LongOwner Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Has anyone seen the permanent Addington stage - too high so owners miss out on a decent photo , interaction with the driver taken away and I would think ( not there as no runner tonight ) some of the enjoyment of owning a horse has been taken away . May work if not so high off the ground . Any views ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 1 hour ago, LongOwner said: Has anyone seen the permanent Addington stage - too high so owners miss out on a decent photo , interaction with the driver taken away and I would think ( not there as no runner tonight ) some of the enjoyment of owning a horse has been taken away . May work if not so high off the ground . Any views ? See that on trackside. Is it designed to keep the owners safe from the horse?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 Trouble is removes one of the pleasures of owning a horse - last race had sponsors mixed with owners . The owner pays the bills and provides the product but cannot get a decent photo with their pride and joy when it wins . The horse is the hero not the people towering over it ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kakama Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 38 minutes ago, LongOwner said: Trouble is removes one of the pleasures of owning a horse - last race had sponsors mixed with owners . The owner pays the bills and provides the product but cannot get a decent photo with their pride and joy when it wins . The horse is the hero not the people towering over it ! Agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
With A Dream Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Havn’t seen the new barrier but anything that makes the horses more remote from the public or the owners is a big mistake. I have been lucky enough to part own a winner at Addington earlier in the season and the previous set up was fine. Are you unable to talk to the driver now in the birdcage? If so this is not good. Trouble is these days the health & Safety brigade are getting totally carried away and are determined to remove the fun out of everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
With A Dream Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Just re read your post Longowner. I got it wrong thinking it was a barrier. Agree with you totally. Of course the owner wants the horse in the picture. I would not have been happy if our photo was just the owners and sponsors. Having your photo with the horse is the whole point of the photo. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 People happy with it? Must be for safety? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westview Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 1 hour ago, Happy Sunrise said: People happy with it? Must be for safety? Oh no that is a sponsor and a owner in the above photo and who put that horse in the photo. With that photo and every other one taken on the night the owner is asked by me if they are happy having the sponsor in the photo or not.yes the platform is there for health and safety and being a club with paid directors the same as atc the club has much more liabilty than other trotting clubs around the country. Doing nothing wasn't an option and if you had my job on race night you would understand how difficult and can be keeping owners, sponsors and horses safe (well maybe not horses) ever tried herding cats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Awful photo for owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Better photos for owner . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
With A Dream Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 I just wonder how come the guys in that last photo got to stand next to the horse? Is it a matter of choice whether you have your photo taken from the podium or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
With A Dream Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 17 hours ago, Westview said: Oh no that is a sponsor and a owner in the above photo and who put that horse in the photo. With that photo and every other one taken on the night the owner is asked by me if they are happy having the sponsor in the photo or not.yes the platform is there for health and safety and being a club with paid directors the same as atc the club has much more liabilty than other trotting clubs around the country. Doing nothing wasn't an option and if you had my job on race night you would understand how difficult and can be keeping owners, sponsors and horses safe (well maybe not horses) ever tried herding cats. There is always some risk in life. Getting in your car and driving to work exposes people to risk. The question is whether that risk is reasonable or not. Can you tell me Westview how many people have been injured in the last 20 years having their photo taken with their horse at Addington? What worries me is what comes next. The health and safety brigade are constantly trying to think up new ways to eliminate risk, even if that risk is miniscule. Once they have separated owners from standing beside their horse will they then look to other ways to further minimize the risk, perhaps banning horses from photo's with owners altogether. Will they then look to banning owners from the stables ? Every time we implement a policy that makes the horses more remote from the owners and the public (example removing the birdcage from Addington so the public can't see the horses parade up close) we are removing the product from the customer. This is a big mistake. Bottom line - If people don't feel engaged and part of the action they will go find something else to do. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westview Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 1 hour ago, With A Dream said: There is always some risk in life. Getting in your car and driving to work exposes people to risk. The question is whether that risk is reasonable or not. Can you tell me Westview how many people have been injured in the last 20 years having their photo taken with their horse at Addington? What worries me is what comes next. The health and safety brigade are constantly trying to think up new ways to eliminate risk, even if that risk is miniscule. Once they have separated owners from standing beside their horse will they then look to other ways to further minimize the risk, perhaps banning horses from photo's with owners altogether. Will they then look to banning owners from the stables ? Every time we implement a policy that makes the horses more remote from the owners and the public (example removing the birdcage from Addington so the public can't see the horses parade up close) we are removing the product from the customer. This is a big mistake. Bottom line - If people don't feel engaged and part of the action they will go find something else to do. Sorry can't tell you how many people have been injured in the last twenty years as I have only been in charge of it for the last four. I can tell you there have been some very close calls and it would only take one for health and safety to shut us down. I agree the photos aren't as good as before but I think there better than aucklands answer to the same problem. It is still a work in progress where we position the owners and sponsors on the platform but that unfortunately is where they are going to be. The problem with health and safety is if something goes wrong the buck stops with me then the club. I am a licensed stable hand and those shoes I wear are steel caps but even I don't get to close to a horse I don't know straight after a race. The above onwner does work with that horse but even he shouldn't have been out there. Im talking with the club to find out if license holders will be an exception to the new rules. Shame you didn't post the photo of the winners in the first tote race as you would have seen me on that platform and no I don't get paid for being there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted July 14, 2018 Author Share Posted July 14, 2018 A good picture 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 Still not doing it for me - surely there is something else we could try . Stand behind the driver ( Aussie way ) , lower the platform and make rails vertical - this leaning over down on the horse is impossible to get a half decent photo - think of something as this has taken away a huge pleasure of owning a horse and spending $$$$ $. May as well join the Aussie flight as if you cannot get close to your horse may as well chase the easy pickings over the ditch and watch it on TV ! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 41 minutes ago, LongOwner said: surely there is something else we could try Take the platform away but wrap the horse in cellophane so there is no danger to anyone. That is health and safety at its best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Happy Sunrise said: Take the platform away but wrap the horse in cellophane so there is no danger to anyone. That is health and safety at its best. Happy, you can not do that!,,, The Animal Rights activists will be up in arms as cruelty to horses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
With A Dream Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 13 hours ago, LongOwner said: Still not doing it for me - surely there is something else we could try . Stand behind the driver ( Aussie way ) , lower the platform and make rails vertical - this leaning over down on the horse is impossible to get a half decent photo - think of something as this has taken away a huge pleasure of owning a horse and spending $$$$ $. May as well join the Aussie flight as if you cannot get close to your horse may as well chase the easy pickings over the ditch and watch it on TV ! Dead right LongOwner, There is no financial incentive to race a horse. Owners only do it for the fun and the hope to be associated with a good horse one day. Start fiddling with the fun aspect and you risk owners deserting the sport altogether. Think again Addington,, you are playing with fire. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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