They race their hearts out for us and provide us with great experiences and wonderful moments both on and off the track. When their racing careers end, what happens? Many horses are fortunate enough to have a home for life with their owners. Not all are so lucky.

Would you like to ensure that a horse you previously owned or bred has a home after he retires from racing? Now you can with a new service facilitated by Standardbred Canada.

Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce the introduction of its Full Circle program.

This is a free program offered to SC members and anyone who is interested to connect horses in need of a new home after their racing or breeding careers are over. The idea is to connect horses with their breeder, former owners, trainers, drivers, caretakers or another interested person who might be willing to provide a home for the horse.

This program is modeled and named after an initiative by the world’s largest equine registry – the American Quarter Horse Association and the USTA’s Full Circle program.

To take part in the Full Circle program, individuals can contact SC and enroll a horse and name themselves as the contact for the program. If the current owner of a horse no longer wants their horse for any reason, they can check with SC to see if the horse is registered in the Full Circle program and if it is, the contact information for the person who enrolled the horse will be made available to them.

SC will facilitate communication between the individuals but not have any involvement in coordinating any arrangements. It will be up to the two individuals to determine the arrangements for the horse.

Arrangements can be temporary or permanent, and include providing a home, helping with expenses, training, or whatever the two parties agree to.

People who enroll horses in the Full Circle program can also remove their name from the horse’s enrollment if their situation changes.

"We're pleased to be offering this free service that should help with the welfare of many horses after their racing careers are over," said Linda Bedard, Registrar for Standardbred Canada. "The success of the program depends on the people who register so we encourage all of our members and former members to take part and enroll in the program."

This program is a way to ensure that a horse’s former connections can have the opportunity to provide a safe and responsible outcome for a horse that is no longer commercially viable (productive in racing or breeding).

Those interested in registering for the Full Circle program can enroll online by clicking here and then clicking 'Full Circle Form', or click here to print an enrollment form that can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to SC.

For more information contact:

Standardbred Canada Member Services

[email protected]

(905) 858-3060