I resumed my riding lessons this past weekend and must say, I don't see why there is such a big deal made of jockeys and how courageous they are for getting back up on a horse, after racing spills.
I was thrown at least six times yesterday-that the horse was not yet moving is irrelevant-and I got right back on...
My recent mornings at the track, watching workouts and just shuffling around, made me think tracks could offer the public a service. Offer riding lessons, at the track, with retired thoroughbreds.
The infield is just wasted space. Why not turn it into a riding course? Allow exercise riders to qualify, under some licensing program, as instructors; maybe Chris McCarron could incorporate this into his program. Maybe not exercise riders, maybe anyone interested.
Offer an apprenticeship program for trainers or exercise riders or what have you. Maybe there are individuals out there, not having grown up around horses, living in the city, dashing and bon vivant, interested in working with thoroughbreds. Maybe I they would take advantage of this.
Maybe the track could offer more than just high takeout rates.
10 March 2009
More dumb ideas
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Bid
Greatest horse ever to look through a bridle
Posts
3 comments:
That's funny - I just gave my newest owner his first riding lesson today. He had one near miss, but otherwise managed to stay up there. I have to admit, I wasn't using one of *my* horses - I hired an old schoolmaster for him. I think it's in my best interest to keep my owners in one piece...
exactly, why waste all that space. Legalize Pot and sell it daily at the track-Eureka!
They do it here in Korea with retired race horses - although the infields are family parks, they have indoor schools at the tracks. Someone told me there's only a nominal fee for it too. A couple of Korean TV dramas featured the characters taking riding lessons at the track and suddenly it became a popular dating spot....
Post a Comment