Donna Tam starts her day long before dawn, her alarm ringing at an hour when most of Hong Kong is still fast asleep. As a stables assistant with 28 years of experience in the horse racing industry, Donna is the quiet force behind each horse’s well-being. From her morning routine of cleaning stalls to offering a few encouraging words before race time, Donna’s connection with the horses goes beyond performing functional day-to-day tasks — it’s a bond built on trust and heartfelt care.
As a stables assistant, my job involves cleaning the stables daily, checking the horses' temperature, washing their legs, and monitoring their condition to ensure they’re healthy and injury-free. I also manage their diet, saddle them up, and hand them over to the rider for their morning exercise. After that, I take them swimming and walk them around.
I try to give the horses a five-star home because this is their space, and they deserve a clean, comfortable environment. I keep their sleeping areas spotless and make sure they have plenty of sawdust and hay, so they feel safe and relaxed when they enter the stable. When the horses are comfortable, they’re much happier living here.
When I first started, my biggest challenges were the physical demands of the job and adjusting to the very early morning starts. I need to be up by 2:30 AM every day, which required me to get into the habit of setting multiple alarms so I could get up on time. I also struggled with handling the horses in my early days, especially when they were unruly. I would ask for advice from more experienced colleagues, but most importantly, I learned to observe the situation, think things through, and eventually I found ways to get better.
Yes, horses can indeed recognise people. They can tell who takes care of them by identifying someone’s voice and scent. That's why building a relationship of trust is important. I once had a horse that would instantly calm down just by making eye contact with me. It trusted me and knew that if anything went wrong, I would be there to guide it away from danger. That connection through eye contact was how we communicated and built our bond.
I usually give them treats like fresh grass or carrots to keep them in good spirits. If they win a race, I’ll make sure to reward them. Once, I told the horse "Regency Bo Bo" that if he won in the upcoming race, I’d give him five carrots. When he did win, I kept my promise and gave him all five carrots as a reward.
I’ve been in the horse racing industry for 28 years, and my love for horses is as strong as the day that I started. When one loses a race, I make sure to give it a hug and say, "It’s okay, we’ll come back stronger!" I believe the horse can understand what I’m saying. I can't afford to feel discouraged, so this is my way of keeping us both upbeat and positive.
I take great pride in preparing the horses to look their best before a race. It’s especially rewarding if they win the Best Turned Out Horse award. While the racing is up to them, my role is to ensure they are groomed to perfection and look beautiful as they enter the parade ring for everyone to admire.
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