Teach
01-11-2008, 10:23 AM
In the mid-1980s I served as publicity director at the now defunct Foxboro Raceway. My many day-to-day duties included: writing releases, taking pictures, speaking with our ad agency, writing articles, picking the tip sheet, corresponding with the public, etc. One of my occasional duties was to be in the winner’s circle to assist with trophy or horse blanket presentations.
I vividly remember the first time I ever did one of those presentations. We were running a big stakes race and I was going to represent the track. I recall going down to the winner’s circle with the blanket and getting set to be part of the festivities. It’s then that I realized that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had mistakenly taken up a position directly behind the horse. I learned quickly that this was a huge “No No”.
Well, as the photographer was getting set to snap the picture, I can see that the winning horse is getting very skittish. Jumpy. At that moment, something in my brain said, “Better get out of here.” I quickly moved to the side of the horse. Moments later, the horse gave out with a forceful kick. If anyone were in the path of that kick, I would hate think what the consequences would have been.
The following day I did little research on horse habits and idiosyncracies. I learned that horses have much better peripheral vision than than we humans. They can actually see behind their heads. I believe I read that their field of view of is 270 degrees, ours is about 180. That’s why when a driver shows a horse a whip, even though the whip is well behind the horse's head, it can cause a horse to react and speed up. One place you don’t want to be is diectly behind a horse. That’s their "blind spot". That place, directly behind the horse, is so to speak: “The Danger Zone.”
A few days later, one of my bosses calls me in for a conference. He says “Thanks for representing the track at the trophy presentation.” He went on to say there’s one thing I meant to tell you, "Whatever you do, don’t stand directly behind the horse." I said, "Now ya tell me.”
I vividly remember the first time I ever did one of those presentations. We were running a big stakes race and I was going to represent the track. I recall going down to the winner’s circle with the blanket and getting set to be part of the festivities. It’s then that I realized that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had mistakenly taken up a position directly behind the horse. I learned quickly that this was a huge “No No”.
Well, as the photographer was getting set to snap the picture, I can see that the winning horse is getting very skittish. Jumpy. At that moment, something in my brain said, “Better get out of here.” I quickly moved to the side of the horse. Moments later, the horse gave out with a forceful kick. If anyone were in the path of that kick, I would hate think what the consequences would have been.
The following day I did little research on horse habits and idiosyncracies. I learned that horses have much better peripheral vision than than we humans. They can actually see behind their heads. I believe I read that their field of view of is 270 degrees, ours is about 180. That’s why when a driver shows a horse a whip, even though the whip is well behind the horse's head, it can cause a horse to react and speed up. One place you don’t want to be is diectly behind a horse. That’s their "blind spot". That place, directly behind the horse, is so to speak: “The Danger Zone.”
A few days later, one of my bosses calls me in for a conference. He says “Thanks for representing the track at the trophy presentation.” He went on to say there’s one thing I meant to tell you, "Whatever you do, don’t stand directly behind the horse." I said, "Now ya tell me.”