Cross Breeds

How do you become a thoroughbred race horse trainer and or owner?

I need details! like specific steps i should take, what colleges/classes and ALL of the requirements needed to get a training license and how to become successful with it. And i realize how much luck goes into this and how its not all fun and games..i get it, lets move on. Thank you!!! :)))

Public Comments

1. To become a racehorse owner, you merely have to demonstrate financial responsibility and submit a license request. Because there is no central, national licensing authority, you apply for your owner's license in the specific state in which you want your horses to compete. Each state has slightly different wording for the requirements to be an owner; this is a link to the page on the California Horse Racing Board website that has California's requirements: http://chrb.ca.gov/query_rules_and_regulations_database.asp?form_query_action=display_rule&form_query_rule_number=1505&form_query_rule_title=Qualifications+for+License+as+Horse+Owner.&form_query_article=Qualifications+for+License+as+Horse+Owner.&form_query_article_index=5&form_query_argument=1505 Summary of the requirements: Your horse(s) must be in the care of a properly licensed trainer, who you will name on your application; You cannot be a jockey, apprentice jockey, racing official (e.g., starter, clerk of course, steward, etc.), or vet assistant; Licensing is at the discretion of the governing authority (people who are known to have association with organized crime figures, or who may have some involvement in illegal gambling operations, or who may be susceptible for personal reasons to pressures to "fix" races, are what the licensing authorities are trying to exclude). More recently, people who have convictions or who have made "no contest" pleas to charges of animal abuse or neglect will probably not be licensed, and if there is reason to believe you will not be financial responsible for the costs of your horse, it's unlikely you will be granted a license. This is the license application here in California: http://chrb.ca.gov/downloads/forms/chrb_4_application_for_license.pdf (In most states, you can download the form from the racing board website; or you can obtain a hard copy of the form at a racetrack). You will also have to be fingerprinted and agree to have a background check run to see if you've been convicted of any crimes. To become a licensed Thoroughbred trainer, you have to fill out a licensing application and you also have to pass a test. The test is both of practical knowledge relating to horse care and training and of the Rules of Racing, with particular attention to the rules regarding use of medications and other issues for which the trainer is responsible. There is no requirement that you have any education of any kind; there are Thoroughbred trainers who have never completed high school and Thoroughbred trainers who have advanced college degrees. Most people who apply for trainer's licenses spend time working on the backside of a racetrack or at a training center in other capacities-- as a groom or assistant trainer-- under the supervision of a licensed trainer as a way of learning the ins and outs of training, and also to make contacts. That's really the thing that's most critical to your success as a Thoroughbred trainer: unless you intend to be like Dale Baird, the guy who holds the record for training the most Thoroughbred winners of all-time, you need to be able to get clients who will buy horses for you to train (or who will ask you to purchase horses for them as agent). Dale Baird almost exclusively horses that he owned himself. He operated at the bottom level of the sport, mostly with very cheap horses, and was very unsentimental about them. Everything in his barn had a price on it, either for private sale, or in claiming races, or-- and this is where he was condemned by people who loved horses-- the meat auctions. Baird bought and sold horses just about every day of his life, he'd buy wrecks that he could patch together for a few races before they weren't good for anything more and he'd send them out to auction. Most trainers train for other people, and this means that in practice, the most valuable characteristic a successful trainer has is his ability to persuade financially successful people to spend money on horses for him to train. If you can't do that, you just aren't likely to be able to make a living training racehorses. You have to be able to get clients. Many successful trainers started out as assistants to successful trainers. This is where the make the connections with people who can recommend them to clients. And most trainers barely scrape a living when they start out-- it isn't uncommon to find newbie trainers living out of a car or van, or living in a tackroom on the backstretch, when they first start out. I hope that helps. Good luck to you.
2. To become a TB trainer first you need to get the knowledge. There is a good course here http://www.racingacademy.ie/content.asp?ID=28 I also suggest get in to the backstretch and get a job with a good trainer @ your local racetrack. The most hands on experience you get the better. It is very rewarding being a trainer, but the hours are horrible.
3. This is more than just hanging around horsemen and learning from the inside of a horse stable "mucking" the stalls. This question has to do so much with credentials. Your education probably should include the veterinary classrooms. To learn to understand physical nature of a horses internal makeup from muscle and bone structure and the whole anatomy heart, lungs, stomach, and the breeding. To be an owner you can go to a horse race and take home a claimer. Better though is just go to a horse auction and compete with horsemen to make a high bid on a horse with a good pedigree background. Most important for a trainer and owner is a genuine to love the horse and the spirit of horse racing. Learn all you can about the race horse. Every horse is like a human being. We have flaws and different personalitys. A race horse or any other horse is the same. we are all different and so is each horse.