People who work at the track really have to love what they do to do it.

[smilton]

OK I grew up on a farm and have worked for several barns as a stable hand/groom but nothing has compared to my weekend as a groom at the track. (Don't worry I got a license's first.) I am happily back at my 8-5 5day a week job today. I happily did not have to report to the track at 4am this morning. I do not have to bandage/wrap more legs in one day than I have done combined in 2 years. I'm happily back to cleaning out my horse's stalls bedded in shavings instead of straw.
The people were amazing and taught me so much. I'm just glad I don't do it week after week. I have to bale and pick up square bales out of the feild after work today but I get to sleep in to 5:30am tomorrow.
For those of you that do it I have a new respect for the work it takes to get a horse to the track and everything you do after they have run. What you see on TV doesn't cover a small percentage of the work involved.
I think I violated every safety measure I learned as a child about crawling under horses. I also know why my horses were depressed when coming off the track. They get a heck of a lot of attention while they are there.

[jengersnap]

Laughing my bum off. This is why I'm so drained when I "go back to work" on Mondays. And we just have a small stable. I feel so much for my other half, to whom it's a daily anthem. I take vacation days; they are racing days. I get holidays; they are just extra stalls to pick and horses to take care of. I am sooo looking forward to Wednesday. He's hauling two to Woodbine for night racing; I get to come home from the day job (which starts at 7 in another country, so it's not like I don't get up early to begin with), take care of my 4 at home then go to the track and take care of those there plus bed down the ones coming home at midnight. :sleepy: Hopefully they do something big up there though. It makes it all worthwhile :)

[DeeThbd]

Very, very true SMilton! One learns a new kind of tired when, after a full morning of walking horses, doing stalls and grooming, one paddocks a horse on a muddy day. One then has the hot, sand-and-mud encrusted steed blowing like a steam engine and leaning on you for a quarter mile hike as you go through sucking wet sand, and then get back to the barn, trying to take of the bridle and halter it while it is trying to rub its head on you, cool it out and bathe it while it is trying to rub the sand out of its eyes all over you....and then pick stalls, feed, clean up the bridle, and go home and contemplate supper.
Rinse and repeat for the next day! :lol::D
Dee

[jennywho]

Yes, but once you're hooked there is nothing that compares to it. I miss it a ton.

[smilton]

Yep it is easy to get hooked. I'm going to the sales in Kentucky next month and will definitely be back to the track. But it sure is nice to go home and sleep 12 hrs to make up for it all. I have to go back to pick up the horses I bought that are still racing. Yes it is very easy to get hooked. I'm glad I didn't take them up on exercising some of the horses or I may still be there.

[Laurierace]

Not me, I hate it. I just do it for the buckets and buckets of cash I make. That is cash I shovel out of the stalls each day right? I am getting ready to go to the bank and make a huge deposit!

[Blinkers On]

Ya, you shovel out loads of cash all right... it's just the cash you spent on feed in poop form.
I do sure love it! You couldn't pay me to work from 8-4 or 9-5 5 days a week. I would much rather work 7 days a week 4:30 am to 5 pm.

[Mara]

Not me, I hate it. I just do it for the buckets and buckets of cash I make. That is cash I shovel out of the stalls each day right? I am getting ready to go to the bank and make a huge deposit!
Bet your bank tellers love you when you pull up to the window with your "deposit"! :lol: