Easy Rider

William Moran, a York software engineering student, gets up every morning at the crack of dawn – not to get a jump on his studies, but to get to Woodbine Racetrack before the sun fully rises. This is where, six days a week, the 20-year-old takes racehorses out for a mile-and-a-half gallop as part of their daily training regimen. He’s been doing it for the past four years, and for him, being an exercise rider is more than just a job – it’s a continuation of his family’s deep connection to the track.

Horse racing runs deep in Moran’s bloodline. Both his parents have significant ties to the sport. His father, David Moran, is a professional jockey with 558 career wins over 14 seasons at Woodbine. His mother, Maria Moran, originally from Italy, was also a skilled rider before moving to Ireland to pursue her racing career. It was there that she met David, and the couple had William, the eldest of their nine children, while still based in Ireland. The family settled in Canada in 2011, where the equine legacy continues. In 2024, William’s 18-year-old brother, Pietro, joined the professional circuit, competing alongside their father. “It’s in our blood, I guess you could say,” Moran says. 

 

“I’ve been riding horses since I can even remember,” he says, noting that exercise riding is much different than recreational horseback riding. “These animals are born to run. That’s what they’re bred for – and they’re always pumped up with adrenalin. You can feel the power beneath them whenever you’re on them. It can be a very fun thing, but also very dangerous. Last summer, my dad got in an accident and broke his foot.”

Siblings on track: (above) William Moran and brother Pietro Moran riding at Woodbine Racetrack.

The goal of the exercise rider, says Moran, is to tune the horse so it’s fit, healthy and happy – then, when it comes time to race, it can hit peak performance.  

“And what makes a good exercise rider is how calm and relaxed you can keep the horses while training, because they can hurt themselves very easily if they’re acting up. My role is to keep them calm so that they don’t also drain their energy.”

 

Moran works with five or six horses a day. The trainer tells Moran what to work on with each horse. “I go about a mile and a half around the track – that takes about five minutes. You gallop the horse, which is not race speed. We don’t go into a full sprint.”

For both horse and rider, this five-minute excursion – though seemingly brief – is intense. “It’s a full-body workout every time you get on one. You’re working your arms to make sure they don’t go too fast. And then also your legs, your core … everything just to hold this powerful machine.”

The Rider’s-eye view: (above) Moran GoPro’s a horseback perspective.  

Now in his fourth year at York, Moran considered a software career path carefully: “I just know it’s the future. It’s not something that’s going to disappear.” Meanwhile, as he ponders what he’ll do when he graduates – currently a toss-up between pursuing a master’s, entering the workforce or travelling – it’s the riding that keeps him grounded. He’s musing on ways to apply his software and equestrian pursuits, perhaps with an app related to horse training and data tracking. “I really hope I can find a career that involves both, because I really do love working with horses. Once you get that bug bite, it just sticks with you.”  ■