Visited the Lawrence Bennett Harness horse racing facility. This facility has a capacity for about 400 horses. Trainers from the north bring their horses down here for the winter to train them and enjoy better weather them selves. There are 2 loose dirt tracks , a one mile and a 1/2 mile inside it. Each building hold 32 horses, with 10 x10 stalls back to back. We met people from around Mowhawk NY who used to race at the Rideau Carleton before the Canadian dollar weekened. Also met people from around Peterborough and near Toronto.
Mostly 3 year olds. They trot or pace them 4 to 5 miles a day 6 days a week . Once they have done 4 or 5 hundred miles they will start to race them once a week. Starting with a 5 minute mile and then work them slowly up to full speed . The advantage of a loose track is that it is harder to trot in but builds stronger muscles. In the spring they have one major race where they compete for their qualifying times to start the season back home. Most of the trainers stay here from November until April.
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