At Racing SA horses are at the core of everything that we do and we’ve christened the month of July Thorough Care Month to celebrate and highlight the wonderful work being done in the welfare space.
The aim of Thorough Care Month is to raise awareness about the support provided to thoroughbreds before, during and after their racing careers, and to celebrate the equine athletes that make our sport so great.
Since the launch of Racing SA’s welfare arm Thorough Care SA in 2021, equine welfare initiatives in this State have gone from strength-to-strength.
“We are so proud of the programs and initiatives we have been able to implement her in South Australia, particularly with a budget that is much smaller than some of the other welfare departments interstate,” said Racing SA Equine Welfare Officer Keely Rayson.
“Thorough Care SA initiatives are funded by 1% of all prizemoney and that money goes towards the improvement of facilities, the state-of-the-art horse ambulance required for race days and trials, Assistance Packs for new owners who take on recently retired racehorses, free clinics and education opportunities, sponsorship for events to drive demand for thoroughbreds, and emergency funding for thoroughbreds found in welfare situations,” she said.
During Thorough Care Month, Racing SA will share stories about how loved and cared for thoroughbreds are during their racing career, check in with some recently retired thoroughbreds who’ve found a new career post racing, and take a closer look at some of Thorough Care SA’s equine welfare initiatives.
“Thorough Care Month is a great opportunity to educate the wider racing community about best-practice in equine welfare management and to showcase the work that we are doing in this space,” said Keely.
“We are passionate about our industry and continue to grow and improve our Thorough Care initiatives year in year out and I hope the wider community can see how much our participants love and care for their horses too,” said Keely.
Thorough Care Month runs throughout July, keep an eye on the Racing SA socials for some great stories and initiatives that the Thorough Care SA team will be showcasing this month.