Equine Recruitment · Australia & International

We Don't Shortlist Candidates We
Haven't Watched Work.

A CV only tells you part of the story. Before we send you a shortlist, we visit your farm, watch candidates in real conditions, and only recommend the two or three we're confident about. Backed by a three-month guarantee.

Book a Farm Visit How It Works →
20+
Years in the equine industry
100%
On-farm candidate assessment
★ ★ ★ 3 MONTH GUARANTEE
FREE REPLACEMENT
If the placement doesn't work out
Conditions apply
Horse being worked
The Problem We Solve

A candidate who looks great on paper isn't always the right fit on farm.

Running a high-performance stud or racing operation takes more than technical skill. It takes people who understand the rhythm of your farm, get on with your team, and know their way around serious bloodstock because they've done it, not because they've read about it.

Most agencies assess candidates from an office. We spend time on your farm first, then watch every candidate work before they ever reach your shortlist.

"I've hired a lot of people over 20 years, and I've made every mistake you can make. The good ones don't always look the best on paper, and the ones who interview well don't always last a season. You only find out by watching them work."

— Ben Gunn, Founder & Managing Director

How We Work

The On-Farm Methodology

Three things every desk-based recruiter skips, and why skipping them costs you good hires.

01
⬡

Immersive Discovery

Before we write a job description, we spend time on your farm. We watch how your team works, your management style, and where the gaps in your staffing are. The result is a candidate brief built from the stable up, not just from a phone call.

02
◈

We Watch Them Work

Every candidate's horse handling ability is observed before they reach your shortlist. A CV only partially shows this, so we don't rely on one alone.

03
◎

Visas, Paperwork, and Everything After

Good candidates often come from overseas, and international hires come with paperwork. We handle contracts, reference checks, and onboarding, and partner with trusted specialists on visa support. So you can focus on the season ahead, not the admin.

The Process

Six weeks to the right hire

A rushed hire you replace in three months isn't fast. We put the groundwork in to get it right the first time.

Week 1

Site Visit & Cultural Audit

We visit your farm in person, walk the property, meet your team, and watch how the operation actually runs. We then build your Ideal Candidate Profile based on what we've seen together.

Weeks 2–4

Sourcing & Practical Vetting

We approach candidates from our network across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Ireland. Every candidate is visited by one of our team before they are shortlisted.

Week 5

Shortlist Presentation & Interviews

You receive a shortlist of 2–3 candidates, all personally assessed by one of our experienced team. We then coordinate interviews around your schedule.

Onwards

Onboarding & Visa Administration

Once you've chosen, we handle the rest: reference checks, contracts, and visa paperwork if needed. Your new hire arrives ready to work on day one.

Ready to start with Week 1?

Book a Farm Visit →
Fees

A Partnership Model

We only get paid when you get the right hire. That's the whole model.

Service Fee

No placement,
no balance.

We charge a modest deposit on engagement: it covers the site visit, market mapping, and time spent vetting candidates. The balance is only invoiced when your chosen hire signs and starts work.

Full pricing on your first call. →

Our Guarantee to You

  • On your farm in person, not resume-forwarding from a desk
  • Every candidate watched working with horses before they reach your shortlist
  • Visas, contracts, and onboarding, all handled for you
  • 3-month placement guarantee. If it doesn't work out, we replace at no charge (conditions apply — see your engagement contract for details)
  • On-farm follow-ups with you and your new hire after placement
Ben Gunn
About

Ben Gunn

Founder & Managing Director, Strategic Stud Solutions

"I spent five years as Stud Manager at Yulong and twenty years in studs across Australia and England before that. In all of that time, the single hardest part of running a stud wasn't the horses, it was finding the right people to look after them."

"I've hired well and I've hired badly, and the bad ones cost far more than any good recruiter ever did. A bad foaling hand in October costs you sleep, mares, and sometimes a whole season. The good ones are worth every dollar."

"The problem is that most recruiters have never set foot on a stud. They read CVs, forward emails, and don't know what good looks like on a wet morning in the yards."

"I started Strategic Stud Solutions to do it differently. I visit every farm myself, watch every candidate work, and only shortlist people I'd hire onto my own team."

— Ben Gunn

Stud Manager, Yulong, 5 years
20+ years in the equine industry, Australia and England
Built and managed a team of approximately 100 across breeding operations at Yulong, the single largest thoroughbred breeding operation in the world
Specialist in high-performance thoroughbred operations
The Team
Polly

Polly Gunn

Head of Recruitment & Client Relations

Polly leads our recruitment process and looks after our client relationships day-to-day. She's the person most studs will speak to first — on-farm visits, candidate vetting, and making sure every placement lands well for both sides.

Having always been involved in the industry with first-hand experience in studs and in racing, Polly has a strong understanding of what both sides are looking for. With over 16 years in the industry working for some of the world's leading stud farms and riding for successful trainers and pre-trainers — including several years as Assistant Trainer to Lucy Wadham — she has been part of the employment process firsthand and understands how important it is to find the right fit for all parties.

16+ years in the equine industry — studs and racing
Assistant Trainer, Lucy Wadham
Experience at leading stud farms and racing operations across Australia and the UK
For Staff

Work with the best operations in the industry

If you work in racing or breeding and you're open to the right role, register below. We place staff at some of the best thoroughbred operations in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Ireland, from stud hands and foaling staff to track riders, trainers' assistants, and senior managers.

Unlike most agencies, we don't shortlist anyone we haven't met or visited. That means two things: we won't waste your time with roles that aren't right, and when we put your name forward, it carries weight.

✦
Thoroughbred StudsBreeding farms, foaling operations, yearling preparation
✦
Racing TrainersTrack riders, stable hands, trainers' assistants
✦
International PlacementsVisa assistance available for international candidates

Your Details

Every registration is read personally by our team. We'll be in touch when something fits.

Registration received.

Our team will review your details and be in touch if a suitable role becomes available.

Select all that apply
Start a Conversation

Let's start on your farm.

Whether you need someone for foaling season or you're planning six months ahead, the first step is a conversation with our team and a visit to your farm.

Email: enquiries@strategicstudsolutions.com.au
Phone: +61 455 500 365
Working across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Ireland

Tell Us About Your Operation

A short message is fine. We'll reply within 48 hours.