Racehorse TALK

I love your apparent passion 

One would have to be insane to seek a future in the thoroughbred industry in Australia though, given the way the Government treats the industry

mate to be a trainer has to be the hardest job in the world to learn, you don't just "become" a Horse trainer, actually it isn't that hard to get an Owner/trainers licence but you can only train your own horses and if you are your only client you can attract then maybe it isn't the right industry for you!

learning how to train horses from scratch is very hard as trainers use Strappers as fodder and avoid teaching them anything if they can, you will find most trainers have spent an inordinately long "apprenticeship" very few trainers are under 30 when they first kick off and have been learning their trade for the best part of 20 years, sometimes longer!!

 Observation is the Key, you have to be very observant,  listen to what is being said and watch what is being done, ask as many questions as you can but analyse the answers as most will be meant to point you in the wrong direction, remember that trainers know that you are only there to learn the trade and the faster you learn the sooner they are looking for another Strapper and they have to start at the bottom teaching someone else and everything they teach you will one day come back to bite them in the arse if they do a good job

Now you have served a 20 year apprenticeship the hard part starts, you have to be able to handle people better than you can handle Horses!! it is much easier to handle people but you need to have t"the knack" there are plenty of trainers out there that are failures because they are not a people person, If I was wanting to train horses these days you are much better off learning about handling people and contrary to training horses there are many courses you can take and books you can buy to help train people, then find a Battling or ex trainer who knows horses and hire him to handle the horses in your name while you spend your time handling the clients, cheating I know but it is the way to succeed if you must fulfil your life long passion

Rob Heathcote said he learned to teain out of books.

He read about it and learned it from books and than just felt it was a matter of common sense. If something does not make sense, do not do it.

A few of points
1. Rob spent a lot of time working with people first, he is a very good and Likeable people person, he knows how to sell himself first

2, of course they will tell you that it is just Common sense which a lot of it is but if you don't know what you are looking at it isn;t that easy to know what Common sense is!! Success or failure can be the difference between galloping a horse 600m or 800 metres on a particular morning

3, If he had Tommy Smith working in the back ground for him in the first few years would he divulge that information?? I think not

anyone who thinks that anyone with common sense and precious little else can go out and train racehorses for a living, well all I can say is Good Luck

DJH;

That is why i haven't, and am not going to, try get into the industry as a trainer until it didnt matter economically to me, which may be never

Jim;

I like the idea of getting a battling trainer to help, sounds like the easiest way.


I can handle people fine, i actually like public speaking and dont think that would be a problem. My misses would be the one doing all the work with the horses, she loves them, is very good with animals and is very "in touch" with the earth (I know sounds crazy).

It just seems hard to obtain the licence, let alone become good at training. Id be happy having a runner, let alone winning.

Since we always wanted to own TB's, and her dad was a greyhound trainer, we thought it would be better just to do it ourselves, and have fun


ahhh we can all dream cant we 

Good on ya Whispering.

I reckon you sound like a ripping bloke and I hope if you decide to jump in, you have every success 

Most common way to become a Trainer is to simply buy a share in a horse.

if you can afford it i would say buy a cheap tried horse, get an owner trainers licence and get training.
this would give you an introduction. 

No, don't think so.

In Qld, you need to show a good knowledge of racing and horses, list your experience, and may even have to do a course 

It used to be a lot easier

             ahhh, classic. 

qld racing hold courses for owners trainers licencing usually held on a monday night and pays to work some hrs under a current trainer gets some hands on experience

How do you become a racehorse trainer?

Read as many racing forums as you can.

No, just this one JWH