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Lucinda Russell - Horse Trainer
Lucinda is a Racehorse trainer, she lives in Milnathort, Perth and Kinross."Always act with truth and conviction. If you are true to yourself life will be easier."
Our gallops here at Milnathort: they are all weather so provide ideal going for cantering up them and the view, of Loch Leven and the surrounding hills on the way down is awesome.. in all weather including horizontal rain!
Whenever we win races down South.. and also having runners in the championship races: we have
had a lot of publicity recently and I always try to mention how much Scotland means to me.
It may seem odd to train up here, but the roads are so good that travel is easy and I would
never move South: the people and way of life here makes it so worthwhile.
Back to the confidence is everything.. I think that horses (like children and dogs!) like to be secure and confident in their leader. If you can explain clearly to a horse what you want him to do and then give him the confidence to carry it out then they will always try for you.
Thankfully at St Andrews I did a lot of physiology and business studies too! I also spent a
year in Canada at University of Western Ontario and that gave me an insight into the Canadian
attitudes about life. They are really positive about success, and are proud to be associated
with it.
This made me very keen to have my own business and to succeed. On leaving University I three
day evented and sold horses to fund myself. That taught me how to improve horses and how to
handle owners.. then we started training point to pointers and having had some winners the owners
asked me to take out a professional trainers licence.
I still use much of the knowledge I gained at Uni... but have to admit when I started there
I never thought I would be a trainer!
Happy, fit, content horses win the most. I try to provide our horses in training with the best of everything. They have their day filled with action, are fed a balanced diet that we have devised, and given time out in the fields in groups. If I have a horse who hates being in training and finds racing difficult I find it another way of life.
While injuries do happen I feel that as long as they have had the best way of life that I can
give them then I can live with myself and justify having them in training.
Yes, some people in racing are simply in it for money, betting mostly, but they do not have
direct contact with the horses. Each horse has his own special person to look after it and they
are the ones who matter- they are in it for the love of the horse.
Winning the Scottish Grand National: I would love to win any National but the Scottish one would be the best: it is held at my favourite track, Ayr and the support that the Scottish race-goers have given me is fantastic: would love to repay it.
INTELLECTUALLY: I think that knowledge is a powerful tool: through knowledge we can understand why things work and can then use this knowledge to change things for the best.
Training can be tough as we have to be good with horses, but also a top business director!
A full understanding of the physiological and psychological workings of the horses is a start,
but also an ability to make informed decisions and stand by them is vital too.
Every day I have to decide a horse's progressive training and then be able to convey it to the
owners (overworked mobile phone and tact necessary!).
A toughness to keep going towards a goal, adapting if necessary... Guess I have always been
determined about what I believe in but time spent at St Andrews University doing a psychology
and physiology degree helped to provide the knowledge.
Confidence is everything.
Strength. Being a jockey is really tough physically and emotionally whether male or female.
Women trainers were not given the same respect in the past but now that we have trained as well
as the boys I think things are changing!
It will always be difficult to earn respect at the start, as in any business, but people are
more ready to accept women trainers now. My advice would be to learn as much about the horse
as possible then to always act with truth and conviction. If you are true to yourself life will
be easier.. and you sleep better!
Their generosity. They will always try to please you as long as you explain things to them...
While they cannot share our home they do recognise their 'own people' and I think the clever ones can become attached to their special person.
The girls in the yard would laugh at me writing this as I make a huge fuss of one horse in particular,
'Master Sebastian' or 'Kez' as we know him at home. He is definitely the Trainers Favourite
and is the one I ride every day when I am not away at the races..
He has to work hard though and is always having to help deal with the young or naughty horses,
and help set the pace in gallops. He won his first steeple chase the other day and could not
understand the whole fuss that was made.
I am not sure how attached he is to me (though allegedly he pines when I am not about) but
he is the one I look forward to riding each day and the last one I speak to each night: I am
attached to him!
To find out more about Lucinda please see www.lucindarussellracing.com
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