Ms Clark has been working with racehorses since she was 10, dedicating her life to her passion for horses and equine welfare.
She has worked in many facets of the racing industry from being an exercise rider, thoroughbred retrainer, riding instructor and regular horse foster home carer for regional RSPCA.
Coming from racing stock, her passion is thoroughbreds, however she works with all breeds of horses from any background and situation, putting their welfare at the front and centre of her work.
Ms Clark set up riding, teaching and retraining facility Kelltara Park five years ago and has retrained off-the-track horses for local trainer Barry Goodwin and worked directly with owners from across Victoria to retrain and recondition horses with patience and dedication.
She has retrained many off-the-track horses which are happy in their second careers as show horses, some of which have gone on to win first place at Royal Melbourne and Royal Adelaide shows.
Other horses go on to have secondary careers as stockhorses, in trail riding, therapy, pony club and adult riding clubs such as the Horse Riding Club Association of Victoria.
Ms Clark said she and her team at Kelltara Park worked with each horse to reveal its unique abilities and individual attributes and believed there was a second career for all horses post racing.
“My heart lies with giving the animals another chance at a new career with love, time and care,” she said.
“It was a rigorous application process to become a Racing Victoria-acknowledged trainer. But it was worth the work because it’s an honour and I’m very excited.
“I’ve been working with horses all my life and seeing them get another chance after they come off the track is what I love about it.
“Knowing they have been retrained and get to go on to a new, loving home is what has kept me in the industry for so long.”
While each horse is different, Ms Clark said the average turnaround for an off-the-track horse was 12 months.
“We deal immediately with injuries and give them a complete physical to ensure they are mentally and physically ready to be retrained,” she said.
“We then start them slow with a walk and a trot. That can sometimes be difficult because they must learn how to go slow after years of racing.”
Ms Clark said she kept in touch with the owners of all horses retrained at Kelltara Park to ensure the horses were enjoying their new homes.
“I care about the horses and I want to make sure they go to a good home where they can have a happy and successful career after racing,” she said.
“I tell people that if they can’t look after a horse they got from us, they are always free to return them.
“We had a few horses return during the pandemic because the owners couldn’t afford to feed them. I much prefer to have horses come back than to have them get lost in the system.”
Kelltara Park also offers riding lessons to all ages and levels seven days a week.
For more information about Kelltara Park, visit kelltarapark.com or find it on Facebook.
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