Basic Grooming 099 Workforce Development Class Set for April 16-20 in Lexington
Want to work with horses but don’t know where to start? Interested in acquiring an off-the-track Thoroughbred to compete in OTTB shows and want to increase your knowledge of a retired racehorses handling and care? Then you may want to attend Second Annual Basic Horse Handling and Care (Basic Grooming 099) Workforce preparation class April 16-20. Co-sponsored by Kenny McPeek’s Magdalena Farms and through a developing partnership between Groom Elite and the Kentucky Horseshoeing School, classroom sessions will be held at the Kentucky Horseshoeing School campus 3612 Lexington Road, Richmond, KY 40475. Hands-on barn sessions will be at Magdalena Farms 2651 Russell Cave Road, Lexington, KY 40511.
At the conclusion of the inaugural 2017 class, every participant interested in employment was offered a job. Designed to prepare people for entry level jobs in the racing industry, this class also provides participants a background in horse behavior and is recommended by experienced horse owners that have participated in the past. One example, Alexandria, Louisiana horseman Karla Cooper, a participant in a two-week Clinton Anderson colt starting clinic, attended the 2017 class and said, “I learned information about horses I didn’t know and some I didn’t realize I was using. This program helped me apply handling principles more effectively. No matter how much you know you will learn something on the first day. And, Dr. Mac is especially good at helping beginners get started.”
If you teach people about horses, this is a good opportunity to see an accomplished career equine education demonstrate teaching principles that have taught inmates at prisons that have never touched horses before through horsemen with 20 plus years of experience. If there is enough interest, a special evening session will be scheduled to discuss those teaching principles. Program format is an hour and a half of classroom instruction followed by a break and move to Magdalena (about 20 minutes) followed by two hours of demonstrations and practice with live horses. The education presentation will conclude on Thursday, April 19. On Friday, those
interested in obtaining a job will be evaluated and counseled with recommendations and referral to individuals seeking employees. All participants are welcome to participant in the Friday evaluation, and those that are not interested in employment will not miss any new material if they do not attend.
With support from The Jockey Club, NTRA and National HBPA, tuition for this spring class is only $99. (Tuition assistance is available for those looking for employment. Register and then email Dr. Mac at rmclellan@groomelite.com). Class size is limited to 20 and spots remain as of April 2.
Those interested in any (or all) of these programs are encouraged to go to www.groomelite.com or www.purplepowerracing.com for more information and to register. Anyone without internet access is invited to call Dr. “Mac” at 859-321-4377 to sign up.
