Stable Staff
My name is Hannah Leech and I work for the racehorse trainer Richard Phillips.
I was born and raised in Jersey and have always loved horses and have been riding since the age of 4. From the age of about 10, I knew I wanted a career in racing, but because I lived in Jersey I knew I had to move elsewhere as the racing industry isn’t that big in the Channel Islands.
I left home at the age of 16 to start a two year course at Hartpury College. After a year there I went to the British Racing School (BRS) for 6 weeks which was very educational. I then completed seven weeks work experience at Richard Phillips yard as part of the course. During my time there I was offered a job by Mr Phillips, which I accepted, so I didn’t complete my second year at college. Since this was my very first job I was very excited and keen to make it work.
I am a very active person and have also been interested in sports so I knew this job would be good for me as it is a very physical and at times trying, but I still enjoy it!
I get to work for about 6:30am and start mucking out my five horses. Everyone has there set horses which they look after. At about 7 o’clock the board comes out and this tells us which horses we are riding and what lot they are going out. I normally have the same four lots everyday which helps you get to know your horses.
Each horse does two or three canters a day depending on how far into their training they are, if they have just run or just about to run in which they do faster work. I am normally finished riding and morning stables by 12:45pm.
We have a couple of hours for lunch and start back at evening stables at 3:30pm. At evening stables the horses get mucked out again, groomed and given some hay and get their evening feed at around 5:45pm atwhich time I finish for the day.
I wouldn’t say there was a certain qualification that you need for this job - if you are over 19 you don’t necessarily need to go to college but if you are under 19 it is compulsory complete the 9 week course at the British Racing School or Northern Racing College. After the course you come out having gained your Level 2 Diploma (formerly NVQ 2) in Work Based Racehorse Care which is very helpful in this job. Once in the job you can continue to do extra exams which can help you further your career.
Riding experience is very helpful for this job, but riding racehorses is very different to riding show jumpers or normal riding as it is a very different style and you are riding half a ton of pure muscle. You also need to be able to work as team with the rest of your work mates but at the same time need to be able to work alone and make appropriate decisions when needed.
Dedication is another big aspect of the job as long hours are involved and you may have to work on your weekend off.
Previous experience in a racing would be very helpful so you know a bit about the job you’re going into. It can also be good to do a trial period at your job-to-be for a week or so, so you can see if this is the job for you. In this line of work it is very easy to find a job by word of mouth, so it would be helpful if you knew a few people in the area.
