Grim fate awaits retired racehorses, but lucky few saved

by YUKIKO SAKAMOTO
May 10, 2024

Clear the Track, sired by the famed Deep Impact, has won the Japan Racing Association events on four occasions. It is seen here competing in a race for retired horses on Dec. 17 at the JRA Equestrian Park in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward / Sakamoto Yukiko photo

Ever wondered what happens to a racehorse when its days at the track come to an end?

For most of the 6,000 or so racehorses that are retired each year, it means making one last trip: to the abattoir.

Given the numbers, putting them out to a well-earned pasture is not feasible.

But the industry is now starting to address the problem by setting up a foundation this spring to care for a small number of retired racehorses, at least temporarily.

The newly established organization Thoroughbred Aftercare and Welfare plans to build stables on the grounds of the Japan Racing Association in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, to look after 30 horses for one or two months at no charge.

The idea is to train the animals to begin life afresh by providing people with pleasure rides.

Officials from the JRA and local race organizers as well as horse breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and others in horse racing circles are expected to serve as councilors and directors for the organization.

Growing awareness of animal welfare is behind the initiative.

Horses typically live for 25 years. Racehorses generally retire between the ages of 3 and 6.

About 6,000 racehorses finished their careers in 2022, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

It is rare for a retired racehorse to find a new home quickly, especially if their racing days are over due to injury or lackluster performance.

One reason for this is that there are fewer horse riding clubs in Japan compared with Europe.

Also, the cost of keeping a horse is not cheap at about 100,000 yen ($647) a month.

“Owners most often than not want to let their horses go as soon as possible after they retire,” said an industry insider.

Most retired racehorses are slaughtered for their meat, a delicacy generally eaten raw in Japan. A very small percentage of animals end up with new owners for riding, breeding and other purposes.

Thoroughbred Aftercare and Welfare hopes to “buy time” for the retired horses that come its way.

Despite the lack of facilities to accept retired racehorses, the JRA saw its sales rise for the 12th consecutive year to 3.28 trillion yen in 2023. The same year, local horse race organizers logged a record 1.07 trillion yen in sales.

The number of domestically bred racehorses began to decline after a succession of regional race venues began to shut down, starting from 2001.

But then things bottomed out. In 2012, racehorse numbers were at the 6,800 mark, and the figure has continued to steadily increase since then. Nearly 8,000 foals have been born in Japan per year over the past several years.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, 41, a horse owner committed to protecting retired racehorses, noted that the shortage of stables for racehorses had been a factor in a recent trend to dispose of poor performing racehorses quickly via the abattoir.

“Racehorses get to make full use of their physical power to run fast and thereby entertain people,” said Hayashi. “Although saving all of them may be unrealistic, we must consider creating an environment where as many horses as possible will be able to spend their golden years peacefully.”

Others involved in horse protection initiatives criticized the temporal care program for catering to “only a small number of horses for a short time.”

Some argued that the endeavor “should be responsible for ultimate survival of the horses after they leave the tentative shelter.”

Maiko Yasuno, an associate professor of studies on the relationships between humans and animals at Yokohama National University, agreed that the latest initiative is far from enough.

“The root cause of the problem will remain difficult to eliminate unless more opportunities for people to interact with horses are offered in a quest to provide horses with more places to fulfil their potential,” she said.