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Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere

How to become a Racehorse Trainer

Also called: Horse Trainer

Runs a racing stable as a business owner, employing stable staff (assistant trainers and stable hands) to train racehorses entrusted by owners.

Workers in this job say high school or university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

For central (JRA) racing, you must pass the trainer licence exam run by the JRA. For regional racing, you must pass the trainer licence exam run by the National Association of Racing. Only people aged 28 or over can sit the exam, and the number who pass is limited, partly because of the number of stalls available. The exam covers training skills and knowledge (racing law, equine science and so on), along with an interview and a medical. There is nowhere outside racing to gain knowledge and experience of training racehorses, so trainers are usually people who have been training and caring for racehorses, such as jockeys and stable staff. To work as an assistant trainer, you must pass the JRA's assistant trainer assessment and then be employed by a trainer. After receiving a trainer licence from the JRA, you become a business owner, open a stable and employ stable staff (assistant trainers and stable hands) to train horses at the racecourse as a team. You need a deep interest in and love of horses. Firm moral values are also important to keep racing fair. Because you employ stable staff and run the business, you also need to manage staff and have the qualities of a business owner.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Racehorse Trainer?

For central (JRA) racing, you must pass the trainer licence exam run by the JRA. For regional racing, you must pass the trainer licence exam run by the National Association of Racing. Only people aged 28 or over can sit the exam, and the number who pass is limited, partly because of the number of stalls available. The exam covers training skills and knowledge (racing law, equine science and so on), along with an interview and a medical. There is nowhere outside racing to gain knowledge and experience of training racehorses, so trainers are usually people who have been training and caring for racehorses, such as jockeys and stable staff. To work as an assistant trainer, you must pass the JRA's assistant trainer assessment and then be employed by a trainer. After receiving a trainer licence from the JRA, you become a business owner, open a stable and employ stable staff (assistant trainers and stable hands) to train horses at the racecourse as a team. You need a deep interest in and love of horses. Firm moral values are also important to keep racing fair. Because you employ stable staff and run the business, you also need to manage staff and have the qualities of a business owner.

How much does a Racehorse Trainer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,833,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Racehorse Trainer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Racehorse Trainer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026