When Prodigal’s Return arrived at Fiona McIntyre’s yard in March 2022, her jaw dropped. “He came off the float and I’d never seen anything quite like it in my life, he was literally a skeleton with hair on him. I honestly was unsure whether he’d survive.”
The gelding had finished racing back in 2008 as a six-year-old and had 12 starts for one win before embarking on an equestrian career. In his early years off the track he was a performance horse, however he changed hands and somewhere along the line fell on hard times.
“Roy, as he is known, had been surrendered to the RSPCA and came to me for emergency care via Racing Victoria,” explains Fiona, who is a Racing Victoria (RV) Acknowledged Retrainer. With the help of Heath Conners of Southern Cross Feeds, Fiona began nursing Roy back to health. Despite his dire condition, he put on weight quickly and within four months he was within a healthy range. “He’s actually such a good doer. I had to cut his feed right back in the end!” exclaims Fiona.
“He’s actually such a good doer.
I had to cut his feed right back…”
ROY’S BIG RESET
RV’s Thoroughbred Welfare Officer, Sam Davison, felt that despite Roy’s advancing age – he was 19 when he first arrived at Fiona’s – he’d be a suitable candidate for their RESET Program, a pathway for Victorian Thoroughbreds that have struggled to find the right home following the conclusion of their racing career.
“Even though Roy didn’t fit the mould in terms of his age, we thought we’d give him a go,” says Fiona. “We thought he had so much more still to offer… the funny thing with Roy, even though he’s an older gentleman he doesn’t act like an older gentleman!” she laughs. “He’s by the legendary Zabeel… there’s just something about those horses and their attitude to life, they’re tough horses.”
As Fiona explains, Roy didn’t necessarily need to be retrained – she just needed him to come back into work so she could find out what buttons were installed. Following a few false starts due to a deluge of wet weather and subsequent abscesses towards the end of 2022, Roy’s perfect match came along in March 2023 – 12 months after first stepping off the float at Fiona’s.
Helen Clark has had Thoroughbreds all her life, breeding them for the track and also riding them in their lives after racing. Looking for her next partner, she purchased an off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTT) named Louie who unfortunately turned out to be unsound – and so instead became her “lovely paddock ornament”. Back on the hunt for a riding horse, Helen contacted RV’s General Manager of Equine Welfare, Melissa Ware; Roy was her recommendation.
“It was a terrible wet day that my friend and I went to look at him,” recalls Helen. “Fi was walking Roy up from his paddock to the arena, and he just tagged along behind her. I thought that would suit me, because I’ve got a crook shoulder and I need a horse that doesn’t pull or drag me around everywhere. And then from the moment I got in the saddle I just felt comfortable and happy on him.”
Fiona explains that it was a team effort to bring Roy back from the brink: “If it wasn’t for RV, God knows where he would have ended up. He also would not have recovered so quickly without the support of Southern Cross Feeds; they supplied all this feed.
“RV’s RESET program is fantastic. It allows horses that could potentially fall through the cracks to be captured and then retrained correctly and placed in the right homes,” says Fiona, adding that she’s been contacted by numerous people especially looking for a RESET horse since the program’s launch in 2020.
“I think what potential buyers like about it is they know these horses have been put through the training with RV Acknowledged Retainers; they know they’ve got the ticks and balances in place. And they know they’ve gone through a certain number of weeks before they’re deemed to be ready to be rehomed. There’s a confidence in the buyers that with these horses you’re actually getting what has been advertised.”
GETTING ALONG FAMOUSLY
Six months on, and Helen and Roy are getting along famously. “I’m 69, so I’m no spring chicken either; we really suit each other, we’re just two oldies having a good time,” laughs Helen of their growing partnership.
“We’ve been to two clinics – a two-day dressage clinic and then we did an obstacles clinic. He was an absolute star at the first one, although at the obstacle clinic he did nearly have a heart attack. I don’t think he’s ever seen obstacles before,” she chuckles. “It’s amazing the things that we’ve been finding that he can do though… I want to do dressage with him.”
Helen says that while Roy is quiet, he’s no slug either. “He does fire up a little bit… sometimes he goes on like a two-year-old. I don’t think anyone has told him that he’s rising 21.”
