Originally Posted by oracle80

It is almost impossible to make it with a small barn these days. To be a trainer now you have to be a businessman/trainer, you can't just be a trainer like the old fashioned guys. Today's trainers, in order to succeed, just have to realize that there is a dwindling solid owner pool on which to draw from. You have to spend time promoting yourself, attending social events, soliciting new owners, and being seen at the racetrack in the afternoon whether or not you have a horse running. It also helps to have a website.
Costs associated with running a barn have risen more on a percentage basis than the standard day rate has at major tracks.
You also have to be willing to use cutting edge medications that costa hell of a lot of money in order to compete with the barns you are running against. Adequan, Legend, Gastroguard, Lubrisyn, etc are no loner "edges" in this game. They are necessities that you must use in order to be able to compete with the top barns. Those costs are steep and if your owners aren't willing to pay the costs, you can either pull it out of your own pocket(hoping to get it back both in your 10% cut of winning purses or residually by hoping to attract more owners with a higher win percentage) or just go without and going without doesn't work.