They have given everything for racing.
We are there for them when they can no longer do it.
On the day of his arrival
and one year later
Full medical care
care – patience –
unconditional acceptance
nature – silence – herd
at home forever
Well-balanced nutrition for every horse
Lasting friendship
Space to rest and sleep
Here I am horse.
Here I dare it to be.
On the edge of a nature reserve in the middle of the Odenwald (located in the south west of Germany), we run an open stable facility where sick and injured racehorses are nursed back to health. The animals are looked after with care and are allowed to lead a dignified life in a species-appropriate environment, free from stress and pressure of expectations, until their natural end of life.
Many prejudices circulate about the “English thoroughbred” breed. They are considered “difficult to handle”, sometimes “dangerous” or “crazy in the head”. Our association would like to shed light on this, as many of these stereotypes can be refuted if the horses are kept according to their needs, provided with medical care and their sensitive nature is taken into account through appropriate handling. Then the supposedly hectic and nervous daredevils become loyal, affectionate and very fine companions that are extremely devoted to humans.
It is therefore worth taking an interest in a thoroughbred from racing, as most of them leave racing at a very young age. We would particularly like to encourage you to turn your attention to injured and sick animals that would otherwise not get the chance of a second life. We know from experience: There is almost nothing that you can’t fix with patience and expertise.
Ahimsa e.V. would like to provide information on what to look out for, what the most common diseases are in ex-gallopers and how to keep them healthy, what to consider when feeding and keeping them.
It is regrettable that a deep rift has developed between animal welfare and horse racing industry over the years and that hostile attitudes have been cultivated. This does not help a single horse and we would like our work to help overcome prejudices and facilitate a constructive exchange.
“What does tame mean?”
“It’s often completely neglected,” said the fox.
“It means becoming familiar with each other.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry from The Little Prince
Not activism but
Animal welfare
A note on our own behalf: We are an animal welfare organization, but we are not activists. We are neither glued to racecourses (wouldn’t last anyway) nor do we pillory racing stakeholders across the board. On the contrary, we maintain intensive contacts with trainers, jockeys, breeders and other racing-related institutions.
Far be it from us to proselytize, but we are happy to pass on our experience of horse health for the benefit of the thoroughbreds to whom we have all given our hearts. However, if we come across grievances or ethically reprehensible behavior, we will address this openly. Our level is the factual level, the exchange of knowledge and experience, valid findings and evidence-based veterinary studies and publications.
„It is regrettable that a deep rift has developed over the years between active animal welfare, animal ethics and racing, which has cultivated hostile attitudes. This does not help a single horse and we would like our work to help overcome prejudices and facilitate a constructive exchange.”
