September 13, 2005
Day 5 – Tuesday – SECOND DAY OF SALE
Today was more of the same in terms of the morning routine. This morning I did three stalls, walked three horses, held a horse for a bath (yes, this time I got involved and very wet), groomed 5 horses and raked the aisles before getting dressed to show at 7:30 a.m. (we started at 5:00 a.m. again). It took me 10 minutes in the car to change.
Today was not as busy in the morning, but had moments when a lot of people would arrive at once to see horses.
Judy and I tried to take pictures of each other showing the horses today. We’ll try to get more tomorrow. At one point today, a very important middle-eastern client (whose name I do not remember) brought his entourage with him and we had somewhat of an “all show.” In general, I think we only had two “all shows” all day.
The thing that disturbs me a bit about this work is this particular group always tries to find “busy work” for you to do instead of allowing some breaks from the oppressive standing on your feet all day. I take my own breaks by walking to the bathroom or getting a water and going to the backside of the barn where we only have the four horses--just to be quiet for a few minutes and to speak to no one and get back inside my head. There also seems to be a few individuals who have somewhat of a "Napoleon" complex. You know how most people will say that there are crazy people involved with horses? There ARE crazy people involved with horses. And some of what goes on at Keeneland is really CRAZY!
There are two people I feel that, ultimately, if I had to work with them forever, I would have to shoot myself. They both have one thing in common-- they really have no life beyond this horse world. In some ways that's very sad, in others it's very telling of the types of people you find handling horses.
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| The front yard area at a relatively quiet time. |
I am learning and being trusted with more duties and more horses. Today the horses were easier to handle in the morning and easier to handle in the yard. Sometimes I think that too many horses are sent out into the yard at once. When there are so many colts and fillies out in the yard together, something is bound to happen. Not to mention, we SHARE the yard with P Farms, and they are using spots to show as well. It is so hard on the ground due to the heat, we have to water the yard and rake it when there is a lull, to keep the horses from getting stonedust on them. It was close to 94 degrees today!
I've also learned about a new use for Bigeloil Horse Liniment. I have this in my own tack cabinet at home, and previous to this foray into the Kentucky unknown, I thought it's uses were limited to sore muscles in horses. Well, Bigeloil (pronounced beagle-oil), in a spray bottle can--ahem--discourage a young colt from his amorous intentions. One or two sprays of Bigeloil, strategically placed shall we say, gets the colts mind OFF of that pretty filly, and onto the area where the Bigeloil was sprayed and the fact that it stings. Bigeloil can be a lifesaver, literally, when you are packed in a yard with colts and fillies.
This morning the powers that be intentionally split Judy and I up to work. I worked a team with Leo. We groomed together and he is very good at holding the horse, so I didn’t have to worry about doing the horse’s feet. Some holders are not good, and don’t command the horse well in terms of standing still. Leo, for being as quiet as he is, really does a good job of it. I also like working with Amanda and Marty from the Kentucky Equine Management program. These girls both work very hard, and it is obvious they like and respect horses.
I watched the riders breeze horses out on the track today in the mist under the lights this morning while eating breakfast. What a sight to behold. Wish I had a camera that could take that picture, but I don’t think the lighting is right for the little Fuji box camera I bought. I left my good camera at home.
It seems different people are under different contracts and come in at all different times. Tracey comes in at 6:30 a.m. and polishes brass. She also calls cards (a prospective buyer walks up to her or Karl and obtains their cards to fill out and she and Karl then call out the horses to be brought out, topped off and shown in the yard). Raymundo and Antonio have to be there at 3:00 a.m.!! YIKES!!! And here I am complaining about 5:00 a.m.! Tom, a showman, comes in at 6:30 a.m.
For the work we are doing, we are paid $175.00 per day as showmen/grooms, and we get a daily stipend for rooming, but I’m unsure what that is at this point, and quite frankly, I don't think it would pay for a room for even one day, let alone a full week.
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| That's me waiting to show in 94 degree weather. |
I am working very hard, and my body is feeling it. Although I hadn't felt like eating too much these last few days, today's lunch--sandwiches, apples and brownies--was one where I ate every morsel.
I'm so thankful for our wonderful hostess, Joanne, and her comfy house at the end of the day. The best shower is the one we get at the end of the day...after all the stonedust, heat, sweating, and horsey by-products that attach themselves to you, a nice, soothing hot shower is a real healer for the mind and body.
I’m going to sleep. It's only 9:30, but I am spent. I am looking forward to what tomorrow will bring and new things I may be learning, but with some trepidation.
September 14, 2005
Day 6 – THIRD DAY OF SALE
Well, I woke up twice last night, but not for very long, and only because my right shoulder, arm and hand were numb and my feet hurt. It was so difficult to press my body into service today, but I decided not to walk horses and to do stalls instead, so I could get the lactic acid working in my muscles, and get the soreness out of my arms, neck and shoulders. The first stall I did took so much gritting of my teeth because the soreness was so pervasive. But by stall number three I was able to move a bit more fluidly, and then moved into helping to get the grooming boxes together to place by the stalls for the morning groom. I did end up walking one horse.
The horses are now very much into the routine, but some folks are too heavy handed (in my opinion) with them and so some of the yearlings become fearful. I find if you talk to them, and even wait for fillies and colts to come to you at the door of their stall instead of rushing in, they are a lot calmer and easier to get along with.
Today I showed Hip #1071—the horse that only men were allowed to take out at first. No one else was available at the time, and I found myself being called to get his number, as a client wanted to see him. It was quite a successful showing, and I felt that both the colt, and I, had progressed enough to make it happen.
