Saved by community

When the Longwood fire tore through Lindsay Park in January, the priority was simple: keep the people and the horses safe. More than 90 per cent of the property’s paddocks and fences, one barn and Ben and Grace Hayes’s newly completed home were destroyed amongst other infrastructure – a devastating outcome for one of Australian racing’s most respected operations, but amazing luck that they were able to continue operating.

Thankfully, there were no injuries to family or staff. Sadly, of the 327 horses on the property, seven were lost. And among the 320 that survived were more than 40 retired racehorses who had been enjoying a quiet retirement at Lindsay Park with no plans to leave. When the fires destroyed their paddocks, finding them new homes quickly became a priority.

The solution came from within.

Word quickly spread – as it tends to in the horse community – and offers began pouring in.

“I must have received 400 to 500 text messages with offers to take the horses,” McMaster said. “I didn’t come up for air for a while.”

Working alongside Veterinary and Spelling Manager Yvonne Divers, McMaster fielded enquiries and carefully matched each horse with a home suited to its temperament and history. Offers arrived from as far afield as New South Wales and South Australia. Every applicant was vetted, and each horse was rehomed under contract with Lindsay Park – should circumstances ever change, they return.

“People wanted the horses for all kinds of reasons,” McMaster said. “Some wanted nannies, some to ride, some just as companions.

I’d talk to them and get a sense of what they wanted, and because I’ve been doing this a long time, I could usually match the horse to the right owner pretty quickly.”

The response was extraordinary. Of all the horses that arrived at McMaster’s property from Oaklands, where they had been moved after the fires, only six remained by the end of the first day. Those, too, have since been rehomed.

“Lisa did an amazing job fielding enquiries,” Divers said. “It was quite chaotic. We’d often have very quick conversations as horses were being led onto trucks, with me relaying what I knew about them. She’d take that information and match them to homes.”

Amid the devastation, there was also relief in how little the horses themselves had been harmed.

“They were all in good health. I think the worst we had was a pony with a singed tail,” Divers said.

Horses instinctively flee when confronted by fire, often running straight through the fire front to reach already burnt ground and escape the fuel behind them. Minor burns or injuries can occur, but in this case, the majority escaped unharmed.

What began as a devastating event for Lindsay Park had a small silver lining.

The story of community and compassion, driven by genuine care for the horses.