Trainer and Assistant Trainer Continuing Education

HORSEMEN U: A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION RESOURCE

To assist you in complying with Continuing Education regulations, the California Thoroughbred Trainers, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association have partnered to create a website to meet the Continuing Education (CE) needs of trainers and assistant trainers. The website, www.HorsemenU.com, provides CE courses and, upon completion of a webinar and a brief quiz, a Certificate of Completion with the number of CE hours earned for each course.

We invite you to go to Horsemen U, register for an account and browse the courses available on the site. Trainers and assistant trainers can take the required hours of CE and store their Certificates all in one place, in the event they need documentation of compliance with the Continuing Education regulation.

Click here for Horsemen U FAQs.

MID-ATLANTIC CONTINUING EDUCATION RULE

1. Trainers and assistant trainers shall complete a minimum of four hours of continuing education per calendar year and shall certify compliance with continuing education requirements as a condition of licensing.

2. Qualifying courses, which may include live and on-line presentations, shall be approved in advance by the relevant regulatory authority or its designee.

3. At least two hours of each continuing education cycle shall involve equine health, safety and welfare topics.

4. A trainer or assistant trainer completing an approved course or program in any participating jurisdiction may claim credit in all participating jurisdictions.

5. Satisfaction of such continuing education requirement shall be subject to audit.

6. A trainer or assistant trainer shall retain, for a period of at least four (4) years, appropriate documentation indicating: a. that the trainer or assistant trainer attended or otherwise participated in the program, specifying the name, title, date and location of the course or program, and the number of continuing education credit hours earned; b. that a course or program was accredited by the relevant regulatory authority or its designee; and c. proof of compliance (certificate of completion when available) for each credit hour earned.

7. Trainers and assistant trainers must attest on the license application that annual continuing education requirements have been met. License will not be granted if such a declaration is not provided.

8. Trainers and assistant trainers are subject to random audit. Anyone found not to have fulfilled the continuing education requirements in any calendar year may be subject to discipline.

9. The stewards may waive continuing education requirements for just cause.

Policy and Procedure: Trainers and assistant trainers who attend live Continuing Education programs will be provided a certificate of participation at the end of each session. Trainers and assistant trainers who complete on-interactive on-line course modules, such as those produced by The Jockey Club, will be able to print a certificate of participation at the conclusion of the program. Trainers and assistant trainers who present a certificate of participation for watching an approved video will be required to successfully answer a question of fact that was included in that presentation in order to receive credit for that program.

HISA CONTINUING EDUCATION RULE

(a) Subject to the applicable State Racing Commission electing to enter into an agreement with the Authority, the State Racing Commission shall identify existing, or provide locally, training opportunities for all Racetrack employees having roles in Racetrack safety or direct contact with Covered Horses.

(b) Required annual continuing education shall include:

(1) Regulatory Veterinarians must complete, on an annual basis, at least 8 hours continuing education specific to racetrack regulatory medicine;

(2) Attending Veterinarians must complete, on an annual basis, at least 8 hours continuing education specifically applicable to racetrack practice;

(3) Medical Directors must complete, on an annual basis, at least 8 hours continuing education;

(4) Stewards shall be either accredited or actively participating in gaining accreditation through the ROAP and Certification Programs (maintenance of the ROAP Accreditation requires at least 16 hours of continuing education every 2 calendar years);

(5) Trainers must complete, on an annual basis, at least 4 hours annual continuing education;

(6) Assistant Trainers must complete, on an annual basis, at least 4 hours annual continuing education;

(7) Owners must complete, on an annual basis, at least 2 hours annually;

(8) Racetrack surface managers must complete at least 8 hours of continuing education every 2 years;

(9) Grooms must complete, on an annual basis, at least 2 hours annual continuing education offered in English and Spanish;

(10) Outriders must complete, on an annual basis, at least 2 hours safety and outrider protocol training delivered locally prior to the beginning of a Race Meet;

(11) Jockeys and exercise riders must complete at least 2 hours safety and rider protocols delivered locally in English and Spanish prior to the beginning of a Race Meet;

(12) Starters and Assistant Starters must complete, on an annual basis, at least 2 hours safety training either delivered locally prior to the beginning of a Race Meet or through the ROAP certification; and

(13) Equipment operators must complete, on an annual basis, at least 2 hours safety training either delivered locally prior to the beginning of a Race Meet or through a continuing education program.

RESOURCES

To assist trainers and assistant trainers in complying with the rule, the links to currently approved on-line courses that are eligible for CE credit are listed below. Eleven approved continuing education modules are available on The Jockey Club Advanced Horsemanship Program website: http://courses.Grayson-jockeyclub.org/course-index. The licensee will receive an emailed confirmation upon completion of each course. The confirmation  must be retained for your records for a minimum of four years. Continuing Education credits will be recognized by all Mid-Atlantic Commissions.

The NYS Gaming Commission has created three hour-long approved continuing education seminars available for free on YouTube:

“Findings of the NYS Post-Mortem Examination Program” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQSiRPfoUeA&t=29s

“Risk & Protective Factors–How Can We Use Them to Prevent Injury?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8d63u_MvBA

“Fetlock CT To Assess Proximal Sesamoid Bone Fracture Risk” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B72gbyVHki8

Record of Participation Certificate for NYS Gaming Commission seminars (please print and complete and retain for your records for a minimum of four years): https://www.gaming.ny.gov/pdf/Record%20of%20Participation%20(video)form.pdf

Annual Certification of Continuing Education Coursework Print and complete at the end of each calendar year to certify that you have completed the required four hours of CE annually.

CE Approval Committee (Jointly w/CHRB and CTT)

Dr. Kathy Anderson
Dr. Rick Arthur
Alan Balch
Dr. Jeff Blea
Dr. Reynolds Cowles
Mike Hushion
Dr. Scott Palmer