Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Life on the farm is never dull, and Odds On Acres is no exception. Everyday, 365 days a year nearly 100 Standardbred race horses, yearlings, two-year-olds and broodmares must be looked after and attended to. Horses still need to be fed and watered, their stalls mucked, and some need special care even on holidays, when many humans take a much-needed day off. But for the lives housed at major training facilities like Odds On Acres, there is no such thing as a "day off."

In the morning hours horses are fed before the sun rises. Each horse is fed according to his or her body weight, and to what his or her system might require. For instance some horses will eat a general mix of certain grains, while others with allergies may be fed a pelleted mixture. These feedings are carefully prepared and measured by members of the Odds On crew prior to breakfast.

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After the horses have finished eating, each groom assigned to his or her group of horses will take their charge's temperatures and check their horse's stool for any change in texture, which could indicate a possible infection or sickness. Each caretaker will make a note of these findings and give their daily morning report to Odds On barn manager Sheryl Erikson. Sheryl then passes along the information to trainer Robin Schadt, who can then decide what action, if any, to take with any of the horses regarding their health status.

The caretakers at Odds On Acres are each assigned a group of horses, usually five horses each. For instance, Gayle takes care of Odds On Tim, Odds On Julie, Odds On Kevin, Odds On Western and Pacific Playboy, while Javier looks after Odds On Casey, Odds On Robin Lynn, False Alarm, Dustin N Cleanin and Odds On Charmaine. As well, each caretaker has their own personal bathstall, which they are responsible for and to which only their horses are taken. This way, each groom has an area for him or her and their horses for which they are responsible.

If all is satisfactory, the caretakers will then begin harnessing the horses to be jogged and trained. A daily jogging and training schedule will have been posted by Robin the night before, so that when the caretakers arrive in the morning, they know what to expect that day for themselves and their horses. Horses being trained will be moved at prescribed times and in between training trips the caretakers will muck out each horse's stall thoroughly, removing any soiled bedding. They will also replace each horse's water buckets with a freshly scrubbed bucket and clean, fresh water.

When the horses return to the barn after going their first training mile, the caretakers will place coolers over the horse, along with a sweat sheet, to keep the horse's muscles warm and relaxed until they go back to the track for their second training session.

Sometimes an assistant trainer might mention to Robin-especially in the case of the two-year-olds-that a shoeing change is in order. Then, a caretaker will take the horse down to the on-site blacksmith shop, where Odds On farrier Chuck Bright or his assistant Jimmy will adjust the shoes to Robin's specifications. It might be something as simple as taking on a pair of cross-firing shoes on a horse's hind hooves where before he had full swedges. Or the blacksmith might add a few touches of borium here and there to help the colt or filly stop slipping. Shoeing is a refined and ancient art, and the possibilities regarding changes are endless.

After a horse has trained his or her final mile, they'll return to their barn, where their caretaker will strip off their harness and take them to the wash stall for a well-deserved bath. By now it's mid-morning and the entire facility is buzzing with activity. At the same time horses are training and jogging, others are being put into one of the two Equicizers-enclosed circular walking pens, that the Odds On crew has christened "the wheels."

Horses can be placed in the "wheels" for a prescribed amount of time. They are free to move either at a walk or slow trot in a restricted space, and the direction of the wheel can changed and the speed altered at any time. It is thus possible to exercise ten or more horses at any time in this fashion. These "wheels" were first utilized in Europe and made their appearances state side some ten years ago.

After a horse is bathed, it is both placed in its stall and allowed to eat hay, or in extremely hot weather, the horse will be walked with a cooler on until it's breathing is not labored. Horses that have gone training trips will also be weighed both before and after their sessions.

Odds On barn manager Sheryl also has the responsibility of seeing to it that certain horses get whatever kind of therapy they need on a daily basis. Some horses use various types of magnetic therapy, such as boots to fit legs, knees, hocks or feet, while others may wear a magnetic blanket for a prescribed length of time. She'll also see to it that horses who are swimmers make it over to the Odds On pool, where pool technician Hazel Arnold puts the horses through their paces.

Some horses swim in lieu of hitting the racetrack for training, while others used a combination of swimming and jogging or training, while still others use it mainly for therapy purposes. The length of time a horse stays in the pool depends upon where he or she is in their training regime. As well, many horses are also placed in one of the many paddocks Odds On Acres has on-site in order to romp and roll as they please.

By late morning, many of the early joggers and trainers are dry and in the process of being "done up" by their caretakers. This involves rubbing them down with a liniment and rubbing their legs or applying poultice to reduce heat. The caretakers will then place cottons on their horse's legs and stall bandages. The will comb out their manes and tails, and brush their bodies until they shine like a new copper penny. Last but not least, they will pack their feed with mud or clay, and paint the coronet bands with hoof grease to keep them supple and to promote growth.

The caretakers will then pick out any manure and leave their charges to relax and eat their hay. Next comes the cleaning of the horse's tack, harness and bridle and jog carts. These items need to be cleaned every day. The pads under the harness saddles need to be washed and dried so that they will be fresh for the next day's training or jog sessions. Blankets and towels will also be washed at this time, along with any soiled leg wraps and cottons.

After all the horses have been "done up and put away" they will be fed their lunch ration. Those horses who are racing at a nearby track such as Balmoral that same evening will be loaded into a trailer and shipped over to the track a few hours later in the afternoon. Horses racing at different venues have already made their trips to raceways in Canada, New Jersey and Indiana days and in some cases, weeks earlier.

Besides the horses, there is regular farm work to be done. The track must be harrowed and watered throughout the day; the swimming pool must be cleaned and sanitized daily; and the grounds, barn area, paddocks and the "wheels" must be cleaned of debris and manure on a daily basis.

There is also the daily chore of making sure there is enough grain, hay and bedding available for all of the horses, as well as such amenities as equipment, soap for bathing, parts for jog carts and race bikes-to name just a few.

By late afternoon a calm comes over Odds On Acres, although at times the faint ting of the anvil being struck can be heard as the blacksmiths continue to work until early evening in some cases. During this time it's not uncommon to find many of the horses laying down for a good afternoon nap, either spread out in their stall or munching quietly on hay. Later, those quiet munches will turn to neighs and whinnies as pacers and trotters look forward to their evening meal, many getting up from their naps and shaking their bodies with the vigor of a playful pup.

Once evening feed is over, the quiet returns to Odds On Acres and all that can be heard once more is the peaceful munching of hay. Still later, after the sun has set, those horses that have raced return to their clean stalls of fresh bedding with generous flakes of hay and sparkling, clear water awaiting them.

It will be only a few hours before the whole process begins again.