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| Joe, waiting with a spray bottle of water, to follow me and the horse I am showing. |
I now know everyone’s names and assignments. GROOMS: Judy, myself, Amanda, Marty, Leo, Antonio, Ryan, Raymundo, Bill, Jody. SHOWMEN: Judy, myself, Antonio, Raymundo, Paul, Robert, Bill, Jody, Kathy, Tom. CARDS: Tracy and Karl (they call the numbers as the cards are handed in by the clients). COMPUTER: Beth. CHASERS: Joe and Lori (when the horses are tired and not moving well, they come out with spray bottles of water to spray at the horses’ legs to move them along). Kathy also does manes, fixes cuts/marks, and does the final prep for the sales ring.
Today was a VERRRY stressful day, as the owner’s son was there all day and so the card callers felt they had to be on everyone ALL DAY LONG. They started saying things we’ve never heard before, trying, I think, to make the owner’s son feel they HAD ACTUALLY said them before, and were just reminding us. Not so. And, to be frank, the owner’s son wouldn’t have won a Human Resource Award today himself.
He pulled aside three showmen and gave them a real “what for” about the way they were showing the stock (not keeping their shank lead neat in their hand, not standing up straight, etc.), so one of the card callers felt the need to lecture everyone yet again. I’m not adverse to lecturing. In fact, I welcome lecturing if it has a purpose and teaches something, but this was pure “see, I’m telling them too” lecturing. No purpose, no need.
You could not sit down at all today unless you were eating lunch or you created your own getaway spot. I took a few long walks to the bathroom, or took my brief interludes to the back side of our barn for some quiet time.
There were no over-the-top major mishaps today, but Judy’s toe did get stepped on and I believe it was because there were too many people and horses in the yard at the time. Horses, in my opinion, were also being sent out too soon, and not topped off well (still some straw in their manes, whites not completely clean, etc.).
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| A better view of the yard. The concrete structure is the spot we drag our burlap filled with soiled stall bedding in the wee hours of the morning. |
I drank so much water today, I thought I would float away. ALL of our horses will go to the sales ring tomorrow. Horses have actually been going up to the sales ring all week, but there are many barns, and many horses, which is why there are so many days to the sale.
I was asked which horses I felt comfortable enough to take to the ring tomorrow and I mentioned the colt Hip #1222. I get along well with him. He does try to bite when you go in to chifney him in the stall, but once you are over that, he is generally a good boy. So I have been assigned to take both him and Hip #1331 (a colt from the backside). Amanda will be my groom both times. I am to go up with Robert as his groom on hip #947 (the Dixie Union colt) so that I will get to see how to get to the sales ring.
Tom spent a bit of time with me today explaining what grooms should do and where to go while the showman shows the horse. However, unbeknownst to anyone, on a bathroom break, I went up to the ring to see what it was like. I wanted to go to sleep tonight having seen and knowing what I am up against tomorrow.
Suffice it to say, it is a long walk and quite crazy, especially considering I will be walking a yearling who has never been exposed to any of this before. While they’ve gotten into a routine in the yard, walking to the sales ring will be a different experience. I did see quite a few yearling “explosions” occurring in the outer ring before the sales ring. Horses leaping, rearing, jumping sideways.
One incident that occurred today involved me being approached by some people in the back barn shed row area to show hip #1297. It was at a particularly quiet time, with people on breaks, or some showing in the front yard. I happened to be in the back area cleaning--raking the pathway--steadfastly following the "owner is on the premises" rules that had been set up in the morning.
These enterprising horse buyers had a spot in the yard on the back barn side all picked out and ready for me to show him. No one orientated me as to the protocol for this type of thing, so I had to decide between actually doing as requested or sending them to our front shed row for cards. My theory was that the very-wealthy-people-club (whom these folks obviously were card carrying members of) do not generally have a lot of patience. I had been exposed to this club all week, and knew that my job was to cater to their needs, whatever they were. So I made an executive decision, got the horse out, and showed him with no incident. After putting the colt back up I found Tracey and immediately told her what happened and that there was no one else around for me to ask at the time.
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| That's me showing a colt to a client. |
Turns out I should have sent them to the front, even if they had to wait for someone to show up, but Tracey acknowledged that no one had instructed me about this, and felt that I ultimately did the right thing by showing the horse. I also made a point of telling Karl what happened, and he responded with “oh, I already heard about it, and it’s okay.” When he said that I thought maybe Tracey had mentioned it to him, but I found out later that one of the Napoleon complex showmen did one of those school kid numbers—tattling. Apparently the people I showed the horse to are people he ALWAYS shows horses to. Well, who knew? No one filled me in on the dancers or their dance cards. I think this showman was surprised when everyone acknowledged they already knew about it, because I had told them. Yep, it pays to be honest.
Judy’s toe was bothering her today. I tried to help out as much as I could so she wouldn’t have to stand on it forever. She is a trooper.
I still cannot get over the fact that people have this much money—to just leisurely come to Keeneland and spend an average of $130,000 on a horse with no guarantees. It’s just crazy!
Most of the large Kentucky horse farms are owned by Sheikhs. Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Maktoum are two of the many owners of large stable operations. They spend quite a bit of time at the sales. Sheikh Mohammed purchased a horse for $3.8 million on day one of the sale. On day two another colt was purchased for $9.8 million, by another Sheikh.
Tonight, after my shower, I took the car and found a Starbuck’s and had a nice latte. I also found a Cold Stone Creamery. Yum! I am so sore and so tired from this hectic day, I just cannot imagine tomorrow. Tomorrow, at least, is the last day. I’m somewhat heartened by that. I think I can make it.
For the final chapter of The Kentucky Trip, tune in tomorrow.
Aarroooooo!
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