Turf Paradise

Springtime brings me to the horse races to work. We used to have a county fair circuit and each county held races for two weekends. It was a good time and I always enjoyed it. Those days are now in the past and will more than likely never return as the state of Arizona is broke and there is no money to put towards the running of broken down ponies are those that just dont have the ability to run at the big tracks.

Last year I started working the Rillito Park track in Tucson as Dr Sanders finally retired, much against his desire I am sure. There are not many of us veterinarians who do actual track work and there are fewer who are willing to sacrifice their time for the lower end tracks. Given that I had done the county fair circuit for years and years I was the go to person to work Rillito and as much as I didnt really have the energy to do it, I went because they people are like family! I worked for them for so many years it is like going to a family reunion.

I also fill in for Dr Muller at Turf Paradise once a year in the middle of February as he goes off to Las Vegas for continuing education. Not that he actually goes to any meetings :) It is difficult for me to be away from the clinic as we are so busy but I love to watch the horses and it is good to get away sometimes and have a reason to do something else for a few days.

Turf Paradise used to be a really nice meet but I dont think the owner really wants to be having horses race. He is a business man and not a horseman! In the eight or so years that I have been filling in for him I have seen a steady decline in the horses and the attitude of those at Turf Paradise. The races are getting cheaper and the horse more and more broken. It is very sad as it is a beautiful track and it saddens me to see it become no more than a county fair meet! There is talk of cutting the purses even more and I imagine that will bring more empty stalls and less sound horse and more dissension among everyone there.

I wish that I could take a few days and just wander around and take pictures of those on the backside. What a different world it is. So many stories that will forever go untold and unknown because nobody cares. I see these young faces that are so eager to make their mark and in a few years will be worn and wrinkled as reality settles in the dream becomes a nightmare! The fresh faces that become aged overnight it seems.

The pimply faced jockeys that will fall and become broken over and over and will soon become less ambitious and more cautious! The female jockeys that are new and have sweet plump faces that over the years will become drawn and hard! Their hands will age as they grip the reins and the whip! The feminine figure long forgotten over the desire to make weight! Fighting to be considered equal to their male counterparts but it will never happen! Call it whatever you want but we women know, we know that in this world we will never be able to be considered as the best. It is just the way it is, the sooner it is accepted the sooner she can go on to being the best that she can be!

I would love to tell the story of the life of the track vet! I had a trainer that came and yelled at me for scratching his crippled horse out of the last race on Tuesday. The jockey brought it to me and the poor horse didnt know what leg to be lame on as its fetlocks jammed into the track at a mere jog. I scratched the horse. The trainer told me that he had been doing this for 40 years and I didnt know what I was doing. I told him he had to work the horse to get it off the list and it had to be checked after the work and I turned and walked away. What I should have asked him is how many times he had had to go up to a horse on the track that had busted its leg off. Standing and trembling, scared and unsure of what to do, not knowing what is going on and in pain and not able to stand on one leg. I should have asked him how many times he had to look into their scared and hurting eye as he place a 14 gauge needle in their vein and injected 100 ccs of euthanasia solution in their vein! How many times had he had to hold their bridle as they got scared and fell backwards and laid on the track and died!! How many times had he covered their eye and talked to them and told them that they would not have to suffer any more! How many times had he cried because he had to take the life of a horse that ran because some trainer didnt care that they were lame!!

It is not an easy job! It is a job that I do truly love and wish that I could share in pictures. I love pictures that tell a story! I wish that I could take you with me and tell you the story. But alas, not this time, not yet but maybe one day. In the meantime, here are a few pictures that I took with my iphone as I did my job.

The track on monday after the morning break before any horses came on to work.

My one of the few shot from the backside. This old man can not straighten and yet he takes care of his horses and never utters a word about his condition. He ponies them and he bathes them and he grooms them and he even rides a bike around the backside.

Row of stalls by the road.

This is the Silks room. Every trainer and or owner has their own colors that can be worn during the race by the jockey. It is my favorite room! If only these silks could talk!