TRT trainers re-educate retired racehorses for recreational and professional use, and, with the new agreement, they are now using the RDA’s equestrian facilities for training, in exchange for sponsorship of the RDA horses.

“It’s a wonderful agreement for both sides,” RDA president, Tony Cameron explained.

“The TRT trainers bring their horses here for re-education, where they can access all our facilities two days a week, and in exchange they sponsor our horses, paying for things like horse feed.

“Our organisation is 100 per cent run by volunteers, and all the funds we raise go directly to our riders, our horses and our facilities, so to have this arrangement which eases the rest of the expenses, it’s an answer to our prayers.”

Cameron explained the volunteers were all passionate people, and for them, the smiles of the children they helping were all the payment they needed. 

“There’s nothing like watching the progression these children achieve,” he said.

“A child will come here, terrified of horses, and within two two weeks they will be patting the horse, then after 12 months they are riding around by themselves.

“Being able to see that sort of transformation is just the best.”

TRT trainer, Mal Fitzgerald said the agreement meant many more ex-racehorses got a second chance at life.

“When they finish racing all they know is stand in the box, then gallop but they are good for so much more than that.

“Retraining them is much more of a mental process than a physical one, these horses just don’t know anything other than racing.

“But, with this chance at re-education so many of them thrive, we had one just the other day who, after nine months of training went to compete in Camden Haven last weekend, and he was perfect, you could have put a child on him.”