Working at racing yards- experiences?

Challaborough Christmas Tree

Challaborough Christmas Tree

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So I'm thinking of trying to get a job at a racing yard (preferably the one tipsy is from) just mucking out and yard work really as I highly doubt I'd even be allowed to touch one of the horses. I have two horses so I don't really know why I want to do it but i'd like some money to spend on the beasts and it will keep me occupied and out of trouble. I adore racehorses just looking at the power and enthusiasm and just how tipsy moves is just memorising! Anyway ramble over anyone done this sort of thing? What did you think about it?
 
I phoned my local yard when I took redundancy. I'm a legal bod so not expecting to ride. I offered to do book keeping handle clients and muck out. Ended up work riding 3 lots a day 6 days a week. Loved it. Look up some local yards and approach politely. I don't see u'd need to go through training school to muck out. Be careful though. I ended up buying one of my daily rides. :$
 
Spotsrock I already have 1 ex NH'er and I love him bit I don't need another! When tipsy's old owner gets home I'll ask hom about his old yard and see if there's anyway I could just even volunteer for free there to see what I think. Ahh I'm only 14 I don't think they'd even consider. Letting me ride one of them :D

Double_choc_lab just wondering bit why do you say that?
 
I think what double_choc_lab is referring to is that if you want to work with racehorses and you are under 18 it is now compulsory to do training at the British Racing School or similar (fairly sure but someone else might wish to confirm this).
Good luck with your search, but you might find it a bit tricky with your age and the extensive health and safety regulations and insurance commitments professional yards have.

E.T.S that you might get away with at a less respectable yard, but you might also find that the 'experience' you'd get with one of those probably wouldn't be worth it, imo
 
Hi OP - what part of the country are you based in and are you close to any racing yards? Do you want to work in a NH or flat yard? Choc Lab is correct if you want to work full time in racing. All the staff have to go through either the British Racing School in Newmarket or the Northern Racing School (up North!). You are guaranteed a job in racing at the end of the course. It provides a good grounding and understanding of the industry and the horses. However if you want to go in part time and do ground work I would doubt this will be required. As a 'yardie' you will muck out, put horses on the walker, sweep yards, feed and cold hose. In the evening you'll be given (generally) 3 horses to do. This is skipping out, changing waters, washing feed mangers and dressing the horse over. 30 mins usually spent on each horse. You have to 'show' them for the trainer or assistant to view. This is dressing them over and then standing them up in the stable where they will be assessed by the trainer/assistant or head lad. All I can say is it's the most wonderful sport and a chance to work with some amazing horses. I personally feel everyone within the equine industry should at least spend 2 months working in racing! It's old fashioned in a lot of ways and you work damn hard with a lot of discipline. Having said that it's not as military as it was 20 years ago :)
 
I'm In south Wales :( and defiantly NH! Im in school so part time, more to get experience and learn new ways of doing things than an actual job. I'd hope it is hard work, keep me in my place and make me feel like I'm actually doing something xx
 
As has been mentioned above, get a list of your local trainers - there are a few around you now. My Welsh geography is pretty hopeless though!! Give them a call and say you are mad keen and ask if you can help on weekends and in the holiday's. If you draw a list up and PM me, I can offer some advice on reputations etc :) Don't worry it will be hard work!! To find the list of trainers you can google the NTF
http://www.racehorsetrainers.org/contacts/listtrainers.asp - I've done it for you! You will find that 90% of trainers are registered as combined. You might find that you'll have to work in which ever yard is closest. Do not be put off by flat yards :)
 
I used to do it as a holiday job when I was a student. I simply phoned up trainers and asked them if they had any jobs for someone like me, and describe my experience. I think because it was during the summer holiday season, I nearly always struck lucky first time. Henry Cecil and Michael Stoute were particularly kind when my bumbling youthful idiot self phoned him up and suggested another Newmarket trainer who took me on for my first job in racing. Once I had that first job, I had a good reference and went to Jim Bolger in Ireland the next summer, Epsom the next and Belgium the one after that. I simply started riding out my 3 lots and doing my 3 every day. I guess if I hadn't been up to scratch, I'd have been told not to come back on the first day though I am certain I was given the easier horses and never got to ride work. I worked hard and never had a bad experience though all the yards were pretty strict, and remarkably, I managed never to fall off!

