Being part of the team that trains a winner – it’s an unbeatable feeling. Working in a racing yard with a stable full of thoroughbreds is very hard work – but it can also provide a rewarding and varied career. The roles are listed here in order of seniority – so if you look through them all, you can see how your career could progress in a training yard. Just click on one of the links to find out more.

Stable Staff
Head Lad
Travelling Head Lad
Jockey
Assistant Trainer
Trainer

Stable Staff

The Job: Working in a racing yard is hard, physical work. You’ll be up early and out in all weathers. But many people feel the rewards are worth it. From the chance to work with thoroughbreds worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, to the thrill of leading your horse into the winners’ enclosure at an international racetrack, it’s a job with plenty of excitement to balance out the hard slog. From grooming and riding the horses, to mucking out stables and cleaning tack, you’ll play a vital role in the smooth running of the yard. You’ll also be learning the skills that could see you rise through the ranks from Head Lad to Assistant Trainer or even Trainer. For exceptional riders, there could even be the chance to become a Jockey.

The Person: You need to have the confidence to live away from home. You mustn’t be afraid of hard work, and you should love the great outdoors.

Entry Requirements: Experience of riding a horse is not essential. If you’re under 19, you will have to complete your NVQ 2 in Racehorse Care at an accredited college. Here you’ll learn riding and a host of other skills needed in a racing yard. Finally, if you want to get a riding role, you’ll need to weigh less than nine and a half stone.

The Benefits: In many cases, you’ll get accommodation in a house or a hostel near to the stables. You’ll also get a scaled salary, as your experience increases, plus a share of the pooled prize money when a horse you work with wins a race. Click here for more details on pay and benefits.

Find out more: Click here to find out about entry level training. For a list of accredited training colleges, click here. Or you can visit the websites of two of the major colleges, the British Racing School and the Northern Racing College

You can also contact the National Associationof Stable Staff at 74 High Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 8HS.

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Head Lad

The Job: Taking charge of the stable staff team, you’ll help make sure that the yard runs smoothly, day in, day out. From breaking in the yearlings to taking charge of the horses’ feeding regime and checking them for injury, you’ll take on a lot of responsibility. Does a horse need medication? Is it time to call the vet? You’ll make these important decisions in the absence of the trainer, as well as ensuring that however tight the deadlines, everything runs to schedule, especially in the run up to a race.

The Person: You’ll need to be highly organised and have the leadership qualities to manage a team fairly and efficiently. Calm under pressure and good in an emergency, you’re a leader who people will look up to.

Entry Requirements: You’ll need plenty of experience working in a racing yard as a member of the stable staff. No formal qualifications are necessary, but an NVQ Level 3 in Racecourse Care and Management - an Advanced  Apprenticeship - would show you have the skills and commitment needed to take on this role. Completing a supervisory course will help you develop the managerial skills you need.

The Benefits: In many cases, you’ll get accommodation in a house or a hostel near to the stables. You’ll also get a scaled salary as your experience increases, plus a share of the pooled prize money when a horse you work with wins a race. Click here for more details on pay and benefits.

Find out more: To find out more about training, click here or contact the National Association of Stable Staff, 74 High Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 8HS. You can also visit the websites of the British Racing School and the Northern Racing College

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Travelling Head Lad

The Job: You’ll take responsibility for taking horses to race meetings all over the UK, and in some cases, all over the world. It will be up to you to make sure the horses you travel with are well fed, well cared for, and in peak condition to race when they arrive at their destination. You’ll also often drive the horsebox and take responsibility for everything from the horse’s colours to its passport. Once you get to the racecourse you’ll help with tasks as varied as saddling up, declaring the horse and talking to the Owner. When there are no races on the horizon, you’ll also help with riding out duties.

The Person: Responsible, reliable and organised, you love travelling and are happy to spend long periods of time on the road. You’re also a hard worker, who doesn’t mind putting in long hours.

Entry Requirements: You’ll need considerable experience as a member of the Stable Staff in a racing yard.

