KM Sport Horses · Outwith Horses
The work
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.
What we offer
Horses come to us out of racing — often injured, underweight or mentally depleted. We begin with herd integration and 24-hour turnout, allowing the horse to decompress and re-establish natural behaviours before any ridden or ground work begins. The environment at Windmill Hill — quiet, rural, unhurried — is part of the treatment.
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.
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 has an application in progress under the Retrainer Approval Scheme (RAS). Owners can expect honesty about what their horse can and cannot offer — and ongoing contact once a horse has moved on.
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.
Location
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.
Support network
Retrainer Approval Scheme
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 her RAS application is currently in progress. Being inside this framework matters — for welfare standards, for professional accountability, and for the horses.
Enquire
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.