SAQ announce the reopening of their restructured Adoption Program to all retired and retiring Standardbreds
The Standardbred Association Queensland Inc (SAQ) is excited to announce that they are reopening their Adoption Program to all retired/retiring Standardbreds in response to an alarming increase in Standardbreds retiring from their racing careers having no safety net due to limited rehoming options.
In recent years the SAQ had to scale back their program and closed their books to OTT Standardbreds retiring from racing due to lack of funds and resources needed to operate this program. During this hiatus, SAQ quietly continued its commitment to Standardbreds who were already part of their program, using their own resources to assist horses and owners in need.
Despite the lack of an external funding for their Horse Adoption Program, a program run solely by a handful of volunteers, SAQ felt it was important to offer this service to racing participants once again. To enable this to happen, the program has set up a more structured system to assist with the process of advertising horses and finding suitable homes for retired Standardbreds.
this will be a welcomed outcome for many Owners and trainers of Standardbreds who are nearing the end of their racing careers
The SAQ Adoption Programs goal is to act as a stepping stone to assist Owners/Trainers to find suitable homes for their Standardbreds once their careers on the track come to an end. Once a suitable home is found, the SAQ Horse Placement Team continue to monitor the wellbeing of these horses during their 12 month adoption contract period. Wellbeing checks are required to be completed by the adopter at 3, 6 and 12-months – as well as visits to the horse’s new home to ensure that it is the right fit for the horse before any transfer of ownership can be approved by the SAQ Committee.
SAQ President, Gaylene Teichmann, said this will be a welcomed outcome for many Owners and trainers of Standardbreds who are nearing the end of their racing careers. “Every year a steady stream of horses find themselves at the end of their racing careers and most of these horses have the potential to be successful in many different disciplines other than their tradition role in Harness Racing. Once retrained with a suitable training program geared to their individual needs and temperament, they can transition into a new career. There is a growing interest in developing new careers for Standardbreds when their racing days are over, and with the SAQ Adoption Program’s knowledgeable team, we look forward to matching many more lifelong partnerships.” said Ms Teichmann.
If you have a Standardbred who is ready to leave its racing career behind, then head to the SAQ website www.saq.com.au/donate-a-horse/ to find out more information about the SAQ Adoption Program and download the forms to start the process.
The SAQ Adoption Program is Celebrating its 20 Year Anniversary in 2022, and currently has members wanting to adopt a Standardbred retired from racing through their long-established Adoption Program. Since the establishment of its Adoption Program in 2002, SAQ has rehomed over 1,200 Standardbreds transitioning into both pleasure and performance horses after their retirement from their traditional role of Harness Racing.
Further information on the SAQ Adoption Program can be found here.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Shona Theuerkauf (SAQ)