My favourite memory was at Akehursts in Epsom where, on my last day, I was allowed to ride the stable star who was just sublime and smooth as silk.

It was actually reasonably well paid as a holiday job and sometimes accommodation was included. I met some seriously fascinating people, my only regret was that if you only work for 21/2-3 months over the summer, you never progress as much as you would if you did it for a longer period of time.

I have to say I'm glad I got the opportunity to work at bigger yards in main training centres, as I only ever had to ride or "do" a maximum of 3, even then it was pretty tiring and the afternoon nap was an essential!
 
My son has just started doing this kind of work, while doing his apprenticehsip as farrier. He is too sick to work as a farrier ATM, and has just had an operation on his shoulder- but as soon as he is able to return to work, they are keen for him to do stable work in the afternoons, and would like him to do track work in the mornings. He is currently enjoying the work, and the lots of young girls that work in the stables as well.
 
I'm looking to do something similar too so will be keeping an eye on this thread :)
My family have owned racehorses in the past so I've always had a love of the sport and am probably at one race track or another at least once a month! I'm currently spending the summer working at a polo and racing yard where all the polo ponies are failed racehorses so I've got a fair amount of experience with thoroughbreds. Unfortunately none of the racehorses are in training at the moments and I work with the polo horses mostly anyway but would love to have the chance to ride racehorse in work.
I've got a list of local trainers (I live in Northampton if anyone has any recomendations!!) to contact but I'm thinking I'll probably have to wait until next summer? Does anyone know the best time to contact a yard (flat or NH, I don't mind)? I'm working at the polo yard until October and then am off to univeristy but could potentially help out part time in the uni holidays...

OP good luck finding somewhere, let us all know how you get on!
 
elzandfly - I have good news for you! I am trying to find work in racing at the moment, and last week I sent an email to a local national hunt trainer. I was asking for pretty much the same as you and I wasn't really expecting anything but this morning I received an email from the assistant trainer asking me to ring him, and he offered me a trial ride out on monday morning with view to a full-time job! So basically the moral is, if you don't ask, you don't get, so keep trying! :D
 
Just ring up your local trainers and ask for a job :)

When I worked in racing, we had a guy mucking out that had never been near a horse before he got the job lol.

And if you are a competant rider, they will probably let you ride. I got a job when I was 18 and rode 5 or 6 per day right from the start, did barely any yard work and got paid for it! Was my ideal job!
 
Op ur posts read mature for ur age! My old yard had riders aged 16 and I think 15 but I may be wrong. It's all to do with insurance but pingpongpony did work ex there too so only just 16 at the time. I think the key is to mention that u have horses but not ask to ride. They'll size u up and decide. Good luck please keep us posted and remember they are highly trained animals on high energy diets so be safe :-)
 
ust phone up trainers and ask. If you can try to go for a smaller yard than a bigger one, they are more likely to have time to teach you things and you are more likely to get todo more.
Racing is a brilliant world, ot will teach you a hell of a lot in a short space of time and stuff you can use in all disciplines. as aces-high says, everyone should do a few months in racing!
 
My experience wouldn't really be relevant as it was over 20 years ago so am sure a lot has changed as it seems to have done with nearly all the sphere's I had a go at but early mornings, incredibly hard & fast work, spotless mucking out and very sore thighs come to mind. I'd gone from happy hacking to a summer holiday job in the local race stables was a totally different world and I loved every minute of it :D
 
I rang up my local trainer when i left school at 16, got asked down for an interview - rode a lovely 15.2hh horse round the school, hopped off and said 'he's huge!' - Oops! I'd only ever ridden natives before that day with the biggest being my 13.2hh fell pony.

8years later and I am still there. I work ride 3-4 a day, look after 6 in the afternoons. Do alot of work at the races and clip pretty much every single horse in the winter.

From this job I now have 4 exracers.

After 8 years Iam starting to think about getting a 'normal' job as working with horses all day and then doing my own at home is starting to grate on me now. I'm not as young as I used to be.

It's a truly great job to do and will give you a world of experience.
 
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