British Racing School? Anyone been?

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Megibo

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I was just wondering f you have any personal experiences or any thoughts on it as I am hoping to apply to go there soon.
My only issues are I can get nervous on new horses and if I'd be able to find a yard where I could keep my own horse nearby ? Any help appreciated.

Also, as a sidenote when are you too big for your horse? As mine is chunky 13.3 welsh and I'm 5ft 3 she carries me fine, but my mum is hinting at her to be loaned out or sold but if I can get to race school I really hope I could take her with me to a yard nearby once I was employed.
 
My friends daughter was there last year. You will not have any time at all for your own horse, your hours there will be hard. you will be working early on the yard, riding, more work on the yards, and then lessons in the evening plus night stables. I think in the time she was there she only had 1 weekend off. The horses are a bit of a mixed bag, I saw several of them when i went to see her, some clearly not sound, several very unhappy being there, several who were very very clever a dropping the students on a regular basis. several of her classmates were injured, a couple very badly. She enjoyed the work, and the riding. She has ended up in Lambourn with a fantastic trainer and having a great time.
 
As Bosworth said, you will have no time at all for your own pony for the 9 weeks that you are there. The horses are all been there, seen it, done it, got the t-shirt, know every trick in the book types so whilst some are push button most aren't. I personally never went to the Racing School as my boss saw little point in sending me there to learn how to do things "school like" when in the real racing world it's very different. Every student from the Racing School that we get we have to break back down to basics and start practically from scratch with again. Don't get me wrong, it is a fabulous way to learn to ride racehorses but the way they teach you to ride them has next to zilch effect when you are on the real thing, out on a string at full work speeds.

As for having time for your own once you leave the Racing School and start in a normal yard that entirely depends on which yard you go to as to what your working hours will be. And although the Raching School guarantee you a job when you leave there is nothing to stop the trainer telling you to take a hike a week later.

If you do go it will be hard work but good fun and a very good experience. Good luck!
 
I went there for a two week advanced course and it was fab, I had never sat on a racehorse before I got selected for the course so it was a massive learning curve - we basically did the 9 week course in 2! But it meant that when I went on placement with a trainer afterwards that I was able to confidently hold anything, after that the lads taught me how to push one on and ride work etc. I was a good rider before on mainly dressage horses so it was a real culture shock! Loved it. Once in training, I had my horse on part livery so that someone did him in the morning then I rode him in the afternoons and put him to bed before returning to work for the evening.
 
one of my friends was there a few years ago, if you do decide to go i suggest you hit the gym, the friend of mine who went is about 5"4 and struggled to hold the horses as she didnt have enough upper body strength, and says it was definately the one reason that she cant atm make a career in racing as she didnt physically have the strength to stop the horses after having worked all day, and having not enough muscles, its a hard life as a racing groom, but also meant to be very rewarding. One thing i have also noticed from friends who work with trainers is that they dont have time for their own horses, unless they can live out 24/7 and can get a sharer etc and in some cases end up selling their horse as they just dont compare to riding the racers.
 
the horses at the racing achool have a mind of there own, much harder than the ones in training! they just go when they want. you should go, you'll have a ball!!
 
I have only been on short courses but i LOVE it there. I have basically run out of courses to do (as I am older so dont qualify for free courses!). Brilliant place and fabulous facilities and good food too!!! Bet there is a lot of scandal between students too- Go for it. :)
 
EKW said:
As Bosworth said, you will have no time at all for your own pony for the 9 weeks that you are there. The horses are all been there, seen it, done it, got the t-shirt, know every trick in the book types so whilst some are push button most aren't. I personally never went to the Racing School as my boss saw little point in sending me there to learn how to do things "school like" when in the real racing world it's very different. Every student from the Racing School that we get we have to break back down to basics and start practically from scratch with again. Don't get me wrong, it is a fabulous way to learn to ride racehorses but the way they teach you to ride them has next to zilch effect when you are on the real thing, out on a string at full work speeds.

As for having time for your own once you leave the Racing School and start in a normal yard that entirely depends on which yard you go to as to what your working hours will be. And although the Raching School guarantee you a job when you leave there is nothing to stop the trainer telling you to take a hike a week later.

If you do go it will be hard work but good fun and a very good experience. Good luck!
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this. the people ive known go there have come back looking quite pretty/stylish on a horse but about as much use as a wet match to start a fire.
In my honest opinion the best way to start is to work in a point to point yard, that way you start out doing roadwork and getting to know the horses slowly whilst building up your muscles and strength for when you start cantering. Also they tend to be smaller yards so they have more time to spend teaching you and noticing your riding and helping you improve. You will also have much more opportunity to do more things whereas on a big yard that you may get sent to you would just be one of many and go relatively unnoticed.
Dont be put off by what ive said, still go if youve got your hert set on it but just be aware that real racehorses and real racing life is a bit different and you will have to re-learn a lot of things you thought you had already been taught!!
 
Tazhazzamoose said:
Ah cool :) Also thinking of trying to get work exp on a yard beforehand but don't know if i would have to ride out or not ? preferably not before i went raceschool....lol
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Trainers are not going to put you on a mad TB, if you go and can already ride, you will almost certainly be legged up on something. This is part of your training, if you go in to any career you will be asked to do the biz, you left primary school a long time ago, now you need to work for a living.
if you want to stay with ponies then Racing is not for you.
 
Hey I went. It was brilliant, one of the best experiences of my life. They also got me my job at one of the best NH yards in the country where I still am today so it was well worth it.
 
MrsD123 said:
Trainers are not going to put you on a mad TB, if you go and can already ride, you will almost certainly be legged up on something. This is part of your training, if you go in to any career you will be asked to do the biz, you left primary school a long time ago, now you need to work for a living.
if you want to stay with ponies then Racing is not for you.
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actually, i'm still in sixth form so no i DONT need to work for a living, this is the whole point of me getting work experience so that when i leave school i will have a career to go into so that i will be working for a living!
if they do stick me on a horse all the better but i didnt think they would as i was only doing work experience.
 
JDChaser said:
Hey I went. It was brilliant, one of the best experiences of my life. They also got me my job at one of the best NH yards in the country where I still am today so it was well worth it.
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ah okay cool. take it you liked it then! alot of people say its hard work but worth it but aswell a few people on here have said they retrain the way you ride afterwards ? (:
 
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