The 2022 International Forum on Horse Care conference series ended April 19 with the message that racing must ensure that our sport is sustainable for future generations, which requires making sure our horses are cared for from infancy to old age. IFAR partnered with the Japan Racing Association (Japan Advisory Committee on Horse Care) to organize this year’s event, which is organized as a series of two free virtual webinars.
Tuesday’s session was moderated by Australia-based racing broadcaster Caroline Searcy, and the speakers were Michael Drapac, owner and breeder; Dr. Adrian Farrington, executive director of Veterinary Clinical Services at the Hong Kong Jockey Club; Kirsten Green, executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project; and Jennifer Hughes, general manager of the Horse Welfare Company for Racing Victoria.
The session also featured a panel of young experts moderated by Searcy and included Godolphin Flying Start practitioners George Broughton and Elinor Wolf; Caoimhe Doherty, co-founder of Treo Eile and managing director at Forenaghts Stud; Natasha Rose, Retired Equestrian Project Manager and Equestrian Unit manager for the Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Tom Ward, the coach.
Drapac discussed how we appear as an industry in the eyes of Millennials and Gen Zeds, who put social responsibility and environmental concerns above everything else. “We’ll be measured by how well we reuse our horses,” Drapac said. “Every aspect of the livestock and racing industry must rethink what they do, and they must see things through the lens of horse interests and their purpose beyond their fruitful racing career. “
Sharing information gathered from post-race programs in Australia, Hughes emphasized the importance of learning from horses who have undergone such programmes. “Post-race efforts have to start from day one, and this requires an industry-wide approach,” she said.
Green spoke about the Retirement Racehorse Project’s mission and how that organization’s annual Thoroughbred Makeover promotes the versatility of the Crossbreed as a sport horse. Hughes emphasizes the importance of marketing and how effective marketing can increase the demand and value of racehorses.
Farrington presented an overview of racehorse’s transition off the track in Hong Kong. “The transition here of retired racehorses begins well before their actual retirement date. All stable racers and professionals involved, including veterinarians and breeders, operates under the auspices of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and that allows us to close a centralized monitoring and medical record of the health and wellbeing of all horses during training, “he said. “Ultimately, the aim is to identify horses with subtle performance-limiting problems before they become irreversible changes by the time of retirement.”
The group of young professionals agreed on the importance of education and communication with those inside and outside the industry and that everyone in the racing industry, regardless of country or participation, has a shared responsibility. take care of racehorses throughout their life. They also stress the importance of racehorse traceability and how technology can help.
Eliot Forbes, IFAR Steering Committee member and CEO of Racelab, delivered the closing remarks. “The decisions we make today will shape the industry of tomorrow; the industry this generation of young professionals will inherit. They know the world has changed, and a sustainable industry. Sustainability will be an industry that is responsive, transparent and compassionate.”
Audio recordings of both sessions of the 2022 conference are available at internationalracehorseaftercare.com/help-resources/conference-resources/ifar-conference-2022/.
Prior to the virtual conference series in 2021, IFAR was previously held in conjunction with the Asian Racing Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2020; The European & Mediterranean Equestrian Federation General Assembly in Oslo, Norway, in May 2019; Asia Racing Conference in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2018; and the Inter-American Conference in Washington, DC, in May 2017.
IFAR is an independent forum that recognizes the geographical and industry differences between racing countries and is designed to advance health care excellence around the world. Working with the International Federation of Equestrian Regulators, IFAR will raise awareness of the importance of welfare for Thoroughbreds, improve education about lifelong care and help increase demand for old racehorses in other equestrian sports. For more information about IFAR, visit internationalracehorseaftercare.com
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