Horse racing is more than a job. It doesn’t start at 9 and end at 5. It doesn’t stop for weekends or pay time-and-a-half, or sick pay.

Horses need to be cared for. Farms need to be tended to, and work needs to be done whether it’s 30 degrees or -30 out. There are 2:00 am drives back from the racetrack and 4:00 am foaling emergencies. And the job continues the next morning whether you feel like it or not.

Your horses require routine and structure to their schedules and lives, and you are required to put them first, above everything else – all year long. And even when your horses give you a chance to slow down, do you take it? Do you stop to breathe and appreciate life? Or do you continue on to the next task?

The Standardbred Canada website gets solid regular traffic all year long. Unlike many industries, we don’t see the traffic dips during the weekend or through March break. Long weekends are spent checking out holiday race results, watching videos, looking at horses for sale and doing entries for the week ahead. The week is busy from morning to night.

The only exception to this rule is Christmas. For a full day, and some of the day previous, horsepeople and those who love racing – check out a little bit. After the barn chores get done in the morning of course, there are no entries or results, no racetracks to run to, and nothing so pressing that it takes precedence over family time or rest and relaxation. Even the traffic on Standardbred Canada’s website dips on Christmas day.

Hopefully this is the time when people in the racing industry allow themselves time to reflect on something other than horse racing.

You operate in an industry that is all encompassing, and often takes precedence over everything else. But it can’t take priority over happiness and laughter. It mustn’t take precedence over relationships with family, friends and your community. And it shouldn’t take you over as a person, or obscure from the things you want in life.

This is an industry with so many wonderful qualities. It has a unique power to bring people together, enrich lives, and create wonderful lasting memories for those lucky enough to be involved in it.

But we all need a break. We need a little time to ourselves, without the noise, to reflect on all the things that are really important in our lives. I hope you have the opportunity to smile, laugh and reflect this holiday season on the things most important to you.

Wishing you and your family the very best this holiday season, and in 2017!

Darryl Kaplan
[email protected]