As racing continues to grapple with questions about how to offset labor shortages for grooms and hotwalkers, some trainers tell Thoroughbred Daily News they worry the talented exercise rider is also becoming a dying breed.
Though some larger operations have not encountered this problem, some smaller shedrows have seen experienced hands retire without an influx of young riders to replace them. Some trainers attribute the issue to a lack of an educational pipeline, saying that many riders show up at the track wanting to gallop without having learned proper equitation or horsemanship outside a racetrack setting. In some places, like California, a shrinking number of training centers and farms also reduce the number of learning centers that have traditionally educated young riders and young horses together.
Besides that, the TDN reported, the pay for most exercise riders hasn't kept up with inflation, and there are limited opportunities for an experienced exercise rider to advance (unless they plan to become a jockey). Combined with the seven-day-a-week nature of a physically demanding and risky role, the job doesn't look like a good bet to young people with other employment choices.
A poor or inexperienced rider can be dangerous to others on the track if they can't stop or settle a horse, or can fail to identify lameness or asymmetry that could signal a problem with the horse.
Some in the industry are hopeful that training schools like the North American Racing Academy can help fill the gap of upcoming riders, while others wonder if trainers should reach out to other equestrian disciplines like show jumping to find riders who can modify existing skills for the track.
Read more at Thoroughbred Daily News
The post Racing’s Worker Shortage Isn’t Just A Lack Of Grooms — In Some Places, It’s Exercise Riders Too appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
