eMPLOYERS AREA

At equuip we are here to help employers through the provision of education and training interventions for both them, and their employees. On the page below you will find details of some of the initiatives we have in place which may be of interest to you. 

If you have any queries, suggestions, or comments please contact us directly by email at equuip@hri.ie

Equuip has established an education and training grant programme which is available to all who work in the Irish racing industry, whether you work in a racing yard, a stud farm, or at a racecourse or sales house you are eligible for the grant programme. The programme is also open to all Jockeys, both professional and amateur.

The programme will make a contribution towards the cost of any accredited course or training programme and forms part of the equuip commitment to providing access to education and training opportunities for employees in the racing and breeding industry.

If you have an employee who is interested in upskilling, or indeed if you yourself are interested, then the grant programme is well worth checking out. Full details about the programme and the qualifying criteria can be found by clicking below.

As an employer within the horse racing industry you might, on occasion, have an employee who is going through tough times, this can be a difficult situation to face as you will want to help your employee but you may feel that you lack the necessary skills. 

HRI and equuip recognise this and we offer an Industry Assistance Program (IAP) which offers free, confidential, independent support. The IAP is staffed by a team of highly trained and qualified professionals who are experts in fields such as well-being, family matters, relationships, workplace issues, consumer rights, and much more. 

You can be confident that the information you receive is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to your particular circumstances. Please visit our dedicated Industry Assistance Programme web-page for full details on the range of contact methods. 

Employees are an invaluable asset for all enterprises but especially in the horse breeding and racing sectors where working with these special animals requires special people. 

The practice of managing employees demands many skills from the manager or owner in order that the enterprise can be successful and be sustained. Managers needs to demonstrate leadership in order to develop the trust that is necessary for employees to perform their tasks as instructed, often without immediate supervision. To help you navigate these important relationships a working group of industry bodies, including the IRTA, the ISSA, and the ITBA came together with the Workplace Relations Commission to provide a comprehensive employment guide for the industry. 

You can download a copy of the guide using the button.

The guide has been broken down into the order of subject areas listed below:

Insurance implications; Health and safety legislation in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; Specific responsibilities of industry staff members and general responsibilities of all employees; Safety statements and the principles of risk management; Policies and SOPs, with examples and samples of such documents; Induction and training programmes, including health safety and well-being programmes and employee welfare; Emergency planning and procedures; Pandemic response planning; Accident reporting and general record keeping.

Further downloadable documents will be available soon. Limited amount of printed documents that can be posted out to interested parties. Contact ckehoe@hri.ie or call 0864425226.

We work closely with the Racing Academy & Centre of Education (RACE) to offer industry focused training, we have a selection of training options for those working in racing yards, primarily for stable staff but also for amateur jockeys and conditional jockeys, across a range of areas and for a variety of levels of experience. Below are details of some of the programmes we fund:

1. Basic safety & certified manual handling – 1 Day Course for new or less experienced staff 
2. Advanced safety & certified manual handling  – 2 Day Course for new staff 
3. Horse care and management - Travel preparation and taking a horse racing – 2 Day Course
4. Rider improvement – 4 Day Course for to improve their riding skills and or confidence when riding racehorses
5. Advanced rider improvement – A number of 1/2 day training sessions  for staff to improve their technical skills 
6. Amateur Rider Schooling preparation – 1 Day Course to improve riding skills in relation to schooling over obstacles, in preparation for an A3 Amateur riding license.  
7. Amateur Rider Schooling progression – 1 Day Course to improve race riding skills in relation to taking part in Point-to-point races, for those who already hold an A3 Amateur riding license.  
8. The Exercise Rider Training Programme - This is a 12-week intensive course for 18 to 25 year olds, students spend 12-weeks working Monday to Saturday lunchtime on campus in the role of an exercise rider. Upon successful completion students will be assisted to find full-time employment in a racehorse trainers yard.
9. Junior Academy - R.A.C.E. run several Junior Academy days every year for young people aged from 10 to 16 years, with a dream of becoming a jockey. These training days are open to ALL from experienced pony race riders to riders with no experience of racing,