Life After Racing

MAIN & RIGHT: Jane Gollan, off the track advocate and keen event rider, is excited by her new initiative’s potential (Images courtesy of Andrew Thurtell, Thurtell Photography).

LIFE AFTER RACING

Advocate for off the track

Have you ever wondered how an off the track Thoroughbred is transitioned into ‘civilian’ life? As you may have guessed, it’s quite a process. JO MCKINNON spoke to Jane Gollan to find out more.

Queensland's Jane Gollan is one of Australia's greatest advocates for off the track Thoroughbreds.

Married to Tony Gollan, Brisbane's leading horse trainer, Jane, 36, has been at the coal face of a major stable for many years – and knows how important it is to find suitable homes for horses when their racing careers end.

A keen eventing rider herself, Jane is about to launch an exciting new equine welfare initiative: the Transitioning Thoroughbreds Foundation.

A not-for-profit organisation, the Foundation will begin by focussing on rehoming horses that have competed in the Queensland racing ranks.

"Essentially, we will assess the

horse off the track and get a good understanding of its history both mental and physical by talking to riders, getting vet reports and talking to farriers and dentists," she explains.

Selected horses will then embark on a 12-week training program run by several experienced equestrians including wellknown eventer Kate Drevernan, who used to ride trackwork for Gollan Racing.

"They will be doing everything from de-sensitising to classical dressage training, flatwork, and things that they have not been exposed to as a racehorse such as being hard tied, floating and lunging,” says Jane.

Each horse’s progress will be carefully monitored on a week to week basis. Once they have completed the program, horses will be assessed to determine which discipline they are best suited to. They will then be adopted out for a low fee.

"The most important part is the marrying of that horse to the most suitable owners," she says, "hopefully they will go into long and lasting homes. We don't look to make money out of it and will trace them for life."

The Foundation initiative was sparked by the ABC's horrific exposé on racehorse welfare in Australia that aired late last year, and Jane is more than enthusiastic about this vital program.

"These horses are so versatile and what we want to get out of this 12week program is to see how they can be placed and find their purpose. If you are dealing with a fairly sound prospect off the track then I believe you can find a purpose for them," she says. "There's a risk we can't move them on and that's why our system has to be right from the start."

Jane, now a mother of two young children, has been instrumental in a number of off the track success stories. She was responsible for placing LA Confidential, now one of Australia's most successful show hacks.

"He was one that retired with no race starts. He was a chocolate-box goodlooking horse that was liver chestnut and turned heads. You could see straight up he wasn't going to be an eventer and make it in the show ring," Jane recalls.

Another horse that came through the Gollan stable is Staturbo. He was retired at the ripe old age of ten after 68 starts

and is now enjoying camp drafting.

Jane recognises the benefit of Thoroughbreds being exposed to a variety of situations during their racing careers: “It's important that they are handled the right way of course, but if you get a horse that has been there and done that, he doesn't usually turn a hair at anything."

A racehorse called I'm A Ripper, who has been a great flag-bearer for Gollan Racing, earning over $1 million in prize money, will be the first official project horse for the Transitioning Thoroughbreds Foundation.

"I get a great kick out of seeing exracehorses perform. If we want to attract new owners to racing, we have to show that we are doing our bit by the animal. These horses become part of families and if you can make a difference to not just the horse's life but a person's life then that's really special," says Jane.

The Transitioning Thoroughbreds Foundation will be launched very soon so stay tuned. We wish Jane and her team the very best of luck with this great initiative. TOP: Horses undergo careful assessment before being selected for the program.

ABOVE: New beginnings: learning the ropes.

LEFT: After re-education, OTT Thoroughbreds can go on to enjoy life as safe and sensible pleasure horses. (Images courtesy of Andrew Thurtell, Thurtell Photography).