Mr H raised something on Saturday at the races, that's had me thinking about a few issues in SA Racing.
As mentioned before i think SA racing is on a massive downward slide that will change the sport forever. Few owners few trainers few jocks few horses few breeders. TAB will be a sports betting shop and maybe small horse %. however the one area that i forget is the GROOM and other low level workers employed by the industry.
So in my opinion grooms should not earn lotsa money but rather do it for the love of horses and experience with small stipend. However in SA we have unique social challenges that need to be looked at as well.
The problem is that to pay the grooms a wage that is live able is currently sitting with Owners and Trainers. This is a problem. Most small yards and small owners will be lost to the game if they need to pay a live able wage to the grooms.
So what to do?
1. Should the racing administrators not employ all grooms and bill them back to the various yards at a subsidised rate? this will allow trainers to keep yards costs down and maybe keep them in business.
2. look at a funding model where the top JOCKS,TRAINERS,BREEDERS create a fund to assist the smaller yards to stay open thus saving jobs.
Otherwise we will see not just fewer owners and trainers but lotsa unemployed Grooms and that is probably not transformation.
Hearing grooms Min wage as just about to be signed off at 6500 per month
This will mean many things if true
Grooms will need to work double the time to look after more horses, or proper stable staff training is given , small yards will shut and training fees will go upto 15k a month
There is some yards and fancy syndicates charging 13 + atm do not much change in those yards . But 90% of yards will close and we will be left with 4 trainers training for breeders
Talking of groom's! wouldn't be a lovely idea if at least 2% of the win stake go to the groom...he is equally important to the well being of a horse. How lives be improved! A thought!!
Sly, we are really battling with grooms of late. Honestly, the guys just don't want to work. The guys who love horses are far and few between nowadays.
The bottom line is that as an employer in this Country, you are on a hiding to nothing. You have no rights. The Administrators would be raving mad to become the employers, imho.
Of my grooms there are at leat 5 or 6 who have never attended ONE DAY OF SCHOOL ! They come from the poor rural areas in Eastern Cape where they were goat herders. They cannot speak any language other than Xhosa. They are basically unemployable out in the business sector.
So, we pay above the minimum wage of R642 per week, which is the minimum wage required by Minister Olifant. My lowest earners get R700 per week. And on top of that there are allowances and benefits. All over times etc are paid. The grooms have free accommodation, water , lights, cooking facilities on top of their basic wage. Obviously, I am referring to the basic grooms. I have many grooms who earn a lot more than R700 per week.
This is not a lot of money at all, but at least it offers a living for people from impoverished areas who are probably unemployable due to circumstances.
As for funding, it cannot be from the rich to the poor etc. Funding must apply to one and all. The sad reality is that there just isn't the money available. Already Owners are funding a portion of stakes through noms and acceptances fees.
Yes, there will be a massive exodus from racing . But the prime cause of this will be Training Fees as mentioned in this thread. Over and above grooms wages, the costs of keeping horses are set to skyrocket. Stakes are growing too slowly. Even trying to break even on just Training fees is becoming daunting.
Finally, in a perfect World, we all want to believe that all grooms have a special love for horses and are doing what they love. All Trainers will tell you about their good grooms that love horses. But maybe not all Trainers will tell u that those grooms are fast becoming the minority and that the rest are just doing a job....
The following user(s) said Thank You: Sylvester, Pirhobeta
I spoke to Clyde about this and for me this is the ONLY way to stop so many of the issues facing the industry.
1: Person applies for colours
2: Colours Granted along with a contract and fees
3: Colour holder nominates trainer and send horse to trainer.
4: Trainer informs NHRA of arrival of horse and billing starts
5: NHRA invoice owner R12 000 per month (this is a realistic amount of all to survive and be fed and healthy)
6: NHRA collect
7: Trainer invoices NHRA R10 800
8: NHRA pay grooms from the R1200 per horse they hold
9: NHRA appoint supervisors / auditors per training area to investigate
9:a bedding quality and depth
9:b food quality and quantity
9:c audit / verify orders/invoices
9:d trainers well being
10: Trainer now earns a basic salary of circa R2000 cpm per horse (fair basic)
11: owners numbers will reduce as will trainers BUT at least all "deals" of training for R5k a month will disappear
12: Left over monies are year put back into stakes
13: Vets invoice NHRA and NHRA claim from owner (this stops a few things)
Now there is 1 major issue….
most of us don't have faith in the controlling body but i promise you what i saw a few weeks ago when visiting was SCARY
Trainers are struggling. If a trainer offers you a DEAL you are doing him and your hose a dis service……
Easy how many horses do you own boet ? Im guessing none, spoken like a true punter. We live in a "free democratic society" choices are made, rules are followed or not (suitable punishment) How can I be dictated to by the NHRA how I handle my accounts/discount agreements etc in a free market system ? Is R12 000 a realistic figure or a thumb suck ? What happens if you have 10 horses and pay every month on the date, NHRA going to negotiate a discount for me ? Who will check my vet bills or must a owner just pay if the NHRA say so ? Never work, as well as them having to employ more people to handle what exactly ? Will their be a performance clause by said trainer/NHRA or would the owner have at least this choice ?
I do however agree that if a trainer doesnt adhear to certain of your criteria/rules laid down they should be punished and if that leeds to them increasing their monthly rates its my choice to decide to stay or go. That to me includes the way their staff and most importantly my horses are treated.
Ludicrous idea !!
Trainers by the very nature of their business are in a position of being on the back foot. I would suggest trainers at the top of the ladder WONT entertain discount and if they do that is because there is plenty FAT on the monthly rate.
I know for a fact there are many trainers living near or below the breadline. The reason is NOT bad horses because there are enough races for bad horses. the reason is poor paying clients and discounts/low monthly rates.
Even though YOU are correct that its the buyers choice in this case it should NOT be.
Actually why don't you try and BUY a DOG from the SPCA… i fancy the due diligence they do on you is far greater than when you and I buy horses.
and do YOU skimp on your DOG food?
probably not…..
We bought 3 horses from a trainer that were is a shocking mal nourished state. Its taken 4 months to nurture and feed them. They are all happier and now running better. One of the horses was not even recognised by the previous stable recently.
My trainers are horseman. I will never insult any of them by asking for a discount.
Topic Author
