HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: Beardedtroll on November 05, 2025, 02:22:55 PM
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I've been a trainer for over 5 years now but have always just trained my own 2-4 horses as a hobby/2nd job. I am 3rd generation horseman as my dad and grandpa did the same thing. I always do well with the horses i train and I've recently been kicking around the idea of doing it full time and I am unsure how to pickup owners.
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Not until Faralfough allows open competition testing
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I've been a trainer for over 5 years now but have always just trained my own 2-4 horses as a hobby/2nd job. I am 3rd generation horseman as my dad and grandpa did the same thing. I always do well with the horses i train and I've recently been kicking around the idea of doing it full time and I am unsure how to pickup owners.
Getting close to your drivers as boots on the ground hearing info all the time, maybe offer them a finder fee, guaranteed drives..
Not sure where you live, but you could start a conversation with trainers in other jurisdictions about transferring horses to locations you're stabled. Sharing...
You could follow the suspended trainers list closely and pitch owners as soon as their trainer is suspended for a great length of time.
Go to auctions, hang around the more exclusive parts of the track, get very friendly with race secretaries.
Start a fractional ownership advertising and put the word out so they can come in for a piece to start, it doesn't ave to be 1% min but 10%.
Keep your ear to the ground and see if any trainers are retiring.
You can keep your identity concealed here but what about sharing your general location i.e. state, expertise i.e. young horses, improving claimers, trotters and or pacers...
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I've been a trainer for over 5 years now but have always just trained my own 2-4 horses as a hobby/2nd job. I am 3rd generation horseman as my dad and grandpa did the same thing. I always do well with the horses i train and I've recently been kicking around the idea of doing it full time and I am unsure how to pickup owners.
I wish you good luck if you go full time. I had 4 cheap claimers in the 90's at Pompano Park with two great partners. The mistake we made was to have 4 cheapies rather than 2 mid level claimers. I paid the bills for the group, met with the trainer weekly, and talked with the Vet and farrier when needed. We lost a shit ton of money, but did meet some great folks in the business. I think it's a "game" that is outta reach for most middle class guys like me. But forming partnerships reduces the risk/reward and allows "regular folk" like me to have some fun and be part of the action. I hope you land a rich guy with a lot of cash to spend. I think that's the dream of all trainers.
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Keep winning races and they will find you.
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That's true, keep wining races. It takes time. It's a bit tougher today than it was in the 80's and 90's, but it still happens. If you train a few horses, race them where they win or at least very competitive, shoot good numbers, and when applicable the horses race better than the board says they should, people will notice. That's how I found my original trainer. He had 3 horses at the time. I gave him one, then a second. Then I bought a good horse and gave it to him. Two years later he had 20 horses in the barn. Hard work and producing results will always pay off. It might not be how you wanted it or expected, but it will pay off. Good luck!
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I've been a trainer for over 5 years now but have always just trained my own 2-4 horses as a hobby/2nd job. I am 3rd generation horseman as my dad and grandpa did the same thing. I always do well with the horses i train and I've recently been kicking around the idea of doing it full time and I am unsure how to pickup owners.
I’m this business the best way to get owners is to get a couple positive test. Sad but true unfortunately.