The people who spout off about racehorses in Japan getting eaten every time one of “our” Thoroughbreds relocates to that country need to read this.
Yes, Ferdinand’s story ended badly. But that was over 20 years ago and the Japanese, taking the phrase “know better, do better” to heart, are working hard to give lower tier retirees a life after racing.
That was interesting.
Only 80,000 people in Japan ride horses? That seems like an extremely low number, doesn’t it? Out of a population of almost 125 million?
I know Boyd Martin was in Japan doing a clinic for retired race horses recently, which I think he does every year. One funny thing was that last year there were a couple of jockeys who stopped in, and it sounded like they had ridden several of the horses that were involved in the clinic.
There’s an Old Friends in Japan now as well.
I’ve always wanted to tour Japan’s horse facilities. For a densely populated island where very few people can access horses, they seem to really do right by their animals
Here’s an interesting article about racing retirees in Hong Kong: https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/meet-hugo-star-of-hong-kongs-successful-aftercare-program
Fascinating that Hong Kong has a color preference (grey) for lead ponies!
Japan’s topography is such that any arable land is mostly mountainous or used for rice cultivation. It’s really not a country that is conducive to amateur or backyard horsekeeping.
The northern island of Hokkaido which is more open, I believe is where most of the horse farms are located.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
