Owner/Trainer Decisions

[Relwob Owner]

I own anywhere from two to four horses at a time. My style has always been to let the trainer do his/her job and for the most part, I stay out of things. I suggest claims and make any decisions my trainer asks me to but he/she ultimately has the final say(I can put my foot down about anything but rarely do). I have done pretty well but am always interested in what different points of view are out there.

I am interested to hear others and their points of view on what the most effective owner/trainer dynamic is.....what do you think???????

[bisket]

keep in mind owning racehorses is basically a tax write off, and enjoy yourself.

[GameTheory]

I own anywhere from two to four horses at a time. My style has always been to let the trainer do his/her job and for the most part, I stay out of things. I suggest claims and make any decisions my trainer asks me to but he/she ultimately has the final say(I can put my foot down about anything but rarely do). I have done pretty well but am always interested in what different points of view are out there.

I am interested to hear others and their points of view on what the most effective owner/trainer dynamic is.....what do you think???????From what I hear, "doing pretty well" with a small stable is very rare. Are you saying you actually make money? I get the impression that most small-time owners get stuck with small-time trainers that basically rob them (either willfully or through incompetence). It does seem like some trainers that own their own horses do well, and maybe some permanent partnerships where there is a very close relationship between owner and trainer.

[Relwob Owner]

From what I hear, "doing pretty well" with a small stable is very rare. Are you saying you actually make money? I get the impression that most small-time owners get stuck with small-time trainers that basically rob them (either willfully or through incompetence). It does seem like some trainers that own their own horses do well, and maybe some permanent partnerships where there is a very close relationship between owner and trainer.


"Doing pretty well" is a relative term....I consider "doing well" to be breaking even since this is my passion and I know how hard it is to make money doing this. I am was lucky enough to get a trainer who is good and honest and knows that he will grow with me as my operation(hopefully) does......

[Mineshaft]

I own anywhere from two to four horses at a time. My style has always been to let the trainer do his/her job and for the most part, I stay out of things. I suggest claims and make any decisions my trainer asks me to but he/she ultimately has the final say(I can put my foot down about anything but rarely do). I have done pretty well but am always interested in what different points of view are out there.

I am interested to hear others and their points of view on what the most effective owner/trainer dynamic is.....what do you think???????





Im pretty much the same way. I let him do his thing, pick the spots, pick the jock. If i like a horse to claim we go over the horse, if we agree on the horse then we decide where we want to run the horse next time out. Other than that i stay out the way and let him do his thing.


Also i dont need updates every day on the horse. Once every 2 weeks i will touch base with him and thats fine with me.

[onefast99]

The relationship you have with your trainer is the most important part of this business. Do not be afraid to ask questions especially when it comes to the care of your horses. Research the vets bill, always ask the questions to the vet directly. There is money to be made in this business. And always remember no one wins every race so don't spend the purse money you make today foolishly!

[johnhannibalsmith]

I haven't trained in a couple of years, but I have always been very up-front that I don't want a lot of help from the owner. I treat all the horses in the barn like they are my own and make decisions accordingly. Of course, I'll generally get blessings before making a serious move with someone else's money (ie- big drop), but I've just never been able to slave away doing everything possible to succeed only to be vetoed by someone that wants to make a decision just to exhibit some control over the situation.

I don't blame anyone for letting the owner call the shots, nor do I blame an owner for wanting to call the shots - but it's not for me. Owners love to complain about trainers being less-than-honest, hanging on to horses for day pay, and I can tell you, many of those same ones don't care much more for the brutal, honest truth.

I like to keep a small operation so that I can do nearly everything - I'm a control freak in a lot of ways when it comes to horses - there's just too much that can go wrong to let anything slip between the cracks. So, even though I vowed to never train for clients, I've been lucky to have good people that trusted my judgment and motives in every decision and it has worked out well that way.

Of course, I trained a few for a leading owner and we had a strange relationship - he really wanted to make ridiculous decisions and I would flat refuse. I always was very clear that it was nothing personal, that he could feel free to move the horses any time if he didn't agree with my choices, and it usually ended there. We got along amazingly well for agreeing very infrequently and unfortunately, the fact that he would bring $20,000 to bet with like it was nothing but couldn't be bothered to pay his bill on time was a problem that I couldn't deal with consistently.

[Relwob Owner]

I haven't trained in a couple of years, but I have always been very up-front that I don't want a lot of help from the owner. I treat all the horses in the barn like they are my own and make decisions accordingly. Of course, I'll generally get blessings before making a serious move with someone else's money (ie- big drop), but I've just never been able to slave away doing everything possible to succeed only to be vetoed by someone that wants to make a decision just to exhibit some control over the situation.

I don't blame anyone for letting the owner call the shots, nor do I blame an owner for wanting to call the shots - but it's not for me. Owners love to complain about trainers being less-than-honest, hanging on to horses for day pay, and I can tell you, many of those same ones don't care much more for the brutal, honest truth.

I like to keep a small operation so that I can do nearly everything - I'm a control freak in a lot of ways when it comes to horses - there's just too much that can go wrong to let anything slip between the cracks. So, even though I vowed to never train for clients, I've been lucky to have good people that trusted my judgment and motives in every decision and it has worked out well that way.

Of course, I trained a few for a leading owner and we had a strange relationship - he really wanted to make ridiculous decisions and I would flat refuse. I always was very clear that it was nothing personal, that he could feel free to move the horses any time if he didn't agree with my choices, and it usually ended there. We got along amazingly well for agreeing very infrequently and unfortunately, the fact that he would bring $20,000 to bet with like it was nothing but couldn't be bothered to pay his bill on time was a problem that I couldn't deal with consistently.



JHS,

Thanks for that post and the insight you provided........very good stuff IMO

[Hanover1]

It appears its all been covered fairly well by the posters above. I would add that I was never adverse to a suggestion by an owner that involved any aspect of conditioning/care. There have been times where it was agreed to disagree, and I always defered to the man paying the bills and let the horse do the talking.
I had horses for John Gaines at one time, including the 2 highest priced trotting colts ever sold at auction at the time ($375k and $300k-same sale). Everything was expected of these colts, and I was instructed to have them ready for the Grand Curcuit and eventual starts in the Hambletonian, ect....this included a handfull of others totaling well over 1 million at this particular sale. (Harrisburg). Point here is that despite our best efforts, for reasons that colts fall by the wayside, or need more time, ect....we got a few good miles out of some of them, but never started one that year in the Hambo. As a result, I lost any future considerations for his yearlings. Several of these colts needed more time to mature rather than be top class at 2 or 3, and in fact the most expensive one finally did prove his worth and recouped his expenses and then some. Long story short, Mr Gaines expected something the horses could not deliver, and I was considered a factor. In fact Mr Gaines backed out of the business alltogether soon after that, to concentrate on the TBs and his farm operation.
So if you ever find yourself in a position to expand operations, please try to remind yourself that a horse is just a horse, despite the price tag, and try not to place unreasonable expectations on your trainer, but lend him an ear and keep patience to the forefront. Tossing a bunch of capital out there any any given time poses risk as well as POTENTIAL rewards........