Social Media: A problematic online sales complex for ex-racehorses and ex-broodmares?

I have recently been horrified - there is no other word for it - by the sheer number of thoroughbreds being advertised for sale on social media platforms. These horses range from yearlings that failed to sell at the sales, to those recently retired from racing, and even elderly broodmares.

Scroll through any racing or bloodstock group, and the listings are endless: horses offered for sale with little information about their health, future plans, or welfare provisions.

As a practical and realistic person, I live in the economics of breeding and racing. I also understand that not every horse will have a glittering career on the track. But I struggle to see how passing an elderly broodmare from pillar to post serves her best interests.

These are living, sentient animals with specific needs, and it is difficult to reconcile the casual nature of online sales with the responsibility we owe them. We are in a privileged position that enables us to retire our mares from breeding and give them a home on our farm, with the eldest now reaching 26 years of age, but not all horses are so fortunate.

The rise of social media as a marketplace has made it easier than ever to sell horses, but it has also created a culture in which horses can be traded without proper oversight.

There is often no guarantee that buyers have the knowledge, resources, or long-term commitment to provide care for these animals, particularly those who are older or have special needs.

This situation underscores the urgent need for structured retraining, rehoming programs, and end-of-life planning within the Irish thoroughbred industry. Programs like Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and Treo Eile offer excellent pathways for retired racehorses to find new careers, but they cannot absorb the volume of horses currently circulating online.

Overproduction

There are concerns about oversupply in the Irish thoroughbred industry, though it’s a nuanced situation rather than a simple case of too many horses with nowhere to go.

Ireland breeds a very large number of thoroughbreds each year - around 9,000 foals annually, making it one of the world’s biggest producers of thoroughbreds and the largest in Europe.

Roughly 35% of the global foal crop comes from Ireland and a high proportion are exported to other countries’ racing and breeding markets.

That high production has raised periodic concerns about market saturation and unwanted horses. Historically and in commentary from industry observers and animal welfare advocates, indiscriminate breeding and economic pressures have been blamed for creating a surplus of lower‑quality animals that are hard to place in homes or in sport once racing prospects fade.

However, recent official data suggests the sector remains relatively stable - the number of horses in training has ticked up slightly and foreign investment in ownership and bloodstock sales remains strong.

The thriving export market for Irish‑bred horses and strong demand at yearling and bloodstock sales help absorb many foals, but there is still a need for effective industry planning, welfare safeguards and lifecycle management to ensure horses not destined for high‑level racing find appropriate outcomes.

End of career

A responsible end-of-life plan for a thoroughbred ensures the horse’s welfare is prioritised once its racing or breeding career ends.

Many horses are retrained for second careers in eventing, show jumping, or leisure riding, while others may be re-homed through approved sanctuaries or rescue programs.

For horses that are injured, aged, or unfit for further work, humane options such as veterinary euthanasia provide an ethical and traceable solution. Maintaining proper records of the horse’s condition, career, and end-of-life arrangements is essential for compliance and accountability, ensuring that every thoroughbred receives care and dignity throughout its lifecycle.

Are We Losing Track of Our Thoroughbreds?

Traceability has long been a cornerstone of the Irish thoroughbred industry.

Every horse is microchipped at birth, issued a passport, and tracked through its racing and breeding career. These systems exist to ensure welfare, maintain racing integrity, and protect the value and pedigree of the bloodstock.

However, in practice, traceability is under threat.

Passports may not be updated promptly, ownership can change hands multiple times, and horses can disappear from formal records. Overproduction compounds the problem, with a surplus of horses entering informal markets or second careers that are not always recorded.

Even end-of-life tracking is inconsistent when horses move outside licensed facilities, leaving gaps in knowledge about their welfare or final outcome.

The result is clear: while the infrastructure to track thoroughbreds exists, in reality we are losing visibility over many horses’ lives.

Without stricter enforcement, improved education for owners, and expansion of retraining and aftercare programs, the very animals that make Irish racing world-famous risk slipping through the cracks. Traceability is more than paperwork - it is a vital safeguard for the welfare, dignity, and accountability of every thoroughbred.

No horse abattoir = live export

As of 2025, Ireland has no operating horse abattoirs. The country’s only licensed equine slaughter facility, Shannonside Foods in Kildare, closed in June 2024 following serious animal welfare and traceability concerns.

Since then, hundreds of live horses - around 560 in a 12-month period - have been exported to EU countries like France and Belgium for slaughter.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) regulates all slaughter facilities and enforces EU and Irish rules on animal welfare, health, and traceability.

Any new horse abattoir must go through inspections and a “fit and proper person” assessment.

Since Shannonside’s closure, two entities have submitted notifications of intent to open a new facility, but neither has yet received full approval.

Industry reports, including the independent Wall Report, have emphasised the need for a well-regulated, humane horse slaughter facility in Ireland. Such a facility would ensure that horses that can no longer be kept or re-homed are treated humanely, and would strengthen traceability and welfare standards.

The government continues to encourage the establishment of a compliant equine abattoir to address both welfare concerns and practical industry needs.

Ultimately, responsible ownership must include planning for a horse’s entire lifecycle, from the yearling sales floor to retirement, and finally to humane end-of-life care when the time comes.

Whether through retraining, sanctuary placement, or regulated and humane euthanasia, we owe our thoroughbreds a future that prioritises welfare over profit. The current social media marketplace highlights just how far the industry has to go in meeting this responsibility.