Gina Rarick, 45, was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. She now trains and races horses in France. Read her fascinating story at her website.
Read about Gina's innovative program to transition racehorses in France - she recently wrote and article featured in The Rail.
June 1, 2008, 12:37 pm
A New Approach to Horse Adoption
By Gina Rarick
A few posts back, I mentioned a relatively new program in France that takes charge of racehorses when their careers are over. That mention drew lots of interest and questions, so here are the details of how it works.
Owners or trainers who have horses that can no longer race, whether because of injury or lack of ability, can donate the horse to the L.F.P.C., or Ligue Francaise Pour la Protection du Cheval. The Ligue will pick up the horse and take it to a center where it is assessed to determine what, if any, veterinary care is needed and whether it is suitable for placement as a sport or leisure horse. The owner pays a fee of 75 euros, or about $120, and the Ligue becomes the new, permanent owner of the horse. Riders wishing to adopt a former racehorse fill out an application and are asked for a 100 euro donation if their application is approved. While the adoptive rider takes responsibility for the horse, the Ligue retains ownership and visits the new stable at least once a year to assure the quality of care.
No horse registered to race in France with France Galop, the governing body of French racing, will be refused by the Ligue. The program is financed partially by France Galop, partially by check-off donations from owners who agree to donate a portion of their prize money and partially by private donations.
Anne Riboulet, who heads the Ligue, said France Galop contributed 40,000 euros this year, and that major owners including the Aga Khan have agreed to contribute a percentage of purse money. Still, funds are tight, because most horses need at least two or three months of care and retraining before they can be placed with new riders. Colts are particularly difficult, because they must be gelded before moving on to a new job.
Since the Ligue signed its agreement with France Galop in April of 2007, it has taken possession of 70 horses, Riboulet said. Of those, 19 have been placed with new caretakers, and another dozen are in the final stages of being placed.
The Ligue is staunchly opposed to horse slaughter, and all racehorses taken over by the group have their papers marked “not for human consumption.” Riboulet said slaughter houses were not allowed to take any horse that did not have papers and a microchip. While she is not naïve enough to think that some horses don’t fall through the cracks in the law, she said the “not for consumption” designation on the papers was effective.
There are just over 8,000 horses registered to race in France, and many are placed privately by their owners after their career is finished (and yes, some go to slaughter, but the numbers are falling). The official program with the Ligue is relatively new, so many trainers don’t know much about it yet. Riboulet is a regular visitor to the major racecourses, making sure that changes.
Gina Rarick trains racehorses near Paris. She can be contacted at http://www.gallopfrance.com/.
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