Raising the Standards is a program like no other; taking on retired harness horses, giving them the opportunity to shine under saddle and re-homing them in loving, long-term homes.

Retirement for so many wonderful ex-harness horses means death via the knackery, or a life condemned to standing in the back paddock - wasted and unappreciated.

The Raising the Standards team advocate for this exceptional breed of horse, with an aim educate people about this often misunderstood breed.  

Standardbreds are fantastic all-rounders, come in all shapes and sizes and can be highly competitive show, PC and ARC mounts.

Standardbreds generally enjoy being worked and have a 'get on and ride' attitude.   They require no 'working down', are fuss-free to prepare and hold their weight better than a lot of other full-size horse breeds.

Standardbreds are low-maintenance horses and, with such even temperaments, often make fabulous first horses -who have the potential to take their rider from beginner to winner.

Raising the Standards is bridging the gap between wonderful, kind horses and special people who are looking for their new best friend.

Our website offers services to harness trainers looking to re-home their retired mounts and riders who are searching for their next special someone.  

We can offer contracts to trainers which ensure no horse will be killed whilst we, or our buyers, assume legal ownership of the horse and also offer non-breeding contracts for prize winning mares.

We offer contracts to our buyers ensuring our horses are 100% free of behaviour-modifying drugs and that we are open to full veterinary checks.

We can offer references and have a stellar reputation in the equine industry.