Working for Gai Waterhouse Racing for my work placement has been such an eye-opening experience that has already taught me so much in only a short time.
Since being here, I have gained a wealth of once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as strapping at race days with my favourite being swimming horses on the beach next to Sydney airport. Being given the opportunity to ride the horses in their water work as the sun is rising is truly incredible and I still cannot believe it is a part of my job.
Another aspect of my job is running the tie up stalls where horses are sent out to work in the mornings. Running these stalls has opened my eyes to the incredibly fast pace of the industry and has forced me to improve my efficiency, ability to read work lists and coordinate with foremen, track riders and pony riders.
Working with the racehorses has improved my confidence levels in handling all sorts many different types of horses a huge amount as well. High strung horses prone to spooking or jumping whilst being handled used to rattle me a little. However, working with them every day I am now unfazed by silly behaviours, which really excites me and builds a lot of confidence.
I am looking forward to seeing what more is in store for the remainder of my placement at Gai Waterhouse Racing. I’m looking forward to seeing what else I am able to learn from this exciting experience.