I am interested in becoming an exercise rider, but I have no idea how to actually go about it.
How old do you usually have to be to start training with someone, and how do you even find someone that is willing to train you? I’m also wondering what prior experience you should have with riding.
First, where are you? Second, how well do you ride? You have to ride right before you ride fast,
Reason I asked about age is there are schools that teach that but you better be able to ride well before they take you
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Exactly. Any training program for an exercise rider will assume as a starting point that you are capable of galloping a big horse at speed in a fairly open area (the track is actually quite wide). Also sitting through some baby TB bucks rears and horsey games. And very strong and fit. And brave.
You don’t need to have a nuanced ability to school a flying lead change or piaffe. But you need to be an excellent and fearless rider at speed. Most riders coming up through a lesson program that is centered on arena riding will be unlikely to have these skills. Someone out of cowboy country who spent their youth bombing at full speed on decommissioned logging roads or someone competing at a moderately high level in eventing might.
If you are new to the track environment, it would be useful to get a job for a while as a groom or hot walker and observe the industry.
I would add that the race track differs from most horse sports in two significant ways. First, there are substantial sums of money in play even at the lower tiers. Second, the owners, trainers, jockeys, and even exercise riders are predominantly men. Women work mostly as grooms and hotwalkers. If you are a woman wanting to break into the field you will be in competition with and evaluated against a norm of small tough fearless men with excellent balance. It’s not unheard of for men with the right talent to become decent exercise riders without having very highly developed skills in the traditional disciplines. Indeed, it might be mentally hard for someone who does have skills in creating a saddle horse to switch over to track training where very little of that matters.
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One more thing…most women do not have the upper body strength to handle a tough horse. I came under the cowboy stuff and DID have the upper body strength from the cattle and driving teams and then Standardbreds. I know I was taught to gallop and by who, but I don’t remember a damned thing…come off and landed on my head and have a two year gap in my memory so the game is also dangerous. After that, somehow ended up back on the harness track and sometimes galloping wagon horses…go figure.
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The absolute best exercise riders on the planet are women. Women who have learned to finesse a horse through quiet, kind hands, not brute strength. Any idiot can manhandle a horse, that is not the goal.
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That is not true, exercise riders come in all kinds, sizes and sexes.
What someone needs is talent to get along with horses.
If they do, they will be fine with practically any race horse to exercise.
The more talented and experienced, the better they will be.
I came from the jumper world, with a basic European horse background, so dressage as training for all horses.
At 4’ 11’ and 98 lbs, a light weight by any measure, I started and exercised any and all race horses without any trouble.
Eventually was assistant trainer and later licensed as trainer.
The trick I think is to have innate skills not to fight a horse, but be able to learn to get along and have the horse cooperate, no matter what you do, with race horses is no different.
I would say, try to find an apprentice program, I think Arizona has or had a good one.
Then find any kind of horse job on a race training farm and go from there.
A good race trainer can evaluate your skills and guide you where you may be best to become a track exercise rider, after you have the basics acquired on a training farm.
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I started as an exercise rider at the farm, breaking babies and prepping horses to go to the track. This has several advantages - one, you can start relatively unfit and gain fitness as you go, two, you don’t have to cope with the traffic and hustle and bustle of the track - it’s just you and 1 - 4 other exercise riders out there at a time and three, the atmosphere is a lot less intimidating than at the track. The disadvantages are many trainers are more rigid about weight requirements at the farm, two, you have to have experience starting babies, three, babies can be more unpredictable/potentially more dangerous than horses already at the track. So being able to handle green is as important as being able to handle speed. Depending on the farm’s program and size of the track, you may or may not be able to work at speed or break from the gate at the farm. One farm that I worked for had a big enough track and good gate set up that we did both - two year olds were working half miles before being sent to the track; others were smaller operations where the track was too small to work at racing speed. Once they had been galloping 90 days, they were sent to the track.
If you can tell us where you’re located we can probably give you more specific advice.
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You must be at least 16 years old to hold an occupational license in a racing jurisdiction. Most people start out with a groom’s or hotwalker’s license. You need to get to know the trainers in your area, who you want to associate yourself with, and who you need to avoid, because there are both types at the track. Be careful.
To learn to gallop, the best situation is to do that on a training farm, or training center, with a trainer who has some investment in creating your long term success. Some trainers are well known for developing riders, both as exercise riders and as jockeys. That is who you need to find in your area. They will select a “nice” horse for you to start exercising, often an unraced horse, either a 2 or 3 yr old, who is well broke and dependable, but not too racy, and won’t pull on you too hard. Then branch out to other horses, tougher ones, quirky ones, as you gain some experience. You must hold an “occupational” license in order to learn to gallop a horse at a farm or training center. Unlicensed people are not to work in the industry in any way. Get licensed first, which means that you have to find a suitable trainer first, because they have to sign as your employer on your license application. Once you have your gallop license, you can work for any trainer, not just the one who signed your license application.
