TAKING THE REINS

THIS WEEKEND I explored my new found freedom at Turf Paradise after receiving my track license. In order to get it I had to get the signature and the blessing of the track veterinarian, fill out forms, get fingerprinted, photographed, and of course pay a fee.



ONCE IN HAND I went back and met the thoroughbreds. While head over heels in love with the horses, I was unimpressed with the stables. I would have thought with all of the money coming in from the gambling that each horse would have a little bit more room than the teeny tiny stalls they were in and a bit more structurally sound. It is no wonder most of the horses have disposition issues and bad habits such as cribbing and head tossing among so many others. Being naturally high strung, these warmbloods are going out of their minds. They are large, they are athletes, they worry more than any other breed and they don't get turned out, they don't graze...ever, they stay in their box's. They do get plenty of exercise only it is under strict training. These horses rarely get touched outside of discipline, maintenance and tacking.
I believe outside training facilities that are privately owned such as the Arizona Thoroughbred Training Center out in Cave Creek allows for a little more TLC. The facility has larger stalls and is a lot cleaner because it is smaller in boarding and the focus seems to be the horse not the money or the Jockey. The difference in disposition was night and day after visiting both.
While I loved to be at the racetrack and have plenty more to learn; I felt that panic in my gut and in my heart that I could not help at that time all of the aching souls that just needed some individual love, some tight muscles relaxed, and a good plain walk without anyone on top of them.
The only horse world I knew before this one was rodeo. I have like a lot of Arizona horse lovers, owners and small towners been to plenty of them. There are a lot of people though (who have ideas but have probably not been to many) who think its cruelty to animals. That makes me laugh, almost hysterically. The horses are companions and partners, it is no wonder that most horse owners are dog owners. The horses are in comparison extremely well behaved and absolutely love the competition. Its weekend fun with the one they love the most. The steers run to play the game from what iv observed. The last rodeo I went to let the horses used in the bronc riding loose in the arena after the national anthem and before the start of the rodeo in order to honor them as an American symbol of power and freedom. There is an abundance of appreciation and teamwork there.

FIESTA DAYS RODEO at Memorial Arena, Cave Creek










DONATED 4 SESSIONS to the Miss Rodeo Arizona Pageant!