Presents to jocks and training staff

Tiger, you might pay your bills, but there any many who don't. I do not expect a bonus, and I never have. if something comes my way, then that is lovely. But I don't count on, or expect, anything.

So in the same breath that you ask for a discount for under-performance, surely you should be offering a tangible bonus for above average performance?

That said, while we do "get paid" to do all of the work I mentioned, I don't think that staff in racing yards, in general, really get paid very well. It's a thankless job, which most of us do for sheer passion.

RC you are 100% right.

RC you are right and you make the point below,

RC "So in the same breath that you ask for a discount for under-performance, surely you should be offering a tangible bonus for above average performance?"

What is the norm currently? Should it work both ways?

Great topic to discuss and there are some salt of the earth people in some yards but then there are also some not so savoury characters in others.

Maybe one day you could train a horse for me RC, at least we will be on the same page. I will continue to be victim to this game and will always want an interest in a pony somewhere as mad as some people make it sound. The thrill is cheap at the price, in the right yard, with the right people.

@Tiger
Ruby is a fantastic horsewoman both as a trainer and rider but when training on her own found it very hard to carry owners who didnt pay for the services she was rendering.

training has got to be one of the hardest gigs in the world and without the correct backing and loyalty, many very capable candidates fall by the way-side as they dont have the means to maintain a yard of horses by themselves.
it is a jack-of-all trades job and if one is lacking in a certain area then it can all go bust very quickly...

RC,I have to say that in your post pointing out the "work" involved ,you make it sound like a punishment rather than a chosen career (a bit like a priest complaining about having to work Sundays)
The stable employees who live on the breadline are employees of the stable so that point is surely an indictment on the trainer not the owners?
I tend to agree with Tigersharks view.There are times when "extra" is a pleasure ,but breaking square is already paid for!

@Rob, you have completely missed my point.... What can I say?

I dont give a continental whether the Supervisory staff get any extra reward - I'm talking about the uneducated masses that look after these million rand horses. Spare them a thought, eh? A small bonsela for a groom, for a win, goes a long way... But I guess if your account is up to date, the trainer can cover that. Why give any extra? *shrug*

@Tiger - I think that it should be a personal arrangement between a trainer and his clients, here in SA. The Dubai system is world class, and is how it should be done. We won't achieve that here, ever.

@ Chippy how much do jocks get for a ride in Dubai mate?

Yup,that I have!

I find the following comment from Rubyclipper interesting :

"I don't think that staff in racing yards, in general, really get paid very well. It's a thankless job, which most of us do for sheer passion".

Let's work backwards - Rubyclipper claims that most do the job 'for sheer passion'. Fair enough. But I take issue with the comment that staff in racing yards are not well paid.

Whose fault is that? The trainer sets the parameters insofar as to what he/she wishes to charge. There is no statutory limit ( as there is in my business ) as to what may or what may not be charged! In my 30 odd years of horse ownership I experienced yards where the differential was easily as much as 100%. So if you are not cutting it financially there can only really be three reasons - You charge too little, your clients are not paying or nobody is drawn to the yard based on historical results.

Many trainers will argue that they cannot attract patrons if they charge above a certain level. Agreed. But why be in business working off a model almost guaranteed to ruin you? This is a business planning issue and really not one which deserves sympathy but rather a wake up call.

Credit control is another area where many trainers fall down. Badly. Why are you stabling horses when the owner does not pay? That's like buying a Bentley in the knowledge that petrol stocks have run out!!

Too many trainers possibly operate on a wing and a prayer. If you cannot collect your costs then you have a big problem which needs to be addressed the moment it raises its head. It's a fact of life that successful trainers don't hesitate to say : "You can collect your horse immediately" if the patron is failing to honour the arrangement or the relationship is failing. It may sound tough but THE FIRST LOSS IS ALWAYS THE CHEAPEST.

On the other side of the coin many trainers are equally guilty of 'box filling' ; often using trusting owners with underperforming horses to effectively subsidise errant owners who just do not pay.

Unfortunately for the entire industry the problem starts with the following : The product ( the horse ) often does not deliver what was promised on the tin ( catalogue ). In this respect it is a fairly unique venture in that it is possible to spend zillions on animals that looked the business yet turned out to be rubbish.

Whichever way you dress it up most owners are inevitably on a hiding to nothing in the current climate of rising expenses and (effectively) declining stakes. The cake has become a cookie and everyone wants the whole of it. Plain and simple.

oscar Wrote:

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> @ Chippy how much do jocks get for a ride in Dubai
> mate?

US$135 for every weighed out ride
10% of all stakes, 1st-5th, PLUS 6th place for all Black Type races: Prestige, Listed and Group races

Chippy, just for my own curiosity.....do they pay you after each meeting or weekly or monthly?

Chippy a honest question and hoping for a honest answer

Do jockeys have punters who bet on their behalf and how does the arrangement work?

Pls dnt reply titch