2025: a year in numbers at RoR
As we look back on 2025, we’re proud to share the progress made across welfare, education, traceability and awareness, alongside the continued growth of our competitions and membership community.
Our 2025 in numbers infographic highlights the scale of activity delivered throughout the year, and what your support has helped make possible.
Welfare support when it’s needed most
In 2025, 121 horses were supported through our welfare safety net, an 83.3% increase on 2024.
While we are proud that RoR can be there for former racehorses when they need us most, this increase is worrying. Much of what we are seeing is linked to cost-of-living pressures facing owners, as well as inexperience in caring for a former racehorse.
Importantly, most horses supported through our welfare safety net have typically been out of racing for around five years, underlining why long-term accountability matters.
It is also a credit to British racing that, through its financial support and the work of RoR, it is the only equestrian discipline that supports its equine athletes for life.
Education and owner support
Supporting owners with the right knowledge and confidence is a vital part of safeguarding former racehorses long-term, especially during the early stages of life after racing.
In 2025, RoR delivered 264 mounted and unmounted educational events, welcoming 2,808 participants, representing a 67.7% increase in participants on 2024 (1,674).
RoR’s education programme is designed to support owners at all stages, recognising that competition is not the goal for every horse or rider. For those who do wish to progress, we launched our Step into Competition series at the end of 2025, providing practical guidance for members taking their first step into competing.
Celebrating versatility through competitions
Competitions remain an important part of RoR’s work, helping to showcase the value, versatility and potential of former racehorses to the wider equestrian community, and demonstrating to the public that these horses can go on to enjoy successful, fulfilling second careers.
In 2025, our National Championships welcomed record numbers, with 341 unique attendees competing across 108 classes, helping to generate strong media coverage and healthy PR activity focused on raising public awareness.
Strengthening traceability and long-term accountability
Traceability remains central to responsible aftercare. In 2025, 15,446 former racehorses were actively registered, including 1,685 new registrations, and 20,016 members were registered, with 2,159 new members joining during the year.
Our Source a Horse platform also supported rehoming and transitions, with 341 horses listed for sale, and an average sale price of £2,712.
Raising awareness and building public trust
Public-facing activity is also central to raising awareness of life after racing, and strengthening trust in the sport’s long-term commitment to welfare. In 2025, RoR delivered 12 parades featuring 93 former racehorses, and our Horses for Courses programme grew to 50 horse ambassadors across 36 racecourses, giving racegoers the chance to see former racehorses thriving in their second careers.
This kind of engagement is a vital part of building public understanding and confidence.
Growing engagement through communications
We also continued to see strong engagement across RoR’s communications in 2025, helping us to reach new audiences and raise awareness of responsible aftercare. Our social channels saw significant growth, with an average reach increase of 46.3% across Facebook and Instagram.
RoR’s 2025 in numbers infographic provides a snapshot of the scale of work delivered across the year, and the progress being made to support former racehorses and their owners. RoR would like to thank its members, supporters, funders and partners for their ongoing commitment, without whom this work would not be possible.