are Trainers killing the game of horse racing???

Can somebody please explain how do trainers justify their training fees, on top of that they get a share of the stake. I think the training fees are prohibitive to new and existing owners, you have to be a king indeed to own a horse. The animal can run the whole year or even its entire career without winning a race yet the trainers will be collecting month after month. mind you there are other fees that the owner has to bear as well.

Keniza999 on my training fees if things are done properly I make VERY little on the fees. Need to earn stakes to try make a profit and with most trainers even that just goes back into the business. You would not believe the cost involved.Even something like shavings for bedding is now having to be bought for around R1.70 a kg. Mostly it is just a byproduct of a furniture business.

On the contrary,trainers fees have reduced,relatively, in the 40 years that I have raced.
When I started taking an interest in the game,ownership was restricted to the very rich.....People like my boss ,my bank manager and the like could not have afforded to own and train a horse.Over time that changed and It eventually got to a stage where every bloke with a job could afford a share,and the reason I am not quite as dismayed with the new "problems" for owners,as some, is that the "traditional wealthy" owners still appear to be happy and going along as before, and if the stories I hear about unpaid bills etc. is correct ,then maybe the "wrong" people are rightfully being forced out of ownership.
It is why it has always been known as the sport of kings....that is owning ,not punting!
Everyday I see people in houses and cars they can't really afford either.

K - have to agree.

Just regular riding horses cost anywhere from R3-R5k per month for livery (depending on where you live and what sort of service you're getting).

Then you still need to factor in:-

- farrier visits (which need to be done at least every 6 weeks, more if you're shoeing for a race)

- veterinary fees (ranging anywhere from mandatory regular inoculations and deworming to all the vitamins, powders, magic muti, etc)

- nomination / acceptance fees

- any complementary therapies (all my horses see a body worker once a month).

Trainers need to pay rent for their barns, wages for their staff, feed suppliers, bedding suppliers, NHA fees (usually reimbursed by owners), tack (any idea what a training saddle costs ??), day to day sundries like minor first aid kit, bandages, etc and they do all this in arrears (which IMHO beggars belief).

Livery yards for riding horses charge everything in advance and you are usually required to pay a month's livery up front before your horse even sets foot into a yard.

I'm not defending anyone, but horses are pretty expensive to run.

K- The right trainer will be very transparent and show you exactly what it costs to run your horse. I agree with Craig most trainers make a living out of the stakes % and put the entire training fee back into the yard. By my calculations, Excluding Vet bills, it costs about R4000 to keep a horse. If a trainer charges more than that you are paying for a brand, MDK for example, and many people are prepared to pay a premium for a world class trainer. To start off with I would find a trainer that charges around the R4000 mark and then that trainer will be striving to get your horse to earn or they won't earn.

Remeber one can always negotiate with a trainer and if you want to become an owner DON'T be a chequebook owner. Get involved, visit your horses regularly and talk to your trainer often. I get a full report once a week on all my horses so when the trainer needs a little extra I am fully abreast of why it is needed and pay up happily.

Don't use a trainer who uses a vet for every little thing this will sink you. Not the vet's fault it usually is a lazy trainer. Ensure that unless it is life threateneng you give your trainer an order number for any vetenary work to be carried out and only pay vet bills that have a valid order number.

Lastly make sure you are prepared to wait at least 18 months before your horse runs its first race. Some horses will run sooner than that but if you are not prepared to wait you will give up on a horse too soon and then you wll really feel you have wasted all that money. R4000 times 18 months is R72000. A horse that is ready to race should make that back by running a few places before its first win. Never send a horse to a training yard until it is 2 years old or older. A slender staying type of horse can stay on a spelling farm until it is 3. Spelling is normally cheeper than a training yard so factor a spell into your purchase price.

Of course this is just my opinion and many will disagree.

Good luck and I hope you anti up and have a bash at ownership it is like nothing on earth and teaches you many life lessons.

I agree with Orange that it is a great experience......but you have to be aware of the issues he talks about......It is not a coincidence that almost every trainer thanks owners for their patience.The problem is that the meter keeps running while you are being patient.
Ownership is fun as long as you can really afford it,otherwise it makes you grumpy.....lol

rob faux Wrote:

---

> On the contrary,trainers fees have
> reduced,relatively, in the 40 years that I have
> raced.
> When I started taking an interest in the
> game,ownership was restricted to the very
> rich.....People like my boss ,my bank manager and
> the like could not have afforded to own and train
> a horse.Over time that changed and It eventually
> got to a stage where every bloke with a job could
> afford a share,and the reason I am not quite as
> dismayed with the new "problems" for owners,as
> some, is that the "traditional wealthy" owners
> still appear to be happy and going along as
> before, and if the stories I hear about unpaid
> bills etc. is correct ,then maybe the "wrong"
> people are rightfully being forced out of
> ownership.
> It is why it has always been known as the sport of
> kings....that is owning ,not punting!
> Everyday I see people in houses and cars they
> can't really afford either.


I am not sure if the fees are reduced Rob, relatively or not, I think the good thing is that more and more people are getting involved in Syndicates, which gives Joe Public a chance of being involved in the Racing fraternity.

I believe that the Fees are more or less rising in accordance to the cost of living etc.
The Trainers are up at Sparrow fart every morning, train the Horses, look after the Horses welfare, keep the Owners informed and a million other things that they have to do, so relatively the Trainers are not making much more than they did a few years ago, and in my opinion, work very hard for what they get.

It must be as frustrating for the Trainers, as it is for the Owners, when you see your Horse looking a million Dollars in the Parade Ring and the canter past, only for the Jockey to disobey the instructions and the Horse runs abysmally, and it is back to square one

interesting and informative, clearly horse racing is a Sport of Kings....

rob faux Wrote:

---

> I agree with Orange that it is a great
> experience......but you have to be aware of the
> issues he talks about......It is not a coincidence
> that almost every trainer thanks owners for their
> patience.The problem is that the meter keeps
> running while you are being patient.
> Ownership is fun as long as you can really afford
> it,otherwise it makes you grumpy.....lol


I love it when the meter runs Rob lol

Wasn't fun for me, but then i had a share in a dog....

Story
2 year old ready to Run
Paid a couple of K for the horse
Colt
15 Months to get to Race Track as 3 rd old
Did not likle going into stall.
Groing into its bones
1st run 25 lenghts behind winner
2 nd run 3 months later 15 lengths behind 2nd last horse
Need to be gelded not interested in Racing
Gelded 3 months out did not take gelding very well.
Back ealry 4 year old. Big runner
Hits Rail at 400m breaks down.
Retired , gievn away as riding horse

But would still get a horsie if the right deal came along.