Reduced Racing (Injury Prevention)   •    650 thoroughbreds have now accessed our ‘Medicare’ style subsidy to reduce the financial hurdles for Victorian trainers and owners to undertake advanced diagnostic imaging. If you would like to learn how you can access the 50% subsidy, please email veterinaryadmin@racingvictoria.net.au.   •    The Spring Racing Carnival veterinary protocols were in place again in 2024 and helped ensure our fourth consecutive spring and Melbourne Cup without any fatal injuries.  •    We’ve continued to support specialist equine veterinarian Dr. Laura Nath's important research into equine cardiac health in a bid to help mitigate cardiac-related risks for racehorses into the future. Post-Racing, Safety Net & Visibility   •    As of 1 May 2025, 485 horses have been physically inspected by RV’s equine welfare officers since July 2024 to enable early intervention when horses are at risk, including six joint inspections with RSPCA Victoria. Over 1,900 horses have now been inspected over the past three years. •    Working with several registered charities, we’ve financially supported close to 100 vulnerable horses in need of urgent care across the past two years and are set to formalise a new partnership with a local and respected welfare charity in the coming months.   •    Rehoming & Retraining Enhancements:   o    Increased and extended reporting subsidies to more than 40 Acknowledged Retrainers to help improve RV’s visibility of retired racehorses to best direct and understand what support our OTTs require. o    We’ve welcomed six new Acknowledged Retrainers in Brooke Walker, Mitch Grayson, Emelia Sudholz, Hayley James, Rachael Black and Lindsay Park. For a full list of Acknowledged Retrainers click here. •    Partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to enhance traceability and share global best practices. •    Three new retired racehorses have recently taken on raceday duties after graduating from our pilot Clerk of the Course Subsidy program. •    Expansion of OTT subsidised clinics for OTT owners and riders – 365 horses and their riders have received lessons across 35 clinics this season. •    Traceability partnership has continued with Andrew Wilson & Co Livestock Sales and has now seen the addresses of over 2,500 thoroughbreds updated.  Equine Welfare & Veterinary Operations   •    Our Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare Policy has now embedded proactive welfare expectations into daily stable operations and is enforceable under the Rules of Racing (AR 233 (a)).  •    Ongoing direction and oversight from RV’s Equine Welfare Advisory Council which includes four independent members. •    Local Rule 94C now prohibits the sending of live thoroughbreds to knackeries or abattoirs—reinforcing our zero-tolerance on these practices to improve welfare outcomes. Industry Reputation & Education   •    Strong collaboration has continued with the Victorian Government and other relevant authorities on animal laws and policies — ensuring the racing industry's voice is heard. •    Education & Engagement Initiatives:   o    Updated mandatory Equine Welfare Learning Module for new participants introducing the ‘Five Domains of Animal Welfare’ went live in February. Since the first RV equine welfare course was introduced in 2020, over 3,400 participants have now completed one. o    Season 2 of the ‘Here For The Horses Podcast’ series with RSN which seeks to educate and inform all sectors of the industry and beyond. o    Delivery of the Victorian Trainer Welfare Benchmark Survey, with over 100 responses providing valuable information for us. o    Four educational equine/vet webinars with leading industry experts, in addition to our annual veterinary seminar at the Inglis Complex in February.   Looking Ahead We are also focused on continuous improvement. Our priorities for the next 12 months include: •    Development of a welfare assessment tool to help identify good welfare opportunities in racing stables. •    Expansion of support for vulnerable horses by partnering with local, established and trusted welfare charities to provide further expertise in rehabilitation and safety net support. •    Strengthening community engagement to increase demand for OTT thoroughbreds. •    Delivery of the Off The Track Carnival at Boneo Park this September with hundreds of thoroughbreds in action. •    Investment in research and innovation across injury prevention, behaviour and nutrition. •    Continued focus on providing resources to the industry to prepare for and manage natural disasters such as prolonged droughts, floods and other adverse weather conditions. •    Ongoing collaboration with RSPCA Victoria for post-racing welfare interventions – ranging from investigations and welfare visits through to rehabilitation and rehoming. Equine Welfare Podcast If you want to listen to the latest updates on RV’s equine welfare efforts and hear from a range of industry experts I encourage you to catch up on the ‘Here For The Horses Podcast’ series. You can find the episodes on the RV website and all major podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcast. Promoting Your Love of the Horse The updates I’ve provided in this notice are only part of our industry’s ongoing story. Every owner, breeder and participant plays a vital role in caring for the welfare of our horses each day. I encourage you to showcase that love on your social media channels and provide an insight to the broader community on that care and commitment.  We’d love to see great stories and imagery being shared on a regular basis. Tag in Racing Victoria and Racing.com on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook or X (Twitter) when you do. Equally, if you have a positive welfare story that we could showcase on our media channels or pitch to mainstream media please send the team an email via equinewelfare@racingvictoria.net.au.    Contact Us Lastly, if you have any questions about our equine welfare programs or this update, please email equinewelfare@racingvictoria.net.au or visit equinewelfare.com.au. Kind regards, Aaron Morrison Chief Executive Officer Racing Victoria 13 May, 2025     This email was sent by: Racing Victoria, 400 Epsom Road FLEMINGTON, VIC, 3031, Australia. ACN: 096 917 930 | information@racingvictoria.net.au | Phone: 03 9258 4258 Ensure your details are up to date so you don't miss out on any updates: Update details You are receiving this email as you have subscribed to receive owner notifications. Don't want to receive email updates: Unsubscribe Privacy Policy

 

 

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