After nearly sixty years involved in harness racing, eighty-three-year-old Diane Reilly has developed deep passion for the standardbred.
“A long time ago, I had these two beautiful chestnut standardbreds”, Diane recalls.
“There were two sisters in our area, of around twelve or thirteen years of age, who just loved animals. Their family didn’t have a lot of money and so we decided to give them our two retired standardbreds.
“The girls just adored these horses. They took them to pony club and did dressage and all sorts of fun things with them. When the girls grew up and moved out of home to start their own families, they took their horses with them. The horses eventually grew old and passed on and were buried on their respective family properties.
“It made me so happy not only to see the horses so loved and well cared for across their entire lives, but also to have helped these young girls to be able to experience the joy of horse ownership, which they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford to do”.
“These days there are protections in place which offer security over the rehoming process and peace of mind to owners and industry participants, like what is offered via the HRV Hero) program.
“If you don’t happen to know someone you’d trust to take on your retiree privately, there are some good initiatives available via Hero which provide oversight to the rehoming process, a bit like booking a taxi where you have a central hub managing things like traceability.
“Hero has made it easier for horses to find their next chapters. As an owner, it’s wonderful to see these horses so loved and well cared for in their new homes and enjoying long, happy lives after racing”.
Read more about the immense care and effort Diane takes to secure her harness retirees brilliant lives beyond the track:
https://hrvhero.com.au/news/no-shadow-cast-on-dianes-lifelong-love-of-standardbreds/