HEROS history

Every year thousands of racehorses leave the sport due to injury, old age or a lack of ability. But retirement from racing does not have to mean the end. This was the conclusion Grace Muir reached whilst working as Stud Manager at North Farm Stud near Wantage in England.

The idea of HEROS (Homing Ex-Racehorses Organisation Scheme) began to take shape in the early 1990s, when owners and trainers asked Grace to re-home their racehorses. A large network of clients has now been built up and many other people contact HEROS daily, as the word spreads. With a lifetime’s experience of horses, knowledge and experience of racing, plus a range of excellent contacts, Grace knew there was scope to give these horses a second chance – with a new career. There are many opportunities for them such as eventing, dressage, polo, show-jumping, hacks, companions and more.

Since she started re-homing racehorses, with the support of her father and mother, Ian and Agnes Muir, Grace and her team have successfully re-homed over 300 ex-racehorses. Grace has an excellent reputation for re-training and re-homing ex-racehorses and a new recruit to HEROS is assessed by her personally before being ridden by one of the experienced, fully trained staff after which a plan for re-schooling is developed.

Why have an ex-racehorse?

The Thoroughbred is the most versatile of breeds and is able to adapt to other disciplines very quickly. Although they are primarily bred for racing, thoroughbreds excel in many other spheres, being highly intelligent and easy to train. They are also extremely varied in type and size, anything from 14.2hh - 18hh. Unfortunately, many people have misconceptions concerning the character and behaviour of thoroughbreds. The reality is that from an early age they are well handled, well travelled and have experienced a lot more than any other horses of a similar age. Obviously, like everything, some are easier than others, but the HEROS re-training programme has proven very effective for more than 300 rehomed racehorses.

Not all racehorses are champions but each one of them, however slow, has the potential for a new life after racing. They are all winners to HEROS as they move on to “pastures new”.

Why HEROS is special

Although there are other charities in this field, HEROS aims to occupy a special place, by carefully matching horses to their new careers and owners across all the equestrian disciplines.

The Charity prides itself on working hard to make sure that the match with a new owner is a good one and Grace is always on hand should any change of circumstance occur. Advice and ongoing support on all aspects of care and resettlement are only a phone call away.

HEROS was granted charitable status in July 2006 with help from RoR (Retraining of Racehorses), British Horseracing's official charity for the welfare of former racehorses.