National Caretaker Appreciation Day events are coming up the weekend of July 19-21 at racetracks across the country and this year we invite horse owners, farm owners, trainers and drivers to get involved with recognizing and showing appreciation to some of the hardest working men and women in the sport.

Have you thought about what you can do on a personal level to say thank you to the person who spends the most time with your horse, the person who works on statutory holidays, nights and weekends, and ensures that your horse is healthy and happy, both mentally and physically?

Here are a few ideas on how you can say thank you to your caretaker, whether they are racing, working at the farm or training centre:

• Refreshments – bring donuts or muffins and coffee to the stable

• Host a stable BBQ

• Give them a hand for the day with some of their duties

• Give them a day off with pay

• Take him / her out to lunch

• Give them a thank you card along with a gift card of your choice

• Purchase a win photo for them of one of the horses they care for, the next time it wins

• Take a photo of your caretaker hard at work and enter the photo in the NCAD Photo Challenge; click here for details

Take a look at some of the country’s caretakers hard at work in this promo video produced by Standardbred Canada’s Rachel Oenema, with contributions from Orianna Scheck and Amy Henry.