Thoroughbred — Chapter 29: Trainers, Assistant Trainers and Substitute Trainers

Last Updated: 
2023-06-05

29.01  A trainer must register with the Racing Secretary of each Association all horses in their charge, stating the name, colour, sex, age and breeding of each and the name of the owner. Such registration may be made by the owner but in all cases the name of both owner and trainer must be given.

29.02.01  A trainer may represent the owner in the matter of all entries, scratches, declarations and the engagement of jockeys, veterinarians and tradesperson. (Attention Rule 6.10.3).

29.02.02  An owner wishing to deny or restrict the authorization given under Rule 29.02.1 shall give notice of their intentions to the trainer and to the Stewards, such notice shall be by personal service or registered mail.

29.03  If a trainer is to be absent from the track where their horses are participating in races, he/she must obtain a licensed trainer to substitute for him/her during their absence. Such a substitute trainer must be approved by the Stewards upon forms approved by the Registrar. The original trainer is responsible for the horses he/she has entered prior to their absence from the track. The substitute trainer will then become responsible for any additional horses entered by either trainer.

29.03.01  An Assistant Trainer or employee who has ownership wholly or in part of a horse must have that horse stabled with his/her employer. Exception to this rule may be granted by the Stewards.

29.04  A trainer shall be responsible for the condition of a horse trained by him/her and it shall constitute a violation of the Rules for a trainer to knowingly enter a horse that is unfit. It shall also constitute a violation of the Rules for a trainer to race a horse with defective, worn out, or unsafe equipment.

29.04.01  A trainer shall be responsible to ensure that all horses under his/her care and control, while training or racing on Association grounds are properly equipped, which may include the use of safety reins.

29.05  Upon any occupational licensee leaving an owner’s or trainer’s employ, the said employer shall notify the Commission Agent accordingly, who in turn shall inform the Security Chief. It shall be a violation of the Rules for a trainer to employ unlicensed help.

29.06  If an owner changes his/her trainer he/she shall notify the racing secretary and cause the new trainer to sign his/her name on the owner’s registration. This shall be done only after the Stewards have approved the transfer authorization, having satisfied themselves that obligations regarding finances have been met.

29.07  For racing, all horses shall be shod with racing plates, unless otherwise permitted by the Stewards.

29.08  No horse may be admitted into an Association grounds unless the Foal Registration Certificate is accepted by, and on file with the Racing Secretary’s office, and that horse is on the stall list of its trainer. In the event this horse is racing or training from stabling off the Association grounds the papers must be accepted by, and on file with the racing secretary’s office. The Stewards may grant exceptions from all or any of these conditions at their discretion.

29.09 Any owner, trainer, assistant trainer, Authorized Agent, pony person or any other person who places any licensee in a horse related occupation on their payroll at the race track must cover that licensee under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Act and keep that individual covered under this Act throughout the time he/she is in their employ at the racetrack. Trainers shipping in from outside of Ontario must satisfy the Stewards that their employees have equivalent coverage

29.09.01  Deleted.
(Note: 29.09, above, remains.)

29.10  A person shall not train horses or be programmed as a Trainer or Assistant Trainer of record, without first having obtained a trainer or assistant trainer licence valid for the current year by meeting the standards for trainer or assistant trainer as established by the HBPA.

29.11.01  Upon the demonstration of a valid need, a trainer may employ an assistant trainer as approved by the Stewards. The assistant trainer shall be licensed prior to acting in such capacity on behalf of the trainer.

29.11.02  Requirements for obtaining an assistant trainer’s licence shall be prescribed by the Stewards and the Registrar and may include those requirements prescribed in Rule 29.10. The establishment of licence requirements is not subject to appeal.

29.11.03  An assistant trainer may substitute for and shall assume the same duties, responsibilities and restrictions as imposed on the licensed trainer. In which case, the trainer shall be jointly responsible for the assistant trainer’s compliance with the rules governing racing.

29.12.01  A trainer absent for more than five days from their responsibility as a licensed trainer, or on a day in which the trainer has a horse in a race, shall obtain another licensed trainer to substitute.

29.12.02  A substitute trainer shall accept responsibility for the horses in writing and be approved by the Stewards.

29.12.03  A substitute trainer and the absent trainer may be jointly responsible for the condition of their horses entered in an official workout or race.

29.13  For any medication or drug requiring a prescription and any treatment ordinarily requiring the services of a veterinarian for any horse under his/her care and control, a trainer is required to use a veterinarian licensed by the Commission as a veterinarian.
A trainer of a horse may apply to the Registrar for an exemption from this rule, where the trainer trains a horse in an area under-serviced by equine veterinarians licensed by the Commission. Further a trainer may use a veterinarian not licensed by the Commission for the purposes of emergency treatment of a horse, provided the trainer advises the Registrar of the circumstance in writing as soon as practical.

29.14  A trainer must ensure that the Registrar has a record of all current stabling locations. In addition, a trainer must provide and ensure that the Registrar receives notice of any change in address for all stabling locations on record, no later than five (5) days after their address(es) has changed. A violation of this rule will result in a minimum $300 monetary penalty, absent exceptional circumstances. 

29.15  Any horse under the care and control of a licensed trainer must have a current negative Coggins test. A lapsed Coggins test may result in the horse being removed/barred from the grounds by the Association and/or barred from racing.