Starting Gate Crew

Team Members who safely and efficiently load horses and jockeys into the Starting Gates before a race.

The Starting Gate Crew job is essential to ensuring fair and safe starts, and it requires both physical strength and exceptional knowledge of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

Duties and responsibilities

During training:

• Schooling horses:  Starting Gate Crew team members spend time on select mornings helping young or inexperienced horses get used to the Starting Gate, a process called "gate training".  This involves walking them through the open Starting Gate, standing quietly inside the Starting Gate, and practicing a calm exit.
• Handling difficult horses:  For horses on the "starter's list" that have trouble with the Starting Gate, the Starting Gate Crew team members provide specialized training to help them overcome their fear or resistance.
• Gathering information:  During morning schooling, the Starting Gate Crew team members will keep detailed notes about each horse's behavior.  This information is used to help the Starter assign team members to specific horses on race day, ensuring the right temperament and skill set for each animal.

Before a race:

• Loading horses:  When horses arrive at the Starting Gate, carefully lead them into their assigned stall.  For skittish horses, they might walk the horse through the Starting Gate first to build confidence.
• Controlling the horses:  Once inside the Starting Gate, the team member may stand on a narrow ledge next to the horse to keep it calm, balanced, and facing forward until the race starts.  They are trained to read each horse's temperament and manage its anxiety.
• Ensuring fairness:  The Starting Gate Crew works together to ensure all horses are lined up and ready for a simultaneous start.  A Starting Gate Crew will yell "no" so the Starter will know they are not yet ready.
• Post-position numbers:  A crew member is responsible for setting the correct post-position numbers on the top of the Starting Gate for each race and adjusting them if there are late scratches.