The Benefits: In many cases, you’ll get accommodation in a house or a hostel near to the stables. You’ll also get a scaled salary as your experience increases, plus a share of the pooled prize money when a horse you work with wins a race. Of course, you’ll also get to travel to racecourses from Doncaster to Dubai. Click here for more details on pay and benefits.

Find out more: To find out more about training, click here or contact the National Association of Stable Staff, 74 High Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 8HS. You can also visit the websites of the British Racing School and the Northern Racing College

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Jockey

The Job: There can be few experiences more exhilarating than riding a horse worth hundreds of thousands of pounds in a race watched by millions. But of course, it takes a huge amount of work in a fiercely competitive environment to get that far. Most professional Jockeys begin as Stable Staff, where their talent for riding is noticed. The profession is split into Jump Jockeys and Flat Jockeys.

The Person: Commitment, dedication and very good riding and horsemanship skills are essential.

Entry Requirements: Jockeys are usually about 8 stone in weight on the flat, about 9 stone 7lbs over jumps, small in stature, extremely fit and in excellent health.

The Benefits: A riding fee and percentage of prize money. Some Jockeys also secure sponsorship deals.

Find out more: Click on the links to find out about getting started as a Jockey, or further professional training. You can also find more information about being a Jockey on the websites of the Professional Jockeys Association, The British Racing School The Northern Racing College and The Amateur Jockeys Association of Great Britain. Or you can write to the Point-to-Point Owners and Riders Association, Horton Court, Westbere lane, Westbere, Canterbury, Kent CT2 OHG.

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Assistant Trainer

The Job: Preparing a thoroughbred horse with real prospects for raceday– nothing quite beats the thrill. In this role, you’ll be at the heart of it all, as the Trainer’s right-hand man – or woman. You’ll help with everything from planning race entries to assessing horses abilities, handling PR to training and managing stable staff. From the racecourse to the yard, you’ll prove invaluable.

The Person: There’s no doubt that it’s hard work. You’ll need to be prepared to put in the hours.

Entry Requirements: Previous experience either in a racing yard or as a Jockey is highly desirable. An NVQ Level 3 in Racehorse Care and Management would also show you had the experience and skills necessary. However, some Trainers offer positions as Pupil Assistants, which give those with more limited experience the chance to work their way up into the role.

The Benefits: Salary dependent on job role.

Find out more: To find out more about training, click here. You can also get more information at the National Trainers’ Federation website, including a list of trainers who you can apply to direct.

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Trainer

The Job: It’s about a lot more than just training racehorses. You’ll basically be running the entire racing yard as a business enterprise as well as managing all the staff. In charge of the PR and marketing, you’ll liase closely with existing owners and attract new ones. You’ll also maintain and manage facilities, select new bloodstock, enter horses into races to maximise their prospects, run an office, and, of course, attend race meetings. Whether you’re self-employed or working for a company, you’ll also deal with employment issues from Health & Safety to wage agreements. There‘s endless hard work behind the apparent glamour of training. But achieving the dream of training a winner provides unparalleled satisfaction.

The Person: You’ll need to be an inspired leader, who's able to communicate clearly with everyone from owners to Stable Staff. You’re also a highly organised person who can juggle a range of tasks and has a flair for spotting real potential in horses.

Entry Requirements: You’ll need considerable experience in a training yard. (For example, you might be an Assistant Trainer with two years’ experience, or a professional Jockey with a pre-training yard.) You’ll also need to be fully aware of the British Horseracing Authority's Rules of Racing and Orders & Instructions.

In terms of qualifications, an NVQ Level 3 in Racehorse Care and Management is essential. As is a Licence to train from the British Horseracing Authority. You will also be required to attend Trainer's courses at the British Racing School. Click here to find out more about training. When you apply for a Trainers Licence, the British Horseracing Authority will also expect to see a business plan which proves you have considerable demand for your services, leases or agreements for use of a yard, and a successful inspection report from the British Horseracing Authority. You’ll also need professional references and a financial statement that confirms you either have substantial working capital or overdraft.

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