As always, riding in company with experienced exercise riders is where you learn the most. Be humble, not cocky, and ask for help. The help they might give you is free, but be grateful for what tidbits get tossed your way. Learn a lot from simply watching others ride. Be observant.
It’s not just learning to ride the horses, there are many other things you need to learn too, before you are in any way “safe” to gallop on a racetrack with other horses and riders… where you need to be on the track depending on what you are doing, how to look out for dangerous situations developing around you, what to do when accidents happen (because they do happen). Though it isn’t dressage, all horses need to learn how to get their flying changes, you need to know how to encourage then to learn this skill, the cues for this. Though some people consider racehorses to not know things like this, in fact, the well trained ones are actually well trained, respond to cues accurately and adequately, just different cues from riding horses.
When you have some experience on a training farm or training center, you move on to a racetrack, usually moving there with your trainer as your protector and guide. You are a “fledgling” exercise rider at this point, a baby, an innocent. An appointment will be made at the racing office for officials/stewards to watch you gallop a horse on the track, usually at a time when the track is not busy, just before closing late in the morning. You will be judged at that point, whether you are “safe” and “effective” as an exercise rider. If you fail, you do not get your exercise license, and need to learn more before you try again. If you do pass, then you get your license to be an exercise rider, and can work as one at a racetrack.
Good luck! It’s not easy, nor “safe” LOL. But fun and rewarding a lot of the time. And disappointing, sad and painful sometimes too.
That is right^.
I forgot to say, as a teenager I had helped start a good 30+ feral horses, just days off the range, of all ages, males still stallions until we had them gentle enough for the vet to get to them to geld.
Our training farm had a 7/8ths track and a two horse starting gate.
We rode down a sandy draw and dirt road to get to it for 10-15 minutes before getting to it.
Horses were somewhat warmed up by the time we got there, cooled off when returning to the barn.
They did get to see all kinds of wildlife, deer, wild turkeys, quail and all their interesting smells.
It was an excellent training set-up and our horses ran well once at the track because of that start and training.
Arizona University had a race track program that long ago was considered a very good one to get started.
OP, check with them, may be what would help you, or they may know where you may go?
I went through the 4 month college program in Alberta back in '08, which was fantastic; above and beyond the galloping, it covered horse care, health, and many elements that transferred into working as a groom. They actually have a program now that is specifically geared for people who want to start in the industry as grooms instead of exercise riders. They set us up with local trainers to complete our practicums (logging rides on 60 horses) which was a great way to get into the industry and get a job. Nowadays if I was looking for a job at the local track, I would post in the local horse FB groups asking for connections.
I came from (at the time) 12 years of english riding background, but the ones who tended to be most successful through that program were actually the ones who either had no previous riding experience at all or, as mentioned above, came from a more “rugged” style (or a racing background). I struggled with the confidence in galloping very strong, fit TBs at speed who knew better than I did what their job was, even though I was a very competent “arena” rider. We needed to be very physically fit and have thick skin as the industry can be tough on people physically, mentally and emotionally.
I didn’t last - I had a wreck on my first day at my practicum and ruined my shoulder, and realized shortly thereafter that the lifestyle was not what I wanted. It took me close to a decade to overcome anxiety about riding horses at speed after the accident, but now I event and fox hunt and I am so thankful for the grit that program taught me. I loved it while I was in it, there are no jobs like it! I would go back to it if it wasn’t 7 days a week, I like my weekends too much (full honesty) 
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I came from a foxhunting and show hunter background of 15 years. I was out of work and a local TB training facility kept running ads for an exercise rider that stated “Must have experience galloping TB racehorses.” So I called and inquired, and when they asked me about my experience I said “I foxhunt and event so speed doesn’t bother me and I’ve started a lot of young horses so green doesn’t bother me.” That got me the interview, which consisted of tacking up a two year old and riding it in a small paddock at a w/t/c both directions, and demonstrating that I understood galloping position and taking a cross; then watching two other riders take a set up to the track watching were they jogged, galloped, turned in and walked; then getting on another two year old and galloping with a set myself. When I got back to the barn after that set the secretary had a W-4 and some other forms for me to fill out. 
They were pretty desparate for a rider.
I was told later I was close to a shoe in because I arrived dressed like an exercise rider - jeans, boots and half chaps; not breeches, not full chaps; had a racing type helment, not a show helmet, and had my own gloves and stick. I saw a lot of candidates show up in sneakers expecting to borrow a helmet, that usually didn’t go well.
A lot of TB barns have groom/riders - you’re hired to take total care of 4 - 5, including stalls, grooming, riding, cooling out and leg care. That can be a good or a bad deal, dependinng on the trainer. If you don’t have much ability as a rider, your education will be more on the grooming and care side. In the right situation, it can be a great education (my BFF went this route and learned a lot, because the trainer was interested in mentoring.) I was hired just to ride, and rode 10 - 14 a day. And got into the best shape of my life.
It’s great, great, great fun. Working from the gate is the most exhilirating thing I’ve ever done. That said, the pay ain’t great, the risk of getting hurt is very real and some of the people aren’t terribly scrupulous. Sometimes things happen with the horses that aren’t for the faint of heart. But if I were younger and anywhere in the same area code as fit I would jump at a chance to do it again.
Your mileage may vary. 
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NancyM, where are you located?
You must hold an “occupational” license in order to learn to gallop a horse at a farm or training center. Unlicensed people are not to work in the industry in any way. Get licensed first, which means that you have to find a suitable trainer first, because they have to sign as your employer on your license application.
Because that is not the case in the US, or at least not in VA/WV/MD/PA - there is no license requirement to gallop at a farm. Not sure how a training center is defined, or what body oversees licensing there.
I have never heard of an occupational license and there is absolutely no way anyone can tell you what you can and can not do on your private property in the US unless it is illegal activity which clearly riding horses is not.
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If you fail, you do not get your exercise license, and need to learn more before you try again. If you do pass, then you get your license to be an exercise rider, and can work as one at a racetrack.
My oldest son was an exercise rider, I am pretty positive that there is not a blanket card, each track issued their own to allow him to work.
One thing that OP can do is learn Spanish so that they can effectively communicate with the track workers (and know what they are saying behind your back)
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You only need an occupational license…
(g) Each applicant for an occupational license shall pay an annual license fee at the time of the filing of the application. The license fees are: original owner—$100; owner renewal, jockey—$50; trainer, assistant trainer, veterinarian—$30; jockey agent, farrier, track management—$20; mutuel—$10; stable employees (grooms, etc.) cleaning and food service workers, exercise rider, authorized agent—$5; all others—$10. From NYRA site --NYS Gaming Commission.
…at a racing facility that has paramutual betting.
In California (and maybe some other states) ‘new’ exercise riders are required to get a provisional license first, then after 60 days they can apply for a regular license.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹(b) A licensed provisional exercise rider shall: (1) Not enter the track without the permission of the outrider and, unless the outrider states otherwise, shall be accompanied by the mounted trainer/employer or the trainer’s assistant trainer while on the track. (2) While on the track wear a helmet cover and vest cover of a distinctive color as determined by the outrider. © A provisional exercise rider may apply for license as exercise rider 60 calendar days after the date of issue of his or her provisional exercise rider license. (1) At the time of application for license as exercise rider, the provisional exercise rider shall submit a recommendation card form California Horse Racing Board CHRB-59 that has been signed by the outrider, the starter and a steward.
Thanks for the clarifications, Laurierace and danacat.
In Canada. So you folks let unlicensed riders ride racehorses in training? Amazing. Why? No insurance coverage for you when a rider you are employing gets hurt and is not licensed. A “training center or training farm” is somewhere that people are paid to exercise racehorses that is not a racetrack. Yes, regulations will vary with location. And country.
Riders at farms and training centers are covered by Workmen’s Compensation. And the coverage is expensive for the farm owner, it’s the highest risk category. Even the smallest backyard TB operation I worked for had Worker’s Comp on everyone. In Canada, who polices who is licensed and who is not at training centers and training farms? Is that even possible?
In general your insurance might “police” this. Your insurance might require that you only hire licensed people in any business that has licenses. There are many categories of business where you must hire people with a given certificate or license or diploma. Sometimes this is policed by a trade organization sometimes by a level of government.
In Canada much of this devolves on the provinces so there are some categories of job that may have or had in past somewhat different levels of requirement and licensing in different provinces. Some of the alternative health jobs come to mind like midwives, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors. The regulations would be Provincial legislation, probably State in the USA.
Yes, every once in a while some unlicensed dentist is caught working secretly out of his basement (generally within a language or cultural group that supports him) but gets shut down fast when he comes to the attention of authorities.
So any job category may require a license, and of course can also be done by unlicensed people under the table in certain situations, with of course consequences if you are caught.
You would need to look at your provincial or state legislation on this, and I would think your track association could tell you for sure.
