Retraining of Racehorses
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Retraining of Racehorses suits groups whose work improves the welfare, rehabilitation or aftercare of former racehorses, and its Small welfare grants typically fall between £5,000 and £10,000, with awards of up to £25,000 for more substantial projects.
- Keep requests within that range, and do not apply for individual horses, grants to individuals, retrospective work, vet fees, or equipment that mainly benefits one person rather than the horse.
- Apply through the online form before the fixed deadline, which for Small welfare grants is 10am Monday 7 December, and expect a decision within three months.
- Only financially viable organisations in a strong financial position should apply, and every grant needs Trustee approval and alignment with the charity's objectives, so show clearly how your project fits and how it offers value for money and co-funding.
Overview
Retraining of Racehorses is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1084787).
Retraining of Racehorses is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1084787). It exists to promote the welfare and rehabilitation of racehorses and former racehorses that are unwanted or vulnerable to abandonment, abuse, misuse or neglect, mainly through retraining and rehousing. Its annual giving was £387,232 paid, according to the annual report.
What they fund
Priority Areas
RoR supports the welfare and rehabilitation of former racehorses, including those at risk, and makes grants to accredited charitable centres and projects that directly benefit former racehorses. Its Small welfare grants support projects to improve operational efficiency and sustainability, enhance welfare outcomes, support innovation and learning in aftercare, and generate evidence-based welfare, education or wellbeing outcomes. Projects may involve infrastructure, equipment or facility improvements; programmes with measurable impact; or research, innovation and pilot projects that can be shared with the wider aftercare community. RoR assesses requests for strategic alignment, welfare impact, organisational viability, value for money, innovation and learning, human impact where relevant, and public engagement. For vulnerable horses, it works with a trusted network of charities and may fund placement with retraining or rehoming partners.
Themes
- Former racehorse welfare
- Aftercare innovation
- Welfare education
- Aftercare research
Geographic Focus
Great Britain.
What they don't fund
- Small welfare grants only:
- Individual horses
- Grants to individuals or to causes that will benefit one person
- Long-term grants towards staffing costs primarily associated with fundraising
- Retrospective funding, meaning support for work that has already taken place
- Items or equipment that primarily benefit the individual rather than the horse
- Vet fees
How to apply
Organisations can apply to Small welfare grants by completing and submitting the online application form.
Deadlines: Applicants must submit by the deadline stated for the grant round.
Application windows:
- Small welfare grants: Submission deadline is 10am Monday 7 December
Who can apply:
- All grants are subject to Trustee approval and are contingent on the organisation's activities aligning with RoR's charitable objectives.
- Small welfare grants: Organisations must be financially viable and in a strong financial position.
What to send:
- Small welfare grants: The online small welfare grants application form.
- Vulnerable Horse Scheme (VHS): The VHS application form.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- RoR assesses applications for alignment with RoR and Horse Welfare Board strategies.
- RoR considers demonstrable improvements to wellbeing and outcomes for former racehorses.
- Organisations must be financially viable and in a strong financial position.
- RoR weighs cost-effectiveness, co-funding and scale of impact.
- RoR considers potential to generate transferable insights.
- Where relevant, RoR considers demonstrable benefits to people.
- RoR considers applicants' ability to raise awareness and generate positive welfare stories.
- Vulnerability funding is awarded for horses meeting RoR's defined vulnerability criteria.
- All grants require Trustee approval and depend on the organisation's activities aligning with RoR's charitable objectives.
Where they fund
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Retraining of Racehorses.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2020 | £760,323 | £1,070,780 | £347,610 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2020 |
| year to 31 December 2021 | £1,042,809 | £1,053,451 | £182,835 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £1,025,304 | £1,418,242 | £268,251 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £1,327,358 | £1,730,463 | £392,461 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £1,280,310 | £1,708,323 | £387,232 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2020; year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2024: grants paid out in the year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- ror.org.uk
- ror.org.uk/welfare/welfare-1/smallgrants · read on 30 October 2026
- ror.org.uk/welfare/welfare-1 · read on 30 October 2026
- ror.org.uk/welfare/welfare-1/vulnerable-horse-scheme-vhs · read on 30 October 2026
- ror.org.uk/contact · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2024)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Retraining of Racehorses?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 01488 648998source
- 07887 777231source
- info@ror.org.uksource
- welfare@ror.org.uksource
- Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), Office 6, Penfold Building, Westfield Farm, East Garston, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 7HDsource
- Retraining of Racehorses, 7th Floor Holborn Gate, 26 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1ANsource
- ror.org.uk
Applying to Retraining of Racehorses?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 01488 648998source
- 07887 777231source
- info@ror.org.uksource
- welfare@ror.org.uksource
- Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), Office 6, Penfold Building, Westfield Farm, East Garston, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 7HDsource
- Retraining of Racehorses, 7th Floor Holborn Gate, 26 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1ANsource
- ror.org.uk