Are all racing yards like this?

I worked in a racing yard in Newmarket about 12 years ago and it was nothing like that! It wasn't one of the bigger yards either, but it was lovely, with everything done to a high standard and the experienced Head Lad, who had been there for years, in charge. In fact all the yards I worked at were excellent.

The lack of English isn't the only thing that concerns me. Its the lack of care and the fact they are putting off good staff like you. If it were a decent place, someone would be concerned for the welfare of the horses under a regime like that. Sounds absolutely awful. I'm sure there are plenty of decent yards about where the trainer and Head Lad would never allow anything like that. There is always a lot of banter, swearing and flirting but you just learn to bat it off, but if they think women shouldn't be working in racing, they'll just about cut the workforce by a third!

Thats a good question - where was the trainer?
 
RachelFerd said:
Anyway, why anyone would want to ride those slow old boats rather than our super-quick flat horses I have no idea ;) ;)
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I beg to differ lol! I have 2 NH horses at home and both are lovely and forward yet polite rides who move off the leg at the slightest hint. My new 6furlong sprinter, who I expected to be a psyco nut job, is the LAZIEST toad I have ever met! :D Tomorrow the schooling whip comes out and if that doesn't make him even just walk properly then I may have to invest in a set of spurs! Super quick my backside :D

But yes, flat yards do seem to be getting a lot of flack but to be fair, if HQ was full of the same staff but had NH horses then they would be getting the flack instead. Not all flat yards are bad, some are great but it's finding them in HW is the problem.
 
I work on a jumping yard and absolutely love it... yes there is alot of cheeky banter between the lads and us girls but its all taken in good spirit, just as well because all 8 of us live together in 1 big big house.
I would definetly get out that yard ASAP, sounds awful.
 
Mithras - I didn't really see much of the trainer, he was out on the gallops for some of the morning and then at about lunchtime he said he was going out so I didn't see him after that.

Ottinmeg - I had a feeling that might have been the trainer's agenda!

Thank you for all of the replies, it's been really interesting hearing all of your opinions. A few of you have mentioned the banter on racing yards - I can generally handle a bit of stick especially as I work in an all male environment but what I experience at the weekend was definitely taking it too far. I think the thing I found hardest was the fact they were all talking in Indian (blatantly about me) and I had no idea what they were saying - it was a bit intimidating.
 
Good to know you don't plan to go back - why stable lads think that they have to be so crude is beyond me. There is supposed to be no sexual harrasment in the workplace but it seems that trainers/yard managers turn a blind eye to it.

Some years ago when I was working in a big flat racing yard the trainers son said something really rude and crude to me - well I spun around and told him that he better never ever speak to me like that again. His reply was that he thought us girls liked the banter. I just told him that most og the girls were so young and too embarresed to say anything. From that day on I never heard him speak like that to any of the girls again - so at least one learnt to respect women.
Same yard one of the staff did get sacked for repeatedly phoning up one of the girls asking if he could go to bed with her - this was in the middle of the night - he was a nasty shifty little rodent!

There are plenty of places where the staff are treated with respect - but definately don't stand for the banter and any sexual harrasment.
 
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