When retired racehorse Refractor left the track and joined Racing NSW’s Team Thoroughbred program, no one could have predicted that just months later, he’d be riding into floodwaters on a rescue mission. But that’s exactly what happened when heavy rain caused devastating flooding in the Manning River region of NSW this past May.
His new owner, Jim Hare, had only rehomed Refractor in December, drawn to the gelding’s temperament and versatility. “I’d actually come to look at another horse,” Jim recalled. “But Bernie and Jodie from Team Thoroughbred suggested I try Refractor. I rode him and knew straight away this was my horse.”
Refractor quickly settled into his new home on Jim’s property, with the forest nearby offering beautiful trail riding and training opportunities. Jim began introducing him to different stockwork basics, including riding with a stock whip and carrying a cross-jacket perhaps unknowingly preparing him for something far more serious.
When floodwaters surged into the district one morning, Jim got a call: horses were stranded in rising water at a nearby property. He grabbed his saddle, mounted Refractor, and rode straight into the emergency.
“Their house was already under water,” Jim said. “To get to the horses, I had to open submerged gates, ride through paddocks with water up to my knees while in the saddle, and cut through electric fencing to reach them.”
Refractor stayed calm through it all. Jim caught one of the stranded horses and led it out, with the others following. But the job wasn’t over.
“I went back in to help with cattle that were stuck,” Jim explained. “One of the neighbours’ sons had arrived in a kayak, and between us we got about ten head of cattle to higher ground. But they spooked, swam over a submerged fence and tried to go back the way they came.”
“One steer looked like it was going to drown. I rode out to help and hit a barbed wire fence underwater. It spooked Refractor and he tipped me off. I thought he might come over the top of me, but he didn’t,” Jim recalled.
Despite the danger, Refractor held his nerve. Jim floated back to the horse, climbed into the saddle mid-stream, and continued the rescue.
“He was incredible. Brave, calm, smart. I already loved him before that day, but now… I really respect him,” Jim said.
Jim’s story is a powerful reminder of the value and heart these horses bring beyond the racetrack. Through the Team Thoroughbred program, retired racehorses like Refractor are given new purpose and in this case, helped save lives.