No prying eyes at a private training center

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Someone might throw a cobra venom dart.
You could then blame the unknown demon.

Based on what trainers hint at, they have more
to fear from employee's from other trainers
than the general public.

I see your point. You pay 30 dollars so that automatically
means your clean. BTW might have had a terrorist fly a
plane into his face, so metal detectors are the next step.
no little bottles of shampoo, take your boots off

Personally I would want to control the number of people
and how close they can get to what can be very skittish animals.
People and animals could get hurt.

Sorry pgardn, that was just the part that jumped out at me... (darts)

Wasn't intended as a swipe.

[NoChanceToDance]

I always wondered about barn security at tracks across America, it is considered a problem?

I don't really have much of an idea how it works, but it can't be easy having several trainers all in the same 'space'. We know that horseracing around the world isn't exactly a straight sport.

As you know, over here there are very few trainers who actually train 'on site'. There are a couple, but that's it. In Newmarket they all have separte yards, but everyone but Godolphin use the public training grounds that surround the town. Godolphin have huge amounts of land now and steadily they are buying all the farm land in and around the town to build private gallops on.

There are three main thraining centres in the UK; Newmarket, Lambourn and Middleham/Leyburn. There are many trainers scattered around that have their own gallops and training facilities that are for private use only.

I have to say I prefer it like that, but maybe that's just because what I'm used to. There are too many risks having so many horses trained at a track, where so many people go to on a daily basis and viruses can be spread easily.

What's to stop Al Qaeda from blowing up the infidel trainer barns?

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

What's to stop Al Qaeda from blowing up the infidel trainer barns?

Nice avatar...I'm still shocked Prop Joe is gone.

[sumitas]

Tours are available for the backside. The backside is a working environment where the business of horse racing is conducted. It is not a zoo.

[Linny]

There is no reason to have unfettered access. Cannon Shell's points about danger say enough. It could be very easy to "hit" a horse or for someone with a grudge to plant some sort of illegal substance in a trainers barn or office. Barns like those at Saratoga are completely open and trainers should not have to hire guards to be sure that no one decides to go pat the pretty one, not knowing that he eats human fingers like carrots.
There is at least the assumption that if you are licensed that you at least know some of the basic rules of the backstretch, like don't march into the shedrow univited, don't ever touch a horse unless you've gotten permission etc. Don't approach if the vet is in the shedrow etc...
If you are a horseplayer who has over time amassed some connections who are willing to leave your name at the gate, you are assumed to know the rules and abide by them. OTOH, Joe Schmoe and his wife and 3 kids don't know how to act and could easily get hurt or be a general PITA.
In the morning, trainers are training horses. They are saddling them and checking wraps and watching the move out and are generally busy. They don't need a family of 5 asking them if they can pet the horses.
I have full access at NYRA but rarely use it. Unless I've called a trainer ahead of time or asked for permission to visit. I would expect the same courtesy if a trainer was planning on visiting MY office.

I ride show horses at a barn with a lesson program. They have novices and parents around all the time. All boarders/experienced riders are expected to help keep liability to a minimum by using caution with strangers in the barn. Horses can be volitile, even old pro school horses or show horses.

I do think that it is nice to get to see workouts and get a backstage peek. I don't know why at Saratoga, instead of getting so strict, they didn't just create a section near the clockers stand at Oklahoma for fans. No barn access, just ability to see training. A small roped off area up the stretch from the stand would be fine.

As for biancone, I'm not sure how they can keep him from training on property which he owns.

[blackthroatedwind]

Other than that I think it's a great idea to let everybody and anybody into the backstretch.

What they really need to do to make it more people friendly is get rid of all those damn horses. They're a big pain in the ass anyway.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Linny

There is no reason to have unfettered access. Cannon Shell's points about danger say enough. It could be very easy to "hit" a horse or for someone with a grudge to plant some sort of illegal substance in a trainers barn or office. Barns like those at Saratoga are completely open and trainers should not have to hire guards to be sure that no one decides to go pat the pretty one, not knowing that he eats human fingers like carrots.
There is at least the assumption that if you are licensed that you at least know some of the basic rules of the backstretch, like don't march into the shedrow univited, don't ever touch a horse unless you've gotten permission etc. Don't approach if the vet is in the shedrow etc...
If you are a horseplayer who has over time amassed some connections who are willing to leave your name at the gate, you are assumed to know the rules and abide by them. OTOH, Joe Schmoe and his wife and 3 kids don't know how to act and could easily get hurt or be a general PITA.
In the morning, trainers are training horses. They are saddling them and checking wraps and watching the move out and are generally busy. They don't need a family of 5 asking them if they can pet the horses.
I have full access at NYRA but rarely use it. Unless I've called a trainer ahead of time or asked for permission to visit. I would expect the same courtesy if a trainer was planning on visiting MY office.

I ride show horses at a barn with a lesson program. They have novices and parents around all the time. All boarders/experienced riders are expected to help keep liability to a minimum by using caution with strangers in the barn. Horses can be volitile, even old pro school horses or show horses.

I do think that it is nice to get to see workouts and get a backstage peek. I don't know why at Saratoga, instead of getting so strict, they didn't just create a section near the clockers stand at Oklahoma for fans. No barn access, just ability to see training. A small roped off area up the stretch from the stand would be fine.

As for biancone, I'm not sure how they can keep him from training on property which he owns.

Exactly, when I was on the backstretch at Toga at Chuck's area, I was sitting there chatting up a storm with Elite Squarden and Jimmy Baker(?) and all of a sudden, HEADS UP!!! HORSE IS COMING, crazy horse got loose from Leah's G's barn and it was pretty hilarious as I really didn't know what to expect. I had my ass plastered on the barn wall.