Kate in the paddock with horses, Windmill Hill

KM Sport Horses · Outwith Horses

Racehorse Rehabilitation, Retraining & Rehoming

Photo: Riyaz

Slow everything down first.

Horses leave racing carrying a great deal — physical wear, mental pressure, and the habits of a life that moved very fast. The first thing we do when a horse arrives at Windmill Hill is slow everything down.

Our herd system gives horses 24-hour turnout with suitable company. There is no production line. Rehabilitation is at the pace the horse sets, built around their individual history, physicality and temperament.

Equestrian services arm

Equestrian services operate under the name KM Sport Horses — the equestrian arm of Outwith Horses. This name is retained for RoR and client continuity.

The full picture

From gallops to grass to good home.

We offer an end-to-end continuum of care. A horse can arrive for spelling between campaigns, move into rehabilitation if needed, progress through retraining at whatever pace it sets, and leave into a carefully matched home with a full leaving pack. Every stage is managed by the same person, in the same place.

Stage 1

Racehorse Spelling

Stage 2

Post-surgical rehab

Stage 3

Retraining

Stage 4

Honest rehoming


What we offer

Six areas of care.

Racehorse rehabilitation and decompression

Horses come to us out of racing for numerous reasons with varying situations. We begin with herd integration and 24-hour turnout before any ridden or ground work begins. The environment at Windmill Hill — quiet, rural, unhurried — is part of the treatment.

Retraining programme

Ground work on long reins, polework, hill work, desensitisation and in-hand work build strength and confidence progressively. Ridden work follows when the horse is ready — not before. Kate has retrained horses for dressage, showjumping, eventing, polo and hacking at all levels, including six thoroughbreds for low-goal polo, two of which have been successful in RoR Polo classes.

Rehoming support

We work within the RoR charity framework to find the right home for horses that are not returning to their owners. Kate is an RoR registered retrainer and an approved retrainer under the Retrainer Approval Scheme (RAS), submitted and acknowledged in April 2026. Owners can expect honesty about what their horse can and cannot offer — and ongoing contact once a horse has moved on.

Box rest and injury recovery management

Long-term restricted movement cases are managed with structured rehabilitation plans and as natural an environment as possible. If extended box rest is required following surgery or tendon injury, we provide appropriate surroundings that avoid additional mental suffering, followed by a thorough progressive exercise plan back to riding fitness. We work with existing veterinary plans and help create new ones based on each horse's history.

Schooling livery

For horses in regular work that need the same unhurried, individual attention as those returning from racing. Schooling livery at Windmill Hill offers the same herd environment, the same quality of care and the same professional network — without the context of injury or rehabilitation. The horse simply benefits from a quiet yard and an experienced pair of hands. Suitable for horses needing consistent work, confidence building, or time away from a busier environment. Enquire directly to discuss your horse's situation.

Racehorse spelling

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Rest and recuperation between campaigns — for horses that need genuine downtime rather than full rehabilitation. Herd decompression, 24-hour turnout and expert daily monitoring across 35 acres of Test Valley AONB. Feed adjusted on arrival; condition monitored throughout. In the final two weeks before return, handling and feed are stepped up so the horse arrives back at the yard manageable and ready for road walking from day one. A full written report is provided on departure. Direct referral from Flat and Jump yards.

Post-operative surgical rehabilitation

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Phased rehabilitation following surgery, working to veterinary guidance from the referring practice. The environment at Windmill Hill — quiet, rural, herd-based — is particularly suited to post-surgical cases where stress reduction is clinically important. Restricted paddock spaces allow precise management of exercise levels. All progress is documented contemporaneously; veterinary teams receive regular updates and the case file is available for inspection. Current case: back surgery rehabilitation in progress.

Horses at Windmill Hill, Ibthorpe

Windmill Hill, Ibthorpe.

The yard is on Windmill Hill, Ibthorpe, in the Test Valley, Hampshire — a quiet, unhurried environment that is itself a therapeutic asset. The calmness of the location is not incidental; it is part of what the horses need.

Close proximity to Lambourn gives access to first-class veterinary centres and surgeons, excellent remedial farriers, and leading chiropractic veterinary practitioners. We work with existing plans and help create new ones based on each horse's history.

  • First-class veterinary centres (proximity to Lambourn)
  • Expert remedial farriers
  • Leading chiropractic veterinary practitioners
  • 24-hour turnout in post-and-rail paddocks
  • Herd-based management system
  • Barn designed for maximum visibility and movement
  • Secure restricted paddock spaces for managed recovery

Inside the RoR framework.

RoR is professionalising rapidly. The Retrainer Approval Scheme (RAS), jointly funded by the Racing Foundation and John Pearce Foundation, is targeting only 40 approved retrainers nationally by end of 2026.

Kate is an RoR registered retrainer and an approved retrainer under the Retrainer Approval Scheme (RAS) — submitted and acknowledged April 2026. RoR is targeting only 40 approved retrainers nationally by end of 2026. Being inside this framework matters — for welfare standards, for professional accountability, and for the horses.

Kate with a horse, quiet moment

Talk to us about your horse.

If you have a horse leaving racing — or an OTTB that needs time, space and experienced support — get in touch. We will talk through your horse's history and what they might need.

Please include a brief history of the horse, its current situation, and what you are hoping for.

Get in touch kate@outwithhorses.com 07717 400548