Do you still pay the trainer if the horse is out for a few months or are you just paying the rehab facility? Do you have a contract with a trainer to keep your spot in their barn?
People are free to make any kind of arrangement they want, but generally speaking, racetrack trainers are paid by the day. If the horse leaves their care for any reason, the bills stop that day. Iāve never signed a contract with a race trainer and assuming the horse/owner didnāt leave on bad terms, thereās no reason they shouldnāt or wouldnāt be welcomed back.
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Ok, I guess thatās not that bad then, I didnāt think it made sense to pay both the trainer and the rehab at the same time but I also didnāt know if you had to pay the trainer something to stay with them. So I guess the owners are the ones who decide which rehab facilities to go to, not so much the trainers?
It really depends on the people involved, but it isnāt unusual for the trainer to decide where the horse will do best (and make all the arrangements). Some racing owners arenāt hugely involved in the day to day part, and the trainer will likely have the connections to set things up and make sure they happen. We do some layups and often the trainer is the one who makes the call asking about if thereās space, hauls the horse or books the shipper, and follows up on any medical issues.
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Usually, itās whoever has the knowledge and connections that chooses where the horse goes. As Highflyer1 said, sometimes owners arenāt involved in the day to day decisions. But on the other hand, some trainers only care about what happens on the track. If thereās a problem, they want the horse gone and they donāt care where it goes. Hopefully, in those cases, owners are qualified to step ināotherwise they need to get up to speed pretty quickly.
Usually those decisions are a collaboration between owner and trainer. A less knowledgeable owner might feel obliged to defer to a trainer, but they should keep in mind that ultimately they are footing the bills and they have the final say.
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Just to add on what others have said, the āspot in their barnā might rest on a trainerās stall allotment and current roster of horses. Sometimes an owner will have a horse ready to come in but might have to wait a few days for a stall to open up. Conversely if a particular owner has earned the reputation as a slow payer with nothing but bad horses, the āwait on a stall to openā is a good way for a trainer to shed a bad owner without necessarily burning the bridge completely.
This is all really informative, Iāve been thinking I may want to get into a partnership one day but Iād like to know how things work a bit behind the scenes before I entertain that as a goal. I know horse racing has pretty exorbitant costs, but itās helpful to know where the moneyās going and who arranges what.
Good questions and answers. Iāve had horses in training who have had to take a break ā some trainers cut the day rate if they arenāt working the horse. A day rate is a day rate ā pretty clear cut. Like LaurieB Iāve never signed a contract with a race trainer (oh, so different from other disciplines!) If the horse leaves, the bleeding stops (or just shiftsā¦)
Where Iāve been disappointed is how much some trainers rely on the vetā¦ and how that adds on to expenses. Iām a veterinarian myself so I know what everything costs! Of the three race trainers I have used, two had pretty much no add ons and minimal vet bills, one had crazy vet bills (in a different state and I could not be there for my horse.)
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If you are thinking what I would consider a āfullā partnership, yes, best to understand all the money that could come in vs all the money that can go out and may not be an inexpensive proposition.
Maybe a ādip your toe in the waterā is to look at the microshare partnerships like MyRacehorse. I buy into a horse at a fixed, per share cost. I have no further expenses, no trainers fees, no layup fees, no expensive vet bills, nada. Depending on how the microshare partnership is written up, I may get some itty-bitty percent of purse money as well as money, if any is left over after all expenses are paid, when the horse is sold.
You are not an owner, you donāt have any of the āprivilegesā of an owner unless arranged by MRH, no winnerās circle, no backstretch access etc. Having said that, MRH arranges farm tours, opportunities to get to stand in the winnerās circle, MRH suites at the track.
I didnāt know anything about owning a racehorse. I have learned a fair amount about what goes into owning one after buying into a few MRH shares. What I do know is that depending on the horse, Iād be looking at some hefty vet bills (do I āpayā for them, yes, when the microshare partnership is dissolved and all expenses are paid; did I have to write an additional check? No 
).
The partnerships are for-profit and yes, you can make a profit. MRH is up front about the risks of owning a racehorse (I suspect some still donāt āget itā) but, the opportunity is there (think Authentic). Maybe something to think about as part of dipping your toe in the water of owning a racehorse via a partnership.
Already on it 
I think myracehorse has only further entrenched my love for the sport. Iām up to 9 horses and it didnāt help that I went to one of their events earlier this year to meet the new 2 year olds they have including the first horse I bought shares in. I like how transparent they are with the ups and downs of the sport.
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I think one of the best things about MRH is how much info they share with owners. When we got started with racehorses 20 years ago, we had to learn everything by trial and error. Racing isnāt an industry where people with experience will pass along good advice; and unfortunately there were many fewer partnerships available to new owners back then.
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