Marginal gains and stable staff

Having been ill for a couple of days, I watched Road to Glory and a Year in Yellow. Also saw Chasing Dreams the other day.

All of the above are about Team Sky. All show how marginal gains can help a team.

My thoughts/ questions are could it work for stable staff?

The big opposition is money, the trainer and other stable staff.

Teaching other people the things you know can be simple – how to bandage a horse. It can be difficult – how to manage a difficult horse.

There seem to be so many barriers that it wouldn’t work. Staff told not to listen. Staff who don’t want to listen. Constant back stabbing. This doesn’t help but who can you deal with if no one listens?

If (for example) the head person doesn’t think they can learn anymore. If bullying is commonplace. If there seems to be a shortage of staff and lack of good moral.

Wouldn’t changing this be a marginal gain?

Hasn’t it been proved that happy workers (in any workplace) are more productive? Doesn’t it help to learn more and encourage senior staff to teach younger ones?

Lack of money is usually the commenplace answer. Time is money!!
Yeah I get that. Funny enough. Oh and the thought that stable staff are all grouped together as thick and couldn’t do anything else? Change how you think!

I’ve always done my job because I was told I was good at it. I enjoy working with horses and find it easy to empathize with them.

Having spoken to a few old friends recently I found the common reason they had all left racing. They were laughed at, ridiculed, bullied and told they wouldn’t find another job.

I know the money working with racehorses isn’t great. But losing so many experienced staff in different places over the years is surely costing the rest of us.

Who knows what marginal gains could have been if these people were better thought of?

Horseracing is still living in the ’60’s in some places. The interaction between employees and employer can be still stuck in the ’70’s.

Could marginal gains have helped with forward thinking people?
Would it mean that we got the recognition we deserve and that we got listened to?

If you don’t agree, I really don’t care. These are my thoughts and no reflection on anyone. I guess a few people will read and not understand this.

Busy weekend

Having my alarm wake me this morning at 7, I’ve had to get up pretty quick. I need to have a short ride out on the bike before packing my racing bag (horseracing!)

Actually that’s pretty easy, black boots, black trousers/jeans, sponsored t-shirt, then sweatshirt, spare jeans and maybe a t-shirt. My boots are always dried and cleaned and then live in my bag ready for going racing. The rest of my gear is also ready nearby. In reality I don’t need much, but I haven’t checked the weather forecast yet!

So I’ve been told I’m leaving the yard at 1.30. That’s all fine, and it means leaving the house at about 11.45. Yes I’ll be early, and will get to work for for about 12.25, and it only takes a few minutes to get the horse and gear ready. This also means that I can have a quick cuppa when I get there! The horse runs at 6pm, thats means leaving the racecourse about 7 to come home. Then it’s another 40 min drive home from the yard. I expect by that time our ‘street party’ will be in full swing!

As for Sunday, I think I’ll get to Newbury Racecourse for 7.30, then I have time to be nosey and hopefully meet a couple of ladies doing the Sportif! This means being up at half five, so I can have a coffe and eat breakfast without making myself sick 😉

I’ll let you know how it goes!

And finally, many thanks to all my twitter friends who gave me such a show of support after my blog post yesterday. Yes I am nervous, but feel now that it might actually be alright 🙂

Time to go for a ride…

Take care!!