The life of a race horse, its trainer, its caretakers, and its owners is special. Those who are lucky enough to have experienced the 'backstretch' remember it fondly; some never leave it. Life for a horse in a California racing horse stable can be pretty good, as well as for the cast of dedicated people who orbit around it.
The barn area is the backstretch. Long barns hold individual stalls for horses, with room for hay and straw storage, feed, and tack (the saddles, bridles, grooming kits, and other gear). The barns have electricity, running water, and a covered aisle running around the inner stalls. This 'shedrow' is used for walking horses for exercise if they are not going to be galloped on the track or to cool them out after a workout.
A stall is big and square, with a front door that can be left open, with a webbing to keep the horse in, or closed by swinging the bottom half-door shut. The top half is only shut when the weather is bad, rare in California, or if the horse needs to be totally confined. A deep layer of straw, called bedding, makes a comfortable place to lie down and cushions the horse's feet and legs.
Each stall has a large water bucket, a feed tub, and a place for hay. There will be a screweye in the wall to tie the horse while it's being brushed or tacked up, or when the stall is cleaned. The wide front door, with a top and bottom swinging barrier, lets the horse stick its head out into the shedrow to see what's going on. There may or may not be a window in the back wall, but the sides are solid to keep the horses from seeing and maybe nipping each other.
The people who work on the backstretch are all licensed by the racing authorities. Guests have to be accompanied by an owner or trainer. This world is peopled by jockeys and their agents, and supervised by the trainers. Grooms and exercise riders do the work, only authorized people can bring in feed or hay, and even the farriers need a license to come in and shoe the racers. This helps to make the racing community a close-knit one.
It's all about the horses. Everyone there has a role in their care and training. The hope of winning keeps everyone motivated, and winning pays the bills. Although this is a business, many are in it for the love of horses; this fact is attested to by those who do this all their lives and never make what they would working nine to five. The thoroughbred is a noble animal; it's nice to spend your life near such beauty.
The races are exciting, but it's the early mornings on the backstretch, the regular routine of keeping the horses fit, well, and happy, and the comaraderie among racetrackers that means the most. Many longtime racetrackers don't even bet. It's a way of life that not many people know, deeply engrossing and compelling.
Horses need to be fed morning, noon, and night. They are exercised at least once a day, twice on race days. They are brushed, their feet are kept clean and shod, their teeth are attended to, and their legs are examined, rubbed, and wrapped with bandages. This is definitely not a part-time job. Few get rich in the sport of kings, but many are addicted to it. There is nothing like it.
The barn area is the backstretch. Long barns hold individual stalls for horses, with room for hay and straw storage, feed, and tack (the saddles, bridles, grooming kits, and other gear). The barns have electricity, running water, and a covered aisle running around the inner stalls. This 'shedrow' is used for walking horses for exercise if they are not going to be galloped on the track or to cool them out after a workout.
A stall is big and square, with a front door that can be left open, with a webbing to keep the horse in, or closed by swinging the bottom half-door shut. The top half is only shut when the weather is bad, rare in California, or if the horse needs to be totally confined. A deep layer of straw, called bedding, makes a comfortable place to lie down and cushions the horse's feet and legs.
Each stall has a large water bucket, a feed tub, and a place for hay. There will be a screweye in the wall to tie the horse while it's being brushed or tacked up, or when the stall is cleaned. The wide front door, with a top and bottom swinging barrier, lets the horse stick its head out into the shedrow to see what's going on. There may or may not be a window in the back wall, but the sides are solid to keep the horses from seeing and maybe nipping each other.
The people who work on the backstretch are all licensed by the racing authorities. Guests have to be accompanied by an owner or trainer. This world is peopled by jockeys and their agents, and supervised by the trainers. Grooms and exercise riders do the work, only authorized people can bring in feed or hay, and even the farriers need a license to come in and shoe the racers. This helps to make the racing community a close-knit one.
It's all about the horses. Everyone there has a role in their care and training. The hope of winning keeps everyone motivated, and winning pays the bills. Although this is a business, many are in it for the love of horses; this fact is attested to by those who do this all their lives and never make what they would working nine to five. The thoroughbred is a noble animal; it's nice to spend your life near such beauty.
The races are exciting, but it's the early mornings on the backstretch, the regular routine of keeping the horses fit, well, and happy, and the comaraderie among racetrackers that means the most. Many longtime racetrackers don't even bet. It's a way of life that not many people know, deeply engrossing and compelling.
Horses need to be fed morning, noon, and night. They are exercised at least once a day, twice on race days. They are brushed, their feet are kept clean and shod, their teeth are attended to, and their legs are examined, rubbed, and wrapped with bandages. This is definitely not a part-time job. Few get rich in the sport of kings, but many are addicted to it. There is nothing like it.
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You can find a detailed list of the factors that determine California racing horse stable rental cost at http://www.mogerracing.com right now.
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