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INHorse and Greyhound Training Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week in the stables actually pays — the right stablehand grade, Sunday overtime, the all-purpose casual loading and super, calculated the way the Horse and Greyhound Training Award says.
How the Horse and Greyhound Training Award is applied
- Minimum rates are set per classification — the calculator uses the adult rates from clause 13.1, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- The 25% casual loading is all-purpose — it stays in the rate for every calculation, including overtime, so casual overtime lands at 187.5% and 250% of the minimum rate.
- There’s no Saturday penalty: ordinary hours can be rostered Monday to Saturday at plain rates — early starts included, the award has no shift loadings either.
- Sunday work is all overtime at 200% (minimum 3 hours) — the calculator models Sunday hours at exactly that rate. Public holidays also pay 200%.
- Overtime beyond 38 weekly hours: 150% for the first 3 hours, then 200% — or time off in lieu by genuine agreement.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings — but not to overtime, which under this award includes all Sunday hours.
Who the award covers
- Racehorse training stables — thoroughbred and harness
- Greyhound training kennels
- Stablehands and stable employees, including jockeys employed on general stable duties
- Track riders engaged to ride track work
- Stable foremen, training assistants and employed trainers
Race meetings themselves sit under the Racing Clubs Events Award, track and ground upkeep under the Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award, and farm work under the Pastoral Award — check before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Horse and Greyhound Training Award keeps classification simple: seven roles defined right in the award, from a new stablehand to an employed trainer. Grade mostly follows tenure and appointment — the traps are the progression triggers, not the definitions.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stable employee (on commencement) | $25.74 | $978.10 | New stablehand — first 3 months | The starting rate for anyone commencing as a stablehand in a horse or greyhound training operation. Applies for the first 3 months only. |
| Stablehand Grade 1 | $26.44 | $1004.90 | Stablehand · Kennel hand | A stablehand — including a jockey on general stable duties — who has completed 3 months’ service. Progression from the entry rate is automatic. |
| Stablehand Grade 2 | $27.08 | $1029.10 | Senior stablehand on higher duties | Two or more years in the industry and required by the employer to perform duties above Grade 1 — the higher duties must be directed, not assumed. |
| Track rider | $27.08 | $1029.10 | Track rider · Trackwork rider | Engaged to ride track work exclusively (and may do other stable duties). Paid the Grade 2 rate regardless of tenure. |
| Stable foreman | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Stable foreman · Head lad | A stablehand appointed to be in charge of, or to direct, the work of other stable employees. The award’s “standard rate”. |
| Training assistant | $30.38 | $1154.30 | Training assistant · Assistant to the trainer | Performs general duties in the training operation while assisting a trainer — helps run the program without carrying overall responsibility. |
| Trainer | $32.13 | $1221.10 | Employed trainer | Employed to oversee all aspects of training a horse or greyhound. If they carry the whole program, they’re a trainer — not an assistant. |
- The commencement rate lasts 3 months at most — after that a stablehand moves to Grade 1 automatically, so put the trigger date in your payroll system on day one.
- Grade 2 needs two things: 2+ years in the industry and the employer requiring higher duties. Tenure alone doesn’t get anyone there.
- Track riders are paid the Grade 2 rate from their first day — riding track work, not years of service, sets their rate.
- Trainer versus training assistant is about responsibility: a trainer oversees all aspects of training; an assistant helps. Understating a trainer’s role is the misclassification to avoid.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Horse and Greyhound Training Award adds allowances for particular duties and situations — being the designated first aid officer, working overtime without notice, using your own car. They’re small lines individually, but they’re legal entitlements and they add up. The common ones (1 July 2026 amounts):
The calculator below doesn’t include allowances — add the ones that apply to your team on top of the result. The full list lives in the award’s allowances clause.
Break entitlements under the Horse and Greyhound Training Award
Breaks are part of the award too — and missed or worked-through breaks usually carry a penalty rate, so they belong in the roster, not just the tea room. Here’s what the Horse and Greyhound Training Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 12). Break times are set by the employer in consultation with employees — verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Horse and Greyhound Training Award
Enter the week as it’s actually rostered. Weekend, evening and public-holiday hours are paid at the award’s penalty rates; anything beyond 38 hours is priced as overtime; super is applied to ordinary-time earnings only.
Rates current as of 1 July 2026 (adult minimums, MA000008) — first full pay period on or after that date.
This week’s numbers
Nothing is stored or sent — the maths runs on this page.
Are these the exact legal rates?
The classification minimums are the adult rates from clause 13.1, current at 1 July 2026. Junior rates start unusually young — 55% at age 15, rising to 95% at age 20 — so check the child employment rules in your state before engaging anyone under school-leaving age. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
Why is there no Saturday penalty?
Because Saturday is an ordinary working day under this award — racing stables run six-day weeks by design. Ordinary hours can be rostered Monday to Saturday at plain rates. The overtime rules only kick in when someone goes past 38 weekly hours (or works a Sunday).
How does the casual loading work here?
It’s all-purpose — rarer than you’d think. The 25% loading becomes part of the casual’s hourly rate for every calculation, so casual overtime is 150%/200% of the loaded rate, which works out to 187.5% and 250% of the minimum. A casual working Sunday earns 250% of the minimum rate, not 225%.
Does super apply to Sunday pay?
Usually not under this award — all Sunday work is overtime rather than penalty-rated ordinary hours, and the 12% super guarantee applies to ordinary-time earnings only. Monday–Saturday ordinary hours attract super as normal. The calculator applies exactly that split.
This is a general calculator, not legal advice. It applies the award’s published adult minimums to the hours you enter — it can’t see your enterprise agreement, allowances or individual arrangements, and junior, apprentice and shiftwork rates differ. Always confirm pay against the award, your agreement or your adviser. If you believe something here is materially wrong or out of date, please contact us — we’ll review it promptly.
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Tommy applies the right award rates to every shift as you roster — penalties, loading and super included. Start with your email and your numbers come along.