“Helen has provided the perfect home for him, they’re just a really good fit,” smiles Fiona. “It’s really lovely to see how happy they are. I was sad to see Roy go because he’d been here for a long time and I can’t help but get attached to the horses that I work with. However, it’s wonderful to know he’s gone to someone who gives him the love he needs and richly deserves.”
Both Fiona and Helen agree that despite what he’s been through, Roy has a beautiful nature. “He loves to be near you and do things with you; he just has the sweetest nature,” reflects Fiona.
“Roy is terrific to handle, you tie him up and he just stands there. He’s such a lovely natured horse; he’s so friendly and he’s got so much trust in everybody,” says Helen, adding that even her non-horsey husband is fond of him and has earmarked him as the friendliest horse on their property. With a long history involving Thoroughbreds, Helen is like Fiona in that she’s a big admirer of the Zabeel horses. “You either get a really nice one or you get a really hot one, and he’s just one of the really nice ones.”
Roy’s beautiful nature is exemplified by Helen’s story of her three- and five-year-old grandkids, who snuck out to see the goldfish in her water trough. “They were found looking into the water, either side of Roy – who was also looking into the water – with their hands on his neck. He didn’t move a muscle.”
AGE NO BARRIER
“Some horses just don’t know how old they are… Roy certainly doesn’t!” laughs Fiona. As she explains, age does commonly deter buyers – when often it probably shouldn’t. “Some buyers are put off by 12-year-olds and you think ‘why?’ There’s just so much these horses can offer, Roy is proof of that. Even at his age he’s still got plenty in the tank.” Fiona herself has an 18-year-old Thoroughbred, also by Zabeel, named Precedence, who doesn’t know his age and is still competing on the Royal Show circuit.
Age was never a deterrent for Helen, who’s had many older horses in the past – in fact, her old polo horse, a Thoroughbred, played until the age of 26; her son won Royal Show novelty classes on 28- and 30-year-olds; and she currently has a 37-year-old retired Thoroughbred at home. So by comparison, Roy is young.
“We just kept them fit and healthy… I have nothing but praise for the old horses. They’ve just got a little bit more knowledge and they’re not worried about everything like young horses. I think people looking for a horse that has been there and done that, they’re great.”
“There are a lot of people
around here that think he’s 11…”
Helen says that Roy has gained many admirers amongst her friends over the past few months, and they say they would now consider taking on an older horse. “A couple of friends have said, ‘well, we didn’t think of an older horse… we’re getting on a bit and don’t really want a young one that we’ve got to start off and go through the whole thing again’. They now think it’d be great to get a horse like Roy that’s got an education that allows you to just get on and go.”
Helen says that although a few friends know Roy’s real age, there’s many she’s yet to tell. “At the moment there are a lot of people around here who think he’s 11,” she laughs. “He doesn’t look like he’s rising 21, and he doesn’t act it. He’s got years left in him; he’ll probably see me out!” EQ
READ MORE ABOUT OFF THE TRACK HORSES:
Rebecca & Zac, Powerful Partners – Equestrian Life, November 2023
Molly & Tadpole Thrive in the Big Pond – Equestrian Life, June 2023
Five Stars to Sophia Hill – Equestrian Life, May 2023
TBs Back in Vogue, Says Judge Susie – Equestrian Life, March 2023
Murray Makes Time for Thoroughbreds – Equestrian Life, December 2022
Astro, the Horse of Many Talents – Equestrian Life, November 2022
Thoroughbreds in Their Element – Equestrian Life, October 2022
Thoroughbreds Making Their Way to Melbourne – Equestrian Life, June 2022
Thoroughbreds Shine in the Ring – Equestrian Life, April 2022
A Grand New Career – Equestrian Life, February 2022
The Women Transforming Equine Welfare – Equestrian Life, December 2021
Clear Vision for a Better Future – Equestrian Life, October 2021
A Thorough Belief in Thoroughbreds – Equestrian Life, September 2021
General Ready To Conquer Again – Equestrian Life, June 2021
Sparks Fly When Cutting Meets Racing – Equestrian Life, May 2021
