The professions
The professions connected with the horse’s career
The world of horse racing generates a whole raft of specialised and fascinating professions, many of which are little known.
The breeder
This is the first link in the horse racing chain. At his stud farm, he determines the best crossing possible for his brood mares by selecting stallions on the basis of established criteria. He monitors the gestation period (11 months), helps the mothers during foaling and then prepares the new arrivals (classed as foals until the age of 1) to become future athletes by overseeing their development right from their birth. The foals leave the stud at the age of 1, with a great number going to “yearling sales”. At around 18 months, they will be broken in (1st contact with saddle and rider) and then trained.
The stallion manager
This experienced man is in charge of the stallions stationed at the stud farms. His protégés have temperamental natures and can even be dangerous on occasions. During the mating season, i.e. in spring, the stud farmer has his stallions cover the fillies two to four times a day. With thoroughbreds, artificial insemination is strictly prohibited.
The horse breaker
His role is to commence the training of colts aged 18 months to 2 years by getting them used to wearing a saddle and supporting the weight of a rider, and then to galloping on a track and following a jockey’s instructions.
The trainer
His is the highly skilled task of assessing the horse’s aptitude for competition and then exploiting it to the full. As the horse’s physical and psychological coach, he must gradually bring a horse to express all its potential via a special programme tailored to its capabilities.
The head lad
Highly qualified and experienced, the head lad is the trainer’s assistant who helps him with the logistical and psychological management. It is his job to monitor the health of the horses and the correct procedure for the morning training work. More often than not, he is the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night!
The travelling head lad
This employee of the stable is responsible for the horse’s transportation to and from the racecourses: once there, he must follow all the different stages of his horse’s day of competition. If the trainer and first lad are absent, he may be called upon to stand in for the former.
The training rider
The training rider is the horse’s everyday companion, riding it in training, providing it with day-to-day care and keeping the stables spic and span. In turn, he receives a bonus from the stable’s winnings. He is generally young, a graduate from a CAP Agricole-approved training course and often a former apprentice jockey who failed to make the grade professionally. These days, this role is being increasingly occupied by females.
The jockey
In sporting terms, his physical activity makes him a top-level athlete bound by a rigorous lifestyle regime. His profession is a highly demanding one that involves real risks, especially in jumps racing. During the course of his career, a jockey rides sports the colours of different owners, but he may also ride under contract for one owner.
A jockey has to ally technical (a “soft hand”), intellectual (tactical acumen) and physical qualities. In flat racing, he must weigh around 52 kilos and in jumps racing, roughly 61 kilos. In races, he has to simultaneously apply the trainer’s tactical instructions while also trying to avoid the hazards that crop up during the race, all within an average time span of 2 minutes!
The vet
On behalf of the owners, he is responsible for the health of the horses. On behalf of the racing bodies, an official vet is present at every race meeting to provide emergency treatment, check the identity of the starters and the validity of the vaccinations, and to ensure their comfort at the racecourse. Another vet takes charge of the biological samples to check for the presence of banned substances.
The farrier
“No feet, no horse”: this expression neatly encapsulates the main role of the professional who takes care of the horses’ hooves and, of course, attaches shoes to them. Rather than making them himself, his task these days primarily consists of adapting mass-manufactured horseshoes, and even sometimes fitting special orthopaedic shoes. His work is crucial to the qualities and balance of the horse, facilitating its composure and ease of movement. Whether made of iron or aluminium, fastened or glued, the horseshoes vary according to the physiology of the horse and its activity pattern (period of rest or competition).
Manual dexterity and experience of contact with horses are the qualities required for the practice of this profession. In France, would-be farriers have to complete a specialised course at one of the 180 training centres for the horseracing professions. This government-approved course lasts two years and is often followed by a further period of on-the-job training at one of the major stables. Currently, just short of 1,000 people practice this ancient profession, most of them based in the main breeding regions such as Normandy and the South-West. Some of them have received equine orthopaedics training, a rare and much sought-after area of specialism.
The equine nutritionalist
This branch of the dietician’s profession is still highly experimental. In order to remain on top form all year round, the racehorse requires hyperenergetic food. With the exception of race days, when they are fed in the evening, thoroughbreds have three meals per day consisting of 12 litres of oats, but also alfalfa, carrots, apples and artichokes, sometimes in mashed form, and served warm (cooked mixture of barley, bran and grains of flax, carrots and apples), together with hay (the best being that from the Plaine de Crau in the Camargue).
The saddler
The saddler repairs the harnesses, saddles and all of the leather accessories used for training and racing. Sadly, this ancient profession, like so many other traditional crafts, is showing signs of dying out.
The handicapper
The word “handicap” is derived from “Hand in Cap”, a reference to an old British horse racing competition rule which consisted of drawing a weight and a number from a hat for each horse.
At France Galop, the handicapper is responsible for ranking the ratings of all the racehorses on the basis of their past performances and coming up with the handicaps (in particular for the Quinté +) by allocating them a weight in order to give each one an even chance of winning. This ranking of horses’ ratings evolves gradually with each race run. The greater a horse’s rating, the heavier weight it will have to carry.
The rating scale is expressed in kilos, from 17 to more than 55 on the flat and from 48 to 87 over the jumps. The weight carried by the horse is the combined sum of its rating and the benchmark for the handicap concerned. The weights are staggered from 51 to 65 kilos on the flat and from 61 to 75 kilos over the jumps.
E.g.:
Rating of horse: 35
Benchmark for handicap: 20
Weight allocated to the horse: 35 + 20 = 55 kilos
If the jockey weights 53 kilos, his equipment (saddle, possible with sheets of lead) should weigh two kilos so that the horse weights 55 kilos.