Part 6: How To Be A Good Owner
By Emily Schulz
So you’ve been the talk of the town making all your friends envious now that you’re officially a racehorse owner and you’re just getting started! Depending on your journey into ownership you may or may not know what is expected of you from your lovely trainers and syndicators who work very hard to get your horses up and running. Here’s a few hints and tips to get your ownership experience off to a good start.
Now, we may ruffle a few peoples feathers in this instalment but we’re just here to get you thinking and learning. No matter who you are, our main piece of advice in this industry is to treat people how you’d like to be treated. Be mindful that horses are not machines and neither are the people looking after them, a little appreciation goes far.
Owner Personas
It’s so important when you first become an owner to soak up as much knowledge as you can whilst having a bit of fun. Like anything, this is how you excel, the more you learn, the better owner you will be and hopefully the more winners you’ll own. To be a good owner, trainers and syndicators expect respect and trust that their ability to train and manage your horse is why you got into a horse with them in the first place. Your experience is going to differ depending on what type of ownership path you’ve gone down. If you own the horse outright, you’re probably going to have pretty good one-on-one contact with your trainer. If you’re a part of a syndicate, your syndicate manager will be the first point of contact for the trainer or syndicator when it comes to communication about your horse. If you own a tail hair, it’s probably best to wait for your updates rather than contacting your trainer directly. With some horses having upwards of 100 owners, you may realise that if a trainer was to take 100 calls this takes them away from actually training your horse.
The best kinds of owners are the ones that get involved for the love of the horse. Win, lose or draw, they are still supportive of the animal, the jockey, the stable and all its staff. Don’t be afraid to organise a time to visit your horse at the stables or whilst spelling to bring carrots or give cuddles, but do give notice so you’re not visiting on a busy day. Bringing treats in for the stable staff after a long morning never goes amiss, your horse may even get some extra special attention! If your horse has a win at the races and you’ve won a bit of money on the punt, feel free to sling the strapper. They are the unsung heroes who works the hardest in the rail, hail or shine so that your horses are presented immaculately day in, day out. If you’ve lost all your money on the punt, that is your issue, don’t be that jockey or trainer basher on social media, you’re talking through your pocket!
It’s important to research and budget properly for your racehorse and it’s on-going expenses. Owners that don’t pay their bills are the bane of trainers and syndicators existence. It’s not fair on anyone, horses are expensive and it’s your duty of care to pay your bills on time. There are severe repercussions for owners that do this including bans from owning racehorses and entering racecourses in the future. Like you would with utility bills, school fees or your car registration, pay your bills on time!!
There’s a lot of amazing owners out there but you hear some absolute horror stories of overbearing owners or owners that expect their horse to win every start and it’s just not feasible. Whatever type of owner you decide to be, be a good person and you’ll get further in your racehorse ownership voyage.
Owner Privileges
Being a racehorse owner has its perks, you’ll get behind the scenes access to some of racing’s elite establishments and even the opportunity to rub shoulders with racing royalty.
Stable visits: Trainers are pretty lenient when it comes to visiting your horse at the stable, it’s polite to call and give notice up to a few days so that the stable staff are not under the pump and you get to have some quality time seeing your horse. It’s important to be mindful that horses are highly strung animals that don’t like sudden movements or little screaming children so best not to treat your day at the stables as a playground. With current restrictions, only essential personnel might be allowed at your horses stable but owners are allowed to attend jump outs and trials with no issues. Syndicators are able to organise stable visits easily with your trainer for you, they may also like to attend so you get the most out of the experience.
“In the past [pre-COVID], we have had no problem with owners ringing and letting us know if they would like to visit the stables when their horse is in work. We prefer they don’t do as a group or with small children as the horses get very stirred up and can hurt themselves.”
Events: We’ve spoken previously about yearling parades in Part 5 but there are many owner-only events that stables and syndicators invite you to. Stable BBQs or trackwork breakfast mornings are very popular and give owners an opportunity to see their horse at work as well as any new facilities your trainer may have introduced since you first became an owner. Racing bodies have owner events such as charity balls, owner race days and social events throughout the year that are accessible via their websites.
Associations: There are independent bodies that represent racehorse owners from each state of Australia. These organisations provide a voice working with industry members such as government, racing clubs and other relevant associations to tackle the broader issues in racing. Their main objectives are to improve the experience for racehorse owners across the board, fight for owner rights and provide an owner platform to consult on a range of issues and feedback.
Becoming a member of an association has certain benefits just for joining. These include but are not limited to discounts on race wear, chauffeur services, liquor, winning photos, etc. They send out newsletters, run competitions, organise stud and stable visits and free entry to certain racecourses, hold race day functions and Christmas parties, prize money bonuses, dedicated parking on race days, betting vouchers, networking opportunities and much more!
For a small annual fee, you could easily become a part of an owner association in your state such as with our partners WAROA or SAROA. Some memberships are distance related therefore are cheaper the further out you live. You may be able to get a joint membership for two adults or one for your syndicate. In some states, once you become an owner you automatically receive a complimentary membership and receive the benefits provided for your state.
Credit: Pat Scala (Racing Photos)
Jockey Silks: If you own a horse outright, you can design a set of silks or ‘colours’. Any pattern or design must be approved by your state body but you can be as creative as you like with whatever colours and patterns you desire but they must be unique and tasteful. If you have a small percentage of a horse, you will likely get the default stable colours of the trainer or syndicator that you purchased your share from. Your jockey will wear those silks with pride when your horse finishes first past the post so be sure to like the colours!
“Jockey silks are always the Slade Bloodstock colours for our horses - White, Gold and Black Band, Black and Gold Stars Sleeves, Black Cap”
So there’s a little insight into how you should behave as an owner to get the most out of your experience. It’s not too difficult, pay your bills, pat your horse and have a great time in between the wins and losses! If you loved this instalment, look out for Part 7: Going To The Races.
