Equine Welfare ARC/IFAR Focal Point

[Wandering Eyes]

The 37th Asian Racing Conference (ARC), with equine welfare a major focus, will be held in Seoul, South Korea on May 13-18. The second conference of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) will also take place in conjunction with ARC on May 14, and on May 17, the ARC will hold an entire session on equine welfare. IFAR’s keynote speak will be The National Horseracing Authority of South Africa Chief Executive Lyndon Barends, who will speak on South Africa aftercare approaches. During the Equine Welfare session of ARC, Racing Australia chair Frances Nelson, QC will discuss Australia’s early foal registration initiatives and the emphasis on increasing racehorse traceability, while The Jockey Club President and COO James L. Gagliano is slated to speak into IFAR’s strategic goals and the significance of the Man O’ War Project, which is aimed at assisting veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder via equine therapy.

“We are excited to be bringing the second IFAR conference to the Asian region and we thank the Asian Racing Federation and Korea Racing Authority for hosting us as part of the ARC,” said Di Arbuthnot, the chief executive of Retraining of Racehorses and chair of the IFAR steering group. “The Thoroughbred can excel in countless roles besides racing, and our goal with this conference is to share best practices on an international scale for retraining and rehoming these horses and on marketing their tremendous versatility.”

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