Can I get a job at a horse track with little experience?

Question

I live near Arlington Park in IL and love horse but have little experience. Also, I was wondering what pay is like for some of the racetrack jobs. I am a very hard worker and very good with animals in general. It just is something that draws passion. Definitely not afraid to get dirty. Can someone point me in a good direction?

Answer 1

Working at a race track IS hard work with next to nothing pay, and yes with little experience you can get a job there. If you have your heart set on trying this is how I worked my way up to owner.

  You must have a license for each position you hold. At least on IL, OK and KS where we raced.

  You really ought to have some experience with horses, know how they behave, react, how to feed correctly, basic grooming techniques etc..then you might apply to be a "hotwalker", you can work your way up as I did, to groom which have more responsibilities, still no pay though, but some owners and trainers will house you at the track and the backside cafes serve food for a reasonable price. Then you might work up to excersise, ponying, owner, and trainer. Each one of these positions require you take tests with the racing board to make sure you know what you are doing, they are mostly written (owner does not, but you have to abide by the rules of each racing board of the state)

  Hope this helps

Answer 2

Working with race horses can be a very dangerous job if you do not know what you are doing. Therefore, having some type of experience would help you land a job easier if trainer had less reason to worry about your safety.

If I was you, I would check out some of your local boarding/riding farms where they stable more relaxed individuals and offer to help out there for a few hours a day for a couple weeks without compensation, in exchange for giving you a chance to learn the basics and get a feel for handling horses.

Once you are at the point of helping give baths, picking feet, walking horses around on lead rope and perhaps putting bridle/saddle on, then you may try to make that transition over to the race track where you will be working with a far more high strung individuals.

The pay is criminal for working 6 to 7 days a week, especially today with all the legal/illegal immigrants who have taken many of the jobs away from Americans.

But thats what horse racing is all about because it has never been regulated properly. Another big reason why drug usage on horses has been out of control in this sport.

Answer 3

it is best to have some expriances

first eg take riding lessons then go to a stable and applie for a job there as a groom or somthing

the stables get worried for your safty so they like ppl with  expirance get some and then go to a stable and do some work that will get you started

you will take care of the horses

and as you get older and better you will get promoted to somthing else

Answer 4

well its the only way you'll get experience, they may give you a job like mucking stalls at first but go for it. Working with horses in general should be a passion.

Answer 5

Racetrack jobs are hard to come by unless you work on an owner's farm. If you really love horses though but have little experience there is a way you can work around horses and begin to get some experience and get paid very well doing it.

You would not believe how difficult it is for a lot of horse owners to find a reliable and trustworthy horse sitter when they need to get away for a few days or more. They are owners who do not have hired stable help or barn hands on a regular payroll. And to them a lot of experience in handling horses is not nearly as important as reliability, trustworthiness, and the ability to follow instructions when it comes to hiring a good horse sitter. Some owners will require the sitter to stay on the premises and some will not but the basic duties all will require is to feed the horses at regular times 2 or 3 times daily, assure that they have plenty of clean fresh water, turn the horses out to the barn paddock or pasture, and muck out the stalls. And all owners will be willing to take plenty of time equipping you with all the hands-on instruction you will need to do the job.

Owners who require the sitter to stay on the premises will be willing to pay by the day and owners who do not will be willing to pay by the horse. Like I said, reliability, trustworthiness, and the ability to follow instructions is what is most important and if your available hours are flexible you will have no trouble finding horse sitting jobs and establishing a regular clientele.

You can get started by placing an ad in the local newspaper but the best way to get work is by word of mouth... print up some circulars or business cards and go knock on the doors of local horse owners and post circulars or business cards at tack shops and feed stores. Once you have done a few horse sitting jobs you will have the experience and references you need to kick doors open to a lot more horse sitting jobs and it won't be long until you have enough regular clientele to make it full time work and they will be competing for your time and services.