[Acertainsmile]

I got your post Gumtree, am also a been there done that lifelong racetracker/horse person.

[2ndyrgal]

After being stuck in a law office for too many lovely spring and summer days, I ran into someone who owned a Standardbred and invited me not only to the races, but to the backside. I told the trainer's wife (trainer was driving all night) if they ever had an opening, call me, and gave her my number.

Three weeks later, I got a call. At 5am in the morning. It was Barbara Gayle Turcotte. Her exact words were, "If you still want a job, get your fanny over here, Terry fired everybody."

I threw on my barn clothes and got over there and went to work instantly, learning and being taught as I went. For many years I worked at the track in the summer and law offices in the winter. Eventually, I had good enough horses to go "south" for the winter with them, so I did.

Anyone truly keen to work will find it. It isn't glamorous, it's hard and dirty and sometimes breaks your heart and your bones, it's either something you can do or you will very quickly realize that it's a lot harder than you thought.

While I'm a couple of decades away from that now, I still miss it.


I remember the first horse I ever galloped. After hot walking and begging the trainer for months, he let me take the oldest, slowest horse in the shedrow out on the most cold, filthy, rainy day imaginable. He damn near ran off with me and I had a blast.

[Laurierace]

After being stuck in a law office for too many lovely spring and summer days, I ran into someone who owned a Standardbred and invited me not only to the races, but to the backside. I told the trainer's wife (trainer was driving all night) if they ever had an opening, call me, and gave her my number.

Three weeks later, I got a call. At 5am in the morning. It was Barbara Gayle Turcotte. Her exact words were, "If you still want a job, get your fanny over here, Terry fired everybody."

I threw on my barn clothes and got over there and went to work instantly, learning and being taught as I went. For many years I worked at the track in the summer and law offices in the winter. Eventually, I had good enough horses to go "south" for the winter with them, so I did.

Anyone truly keen to work will find it. It isn't glamorous, it's hard and dirty and sometimes breaks your heart and your bones, it's either something you can do or you will very quickly realize that it's a lot harder than you thought.

While I'm a couple of decades away from that now, I still miss it.


I remember the first horse I ever galloped. After hot walking and begging the trainer for months, he let me take the oldest, slowest horse in the shedrow out on the most cold, filthy, rainy day imaginable. He damn near ran off with me and I had a blast.

That is a great story but I assume that is actually two stories, no? You don't gallop standardbreds right?

[2ndyrgal]

It is two stories. I went to work at 19 hotwalking at Beulah Park right after I had my son. I kept begging for a ride, finally, the trainer gave in.


I actually had to wake the horse up (he didn't work everyday) to get him tacked up.

I was so filthy, that when our group went up to a local restaraunt to eat, they asked me to leave.

There isn't, in my mind, anything better than galloping on a horse that knows his job.

Still makes me smile to think of it.

And nope, Standardbreds don't gallop, at least not on purpose. If they're running, something has gone very wrong.

Ask me how I know.