Giving the fact that you are only available for the summer kind of limits you “desirability”. The racing, breeding side of the horse business has a learning curve to it. Even if a person comes with some sort of horse background. As an employer it not only cost me money but also my time to teach/train someone. I enjoy teaching/training but if I am going to invest my time I expect a reasonably long term commitment so I choose my spots carefully. Even then most don’t go the distant of at least a year or less. Especially when winter hits. Several people have gotten on to me from COTH I take the time to go back and forth with them with emails but rarely do they follow through. About a year or so ago one person was very persistent, which is good. Want to start work as soon as she got out of school for the summer in early May. I said I should have a spot open, which I did, but wasn’t going to commit until she came by the farm for an interview. The last email I got from her said she would be back the following week, was excited, and would call as soon as she got home. I held the spot for her but never hear from her again. Before that we exchanged a number of emails. Very disappointing. I emailed asking if she still interested in the position and when will she be available for an interview. She could have at least given the courtesy of a reply. If she found something better great, I don’t take it personally but I went out of my way for this person. She got on to me I didn’t hang a sign out, job available. This is a professional operation not pony club.
Taylor Made does hire lots of people. They don’t pay very well but it is a good start. They have little to nothing to do with the racing side of things. They are a breeding and sales operation. By the middle of June most if not all of the mares have foaled and or been bred. A summer job there for someone with little to no experience working with yearlings would mostly consist of mucking stalls. Nothing wrong with that because that’s where everyone starts. But given the fact you would only be there for the summer they are not going to invest much time in teaching you the ropes of working and prepping sales horses. But it would be something to put on your resume and a short learning experience. Always follow up with phone calls. Emails are a good way to start. But I would suspect they and others of like get lots of them. If you get no reply call. If you live in driving distant or even if you don’t go and present yourself at the office. I am more apt to hire someone who took the time and is standing in front of me then going through a bunch of emails. But everyone is different how they go about it.
People who want to get into the racing industry even if it is only for a couple of years need to start at a farm like ours. We do it “soup to nuts”. From last cover to putting the 2 year olds on the van to go to the race track. Re-school, lay ups, re-hab, etc. If I think the person is worthy when the time comes I will put my name on the line and make a few phone calls to some of the top racing stables and or farms in the country.
The Darley Flying Start is the BEST program bar none in the Thoroughbred industry. Very difficult to get in especially without a solid recommendation. I wish it had been around when I was starting out. Graduates of the English and or Irish National Stud courses gives a serious leg up and many of those excepted into the Darley Flying Start program passed through their doors. Graduating from both pretty much guarantees a good job in the industry. FAR more than any college/university by and large.
Feel free to get on to me with any questions or some advice. Good luck.
