What Reality Really Is...

Two weeks have gone by and I have not posted a blog by the deadline. Between school and work I have not had much time to go on the computer.

When trying to think of a topic for today since I have watched little TV as of late, I got to thinking about my job. In the past week I have gone from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Horse Racing does that to you. It can make you feel on top of the world and then come right back and break your heart. It's hard to explain to non-racetrackers the live we live and our careers. It's a rough business, a tough one, that most people wouldn't understand. It's no wonder I would rather associate with racetrackers than 'normal people'. Racetrackers "get" each other. We understand how we all operate and how we think. We understand others hard work schedules and devotion to being at the barn all hours of the day. No sane person gets up at 3:30 in the morning to go to work unless you really really love something.

Last weeked we had 10 horses run. They all ran pretty decently and we had a few winners. One of the fillies on Sunday was a horse that I had exclusivly worked with all winter. She just couldn't understand being a racehorse. My trainer thought she was slow but she would manage to hit the board. She loved to get second and third, but could never win. As the winter wore on she really came into her own. She looked better, felt better, and in general was just happier. She won her first race a few weeks ago. Lasy Sunday we moved her up in class and she won again, easily. I was so happy to see a filly that I worked so hard on finally get what racing was. Her owners were thrilled. They couldn't be happier. They had bred her, raised her, and broke her. It was that day that I thought "this is why I love this sport so much. Helping the horses reach thier full potential. This is why I want to be a trainer".

Today, about 3 hours ago, horse racing showed our barn once again how unpredictable and hard this sport that can. One of other horses, Forest Grinder, was breezing (running race speed around the track) with another horse when she bobbled, breaking her leg, badly, I might add. She had to be put down. I didn't take care of Forest, but I fed her every single day. Right after I learned it was her that broke down I went into another horse's stall, hugged his neck and cried. These horses are part of a big family at the barn. The horses are not supposed to get hurt. They aren't supposed to die. It's hard to explain it to the anti horse racing people. These things are not supposed to happen, they just do and you have to deal with it. Forest wasn't the first and I know she won't be the last, but everytime one loses thier life, it's like losing a member of your family. You watch these horses learn and grow and help through hardships and through good times. It's terrible to see one get hurt.

As far as people go at the racetrack, good people are hard to come by. Quite a few people have drug and alcohol addiction. People go out and party. people cheat on thier spouses. People steal. Just a few weeks ago a girl almost got raped in one of the bathrooms. there are people that are crooks or have done dirty deeds in the past. The racetrack isn't the safest place. It's hard to find good people and I am thankful I work for a barn full of good people. In the past two weeks I made a friend from another barn who I am very grateful for. She is a good person. Relationships are hard on the racetrack since good people are hard to find and we are always traveling. It always seems when someone perfect seems to walk in the door my age they are always jetted away to the big leagues of the racing world because of thier talent and how bright thier future is. It's heart breaking. I guess half the reason I like watching the millionaire matchmaker is because someday I hope I have a happy ending like these people seem to do, but on the racetrack I don't have much hope.

Reality TV for many is an escape and I geuss it is that for me too. But in the end, you can't escape reality. On a day like today, where our barn hit the lowest of lows, I have hope that we will once again return to the highest of highs. Horse Racing is funny like that. The Tampa meet is coming to an end and the horses will be going to 3 different tracks where new adventures, more new horses, and more new people await. It will definatly be an interesting ride.